On our way to a meeting in Alegria, Surigao del Norte, Lake Mainit cannot be missed.  From the zig-zagging road from Butuan City, the lake is an imposing natural beauty.  I could not help but exclaim how beautiful it was!   I have seen only Laguna Lake, the man-made Burnham Lake in Baguio City, and Lake Sebu (which to me is very ominous), but the beauty of Lake Mainit is just awesome. From afar, it looks like it is pristine because it can still reflect the blue skies.


Good thing also is the fact that it did not rain that day.  It always rains here in this part of the country. The very, very wet months start in November to January, which causes the lake to swell up to 5 meters that reach the resort's veranda.

After finishing an official mission in Alegria, Surigao del Norte, we dropped by the Almont Lake Resort in Brgy. San Roque, Kitcharao Agusan del Norte to have coffee.  The rain was foreboding but then the sun was kind and came out for me!



Before the coffee was even served, I was off to the lakeshore and did quick snaps and tried to cover all possible angles.  I regretted, however, to have left in the dining area my camera bag that contained my other lenses.  But nevertheless, my wide lens was more than what I needed to photograph this beautiful landscape.



Later, on, while sipping my almost cold coffee, I changed into a telephoto lens to get some closer shots of the distant islands.  The shoot took no more than 30 minutes for it would be too shameful to my colleagues when I linger, and I am just happy with the result.



Lake Mainit is around 1-hour drive from Butuan city and located between the provinces of Agusan del Norte and Surigao del Norte. The following are bits of information about the lake:

• The lake gots its name, Mainit (hot) from the fact that it has two sources of hot spring, thus its warm water;
• It is located between the two provinces of Agusan del Norte and Surigao del Norte;
• It covers 17,430 hectares and has 28 river tributaries, and its water exits in the town of Tubay, Agusan del Norte
• The deepest part of the lake is 128 meters and is 80 feet above sea level;
• It is the 4th largest lake in the Philippines;
• It is abundant with tilapia fish and freshwater eel locally called kasili

The lake is also rich with historical and cultural facts.  This website provides detailed historical facts and stories about the lake and the town of Mainit where it got its name.

Had we been not on an official trip, it would have been nicer if we can linger more to try kayaking or explore the lake on a boat or witness sunrise and sunset, perhaps. Nonetheless, no matter how quick it was, the side trip to Lake Mainit is worth the short stop and a cup of brewed coffee while you allow your senses to be captivated and enchanted by its beauty.

For more photos click this link.






Do you like this article?  Like us on Facebook, too!