Caves of Bolinao

Three publicly accessible caves sit within five minutes of each other along the road back from Patar, each run by the family that owns the land it stands on. The water in all three is fresh spring water, cool year-round, sitting a few degrees colder than the sea outside.

Cindy's Cave (twelve minutes from the cabin) is the most family-friendly, a shallow pool of waist-high water in a low chamber. Wonderful Cave (fourteen minutes) is the deepest, with cool spring water you can swim across and a hidden inner cave the caretakers will show you on request. Enchanted Cave (seventeen minutes) has a natural underground pool inside a limestone chamber.

Each charges a small entrance fee, paid at the gate. Go early to beat the crowds, and bring a change of clothes and small bills.