Mostly, people would know something about one of the most famous islands in the Visayas which would be Boracay. But that island with its white beaches was transformed into a real tourist hub within two decades and lost a lot of its former charme. Sure, one should not generalize; but concerning eco-tourism, the rather commercialized Boracay Island would not be the first one to mention.

Still, there are also a few Boracay Resorts which try to combine both tourism and care of nature, and try to keep Boracay as an Isla Bonita. We would suggest to also discover other islands, for example in Mindanao. There are many wonderful places to discover in the southernmost area of the Philippines. Camiguin Island offers interesting sights for tourists who want to combine good tourism with a deeper understanding of philippine nature and culture.

But also in Misamis Occidental around Ozamis City one could find spots like the Aquamarine Park (MOAP) with dolphins, sea turtles and mangrove forests. Alternative tourism becomes more and more popular in Mindanao. It´s worth to try it and find out more about beautiful and safe places in Mindanao!

With an area of about 95.581 square kilometers, Mindanao is the second largest philippines island after Luzon. The both islands together comprise about two thirds of the country area and about 70% of the poplutation are based here. Mindanao has about 15 million inhabitants. The capital city is Davao City near Mount Apo, with a heigth of about 2.954 m what makes it the highest mountain in the country.

Davao City is said to be the largest city in the world – at least by square footage. Besides Mount Apo, you could also find Mount Sumagaya. The following islands belong to Mindanao: Mindanao, the Sulu archipelago (with Basilan, Jolo and Tawi-Tawi), Camiguin, Dinagat, Siargao, Samal Island and Sarangani Islands.

The regions of Mindanao are divided into provinces:

• Region IX (Zamboanga Peninsula): Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay
• Region X (Northern Mindanao): Camiguin, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte
• Region XI (Davao Region): Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental
• Region XII (SOCCSKSARGEN): South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani
• Region XIII (Caraga): Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur

The provinces of Maguindanao, Shariff Kabunsuan and Lanao del Sur belong to the ARMM (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao), which was built in  1989. Basilan, Sulu und Tawi-Tawi are also part of it.

Thats was our shourt overview about Mindanao. Let us know, if we missed anything important.

In the Philippines, there are many interesting things to discover. We are going to show you some of the highlights and we are trying to also write about the latest developments in the different parts of the country, and especially about Mindanao, our favourite island.