Last Updated on April 18, 2020 by Tina
Dubbed as the longest footbridge in the Philippines, the Cantiasay-San Pedro Bridge is a wooden bridge in Surigao City in Mindanao. I’m not sure about the actual length of the bridge. Some say it is 391 meters while others say it is 471 meters. It is one of the tourist attractions of the city. The bridge connects two islands, Nonoc Island and Hanigad Island.
Back when I was still working as a geologist for Clariden Holdings Inc., I was often assigned for a few weeks in one of their projects located in Nonoc Island. There’s not much to do there after work and the internet connection is really slow in the staff house. We start work early (7:00 AM) at the mine site, and finish work at 4:00 PM.
Almost every afternoon after work, I do walking as a form of exercise with my colleague Salee. When she is on field break, I walk alone. Sometimes, we would walk from the staff house to Brgy. Cantiasay* to cross the footbridge and watch the sunset while eating ensaymada or other baked goodies that are available at the bakery.
*Nonoc Island consists of three barangays: Brgy. Nonoc, Brgy. Cantiasay and Brgy. Talisay. Brgy. Cantiasay is where the other end of the bridge is located. Brgy. San Pedro is located in Hanigad Island.
Crossing the Cantiasay-San Pedro Bridge for the First Time
The first time I crossed the bridge was in 2015. I did it with our office staff, her husband who assisted me while crossing the bridge, and three OJTs from NORSU. The bridge was in really bad shape. There were parts with missing planks. There were also parts where it feels like the plank is gonna break soon. And to add to that, when I crossed it the first time, it was a bit windy. I was super scared I swear. Crossing that bridge was an adventure. I was trembling after hahaha. The interesting thing is that locals cross that bridge carrying a sack of rice and other heavy stuff, and some could cross the bridge running even in that condition.
Crossing the Bridge After It Was Repaired
Two years after my first experience, the bridge was repaired. The old planks were replaced. It was way safer to cross compared to its old state. From then on, almost every time I go to Brgy. Cantiasay, I would cross the bridge. It was my favorite place on the island and I had very fond memories of that place. I miss watching the sunset there while eating ensaymada or balut.
How to Get There:
From Manila to Surigao City: As of the moment, there are no direct flights from Manila to Surigao City. You can take a flight from Manila to Cebu then Cebu to Surigao. Alternatively, you can take a flight from Manila to Butuan and from Butuan, take a bus or van to Surigao City. The bus ride is around 4 hours long.
From Surigao City to Brgy. Cantiasay: Take a tricycle to Pantalan Dos and look for the ferry Maribeth. The fare to the island costs Php 50 (~US$ 1) and the travel time is 45 minutes. The ferry goes directly to Brgy. Cantiasay. It leaves the port at 12 noon and there is only one trip per day. The trip from the island to Surigao mainland is at 7 in the morning so you will need to stay on the island overnight. The only problem is that there are no hotels on the island. There is a visitor lodge at Brgy. Nonoc but to get there you will need to walk for around 1 hour from Brgy. Cantiasay. There are no tricycles or jeepneys on the island.
An alternative would be to take a tricycle to Punta Bilang-bilang and from there you can hire a motorized boat that will take you to the island. Or you can contact our boatman Kuya Jimmy at 09071178718. It may cost around Php 1200 to 1500 (~US$ 24 to 30) for the round trip.
I highly recommend checking out this bridge if you visit Surigao City. Next time I’m gonna post about a travel guide to the city of island adventures, Surigao. Subscribe to my blog to get notifications of new posts. And please follow my Facebook page @iwentanyways and like my Instagram accounts @iwentanyways and @tnadeperalta for updates.
Hi, Is it safe to travel to Cantiasay Bridge and staying a night in the island.
Are there no bad people in the area who will sold you to abu sayaf , he he he.
I was really fascinated and dream of crossing the bridge.
Thank you for some important tips and promoting this place. A big help to boast
the tourism of this place.
Ruth
Hi Ruth,
Nonoc Island is a very safe place. It is safe to stay overnight. However, there are no hotels in the island. They only have the tourism office in Brgy. Nonoc. I suggest you check first with the tourism office of Surigao City before going just to be sure.