Hike to Lat-asan and Discover Tinagong Dagat of Sipalay City

Lat-asan is located at Sitio Matlag, Brgy. 4, Sipalay City. It’s after Matlag Cave if you’re going to the city proper. There are islets here and the water is very clear and very inviting for swimming.  Mark, our guide, pointed out that the corals we see through the clear water are already dead due to mine tailings. It’s disheartening since it will probably take several decades for the corals to grow. If it’s any consolation, the mines in Sipalay already ceased operation so hopefully the corals will be left alone to grow back.

You can have a picnic in one of the cottages at Lat-asan or go boating around the cove. The nice view is ideal for people like us who can’t get enough of ourselves in front of the camera.

Tinagong Dagat at Matlag

There’s no shortage of Tinagong Dagat (hidden sea) here in Sipalay. According to Mark, they have three sites called Tinagong Dagat. Just a short trek from Lat-asan is the Tinagong Dagat here in Matlag. It’s a lake with several holes connected to the sea. It’s located in a private lot but if you course through a visit to the Sipalay tourism office, they can surely accommodate you. You can have privacy here and it’s a good area for fishing and for picnic.

Exhausted from the hike, we were all looking forward to our lunch. We had a luncheon meeting with our gracious hosts, the Sipalay City government officials, at Dagat-Dagatan Restaurant. As expected, we were served with different dishes of fish abundant in Sipalay.  Isn’t it obvious with our smiles that we had a great meal?