Information about Cudugnon Cave

Cudugnon Cave

Pack your spelunking and caving gear for your next caving destination to the mysterious Cudugnon Cave. This tour is a combination of appreciating the wonders of nature and feeding your anthropological interest. If you’re an adventure seeker or interested in archeological exploration, a trip to this cave should be included in your bucket list.

Tucked away at the west part of Lagen Island of El Nido, Cudugnon Cave sits at the foot of Mount Maateg, a scenic view that welcomes tourists in their arrival to the beautiful island. Cudugnon Cave is included in the Tour B of El Nido.

It is best advised to visit the island during low tide in order to explore the wonderful rock formations and limestone karst inside the cave since the cave is filled with water from the sea during high tides. During these times, exploring the cave becomes difficult so tourists take this as an opportunity for snorkeling and discovering the rich marine life of El Nido. Crawl through a narrow hole between two rock outcroppings and discover this sacred place that serves as a testament to the wonderful art of nature as shown in the eerily beautiful stalactites, towering rock formations, and high cavernous ceilings. It is a concealed paradise that houses bats and barn swallows.

Ancient History

This tourist destination attracts guests not just because of its natural beauty, but also because of its great anthropological significance to Philippine history. It is said that Cudugnon Cave serves as a Neolithic burial site or a natural catacomb for ancient Palawenos and settlers from Borneo, making it a very important archeological site.

Experts found ancient pieces of jewelry, pottery artifacts, and human bones dated back to the Sung Dynasty between 960 and 1279 A.D. Historians believe that this is an ancient practice of returning the deceased to nature. Today, some of the remains recovered and artifacts that are collected were transferred to the National Museum of the Philippines.