Though parts of the road are bumpy, my two hour drive from Mati was made worthwhile and interesting by the rustic scenery along the way.
It's more than 40-kilometer coastline broken by mangroves and rocky formations is made more awesome by stretches of pristine beaches that are alternately bleached and silvery.
Small and beautiful islands dot the shallow seas.
The San Victor Island, reportedly owned by the parish, is surrounded by a white beach and is just a stone's throw away from the mainland.
Barangay Ban-ao, otherwise known as Treasure Island, may be reached by foot from Mahoc's ivory beach when the tide ebbs away.
But what captured my fantasy was the Langoyon Bucana whose milky sand banks lead to a wide, calm river and lush mangrove forest.
Its serenity and seemingly undisturbed beauty I found truly captivating. So were the mangrove resorts I visited.
The Agawon Beach is similarly bewitching with its grove of old, though already sparse, Piapi trees, protruding spiky roots and tidal imprints on the sand.
The entire landscape is made more astonishing by a spring of fresh water under a huge rock that flows directly to the sea.
Equally astonishing is a privately owned mangrove and fish pond resort in Barangay Salingcomot.
Its placid but not stagnant lagoon, floating coconut trees and algoid ponds make it exciting.
But what is most interesting is its suggestion of what a developer can do without destroying the basic elements of a natural resource.
Nearby I saw, its water source, the small but mystic lake called Carolina whose depth they say remains unfathomed and whose waters continually flow to the Pacific Ocean. A lot of fascinating stories have been told which lend to the lake's exotic mystique.
Another exquisite body of water that is truly enticing is the pooled Balete Hot Spring in Barangay Kinablahan.
Compared to other hot spring resorts in the country, it is more natural and accessible. It is located just along the highway going to Cateel and Boston.
All these places, I visited in less than a day and without experiencing the much desired aqueous sensation. Only my eyes feasted though still missing the majestic Curtain Falls of Barangay Kampawan.
This I promise to see. And I vowed to submerge my body in the varied scintillating waters of Baganga, on my next visit.
