The Antique Province is located in the region of Panay in the Philippines. This amazing area is surrounded by the provinces of Aklan, Iloilo, and Capiz of Western Visayas.
Just about 80.7 kilometers away from the famous Boracay Island, the Antique Province offers equally beautiful scenery, but a more outstanding experience to travelers. This is because most of its natural beauty is still untouched and preserved with much love and care from the locals.
You might be wondering just what you can see and do in Antique. Well, here are some of the best reasons why you should visit this wonderful place and include it on your itinerary when you visit the Philippines!
Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Visit Antique Province
1. It is where the mountains meet the sea.
This line is the perhaps the popular tourism tagline of the Antique Province. And exactly as the words says, a visit to the Antique Province will give you a combination of experience from the mountains down to the seas.
As you travel from north to south in the province, you’ll be captured by the beauty of the highest peak of the Central Panay Mountain Range, Mount Madia-as. It stands a towering 2,113 meters (6,932 feet) into the sky and is known as a hiker’s paradise.
Paralleled to it and just few kilometers away lies the beautiful coast of the West Philippine Sea. The waves and the scenery are so inviting that you’ll just want to dive in and enjoy the clear waters right away!
2. It’s where you can enjoy white powdery sand beaches on a budget.
Not as overcrowded as Boracay, the Antique Province also has white powdery sand beaches that it boasts for your pleasure. Some of these are found in the northern part of the province.
One, for example, is the Mararison Island in Culasi that became the alternative destination for tourists when Boracay was closed due to rehabilitation.
But if you like somewhere remote that offers an exotic waterfront location, rocky mountains, and deep caves and picture-perfect white sand beaches, the Caluya Island in the Antique Province is one place to go!
Since it’s a remote island, note that you need to travel 4-6 hours in a boat to reach the place. There will so little time, yet so many amazing things to do!
3. It’s where you can have a warm bath in a gigantic kawa.
This is one of the few places in the Philippines where you can experience a warm bath in a gigantic kawa!
No, the Antiqueños wont cook and eat you! This is just one of their ways to make you feel their love and care by giving you a warm bath that will relax your body and mind.
You can experience the Kawa Hot Tub bath in the municipality of Tibiao.
The big kawas-turned-hot tubs were previously used at sugar mill factories in Tibiao town. It also turned out to be a perfect way to enjoy water therapy with the cold and chilly weather of the town!
4. It’s where you can witness the majestic beauty of rice terraces without having to go to Northern Philippines.
Yes, Antique has its own rice terraces! You can see small versions of these rice terraces in some parts of the province. But the biggest and most breathtaking view can be found at General Fullon, San Remigio.
The hike up to Gen. Fullon is not that easy, though! You need to hike approximately 3.5 to 4 hours at a brisk pace to reach the terraces. The first part of the trek consists of rice fields and rivers. But the latter part of the trail is a little challenging, since you’ll need to go up and down the mountains.
But the climb is all worth it when you finally get to see the picturesque rice terraces. You can also visit some of the waterfalls in San Remigio on your hike up. And if you are lucky, you can also see the biggest flower in the world in bloom- the Rafflesia!
5. It’s where you can meet the nicest and ever-caring Antiqueños.
One of the best things you will surely love when you visit the Antique Province is the people! Wherever you go, you will be greeted with a smile by the locals. They won’t even hesitate to wave at you, even if they don’t know you! That’s how friendly they are.
They might even cook the best meals for you! One of their specialties is KBL or Kadyos, Baboy and Langka. It is a soup dish made of pork meat cooked with jack fruit vegetable and pigeon pea.
These are just some of the things you can do when you visit the Antique Province. But it is just the tip of the iceberg, and there are still more exciting places to go! So what are you waiting for? Come and visit the Antique Province now!
