The allure of CamSur

I’m not a watersports fan, but I like CamSur — particularly the Camarines Sur Watersports Complex (CWC). It symbolizes a leader’s effort to build on what a province has instead of bellyaching about what it has not. CWC reminds me of Sentosa Island in Singapore — a man-made attraction that capitalized on nature’s gifts and man’s planning.

In 2004, newly-elected governor LRay Villafuerte built a watersports complex near CamSur’s Capitol — turning idle land into a hub of water sports activities. Today, the CWC boasts two major man-made lakes, one for wakeboarding, and another for aqua sports (complete with giant inflatables).

“In terms of tourist arrivals, CamSur now ranks third in the archipelago, after Boracay and Cebu,” LRay proudly states. Since taking office, he has steered CamSur from 39th poorest in the country to 10th richest.

Around the main lake where the wakeboarding takes place are a club house that boasts Haagen Daz ice cream, Lavazza coffee and designer cakes aside from the usual club fare, several massage cabanas, a swimming pool and a sports gear shop.

Sprinkled around the complex are several clusters of accommodations — Bali-style villas, Baguio style log cabins, colorful trailer homes, cabanas and a tourist hotel called The Mansion.

After a day of watersports and swimming, you could retreat to your cabin for a massage — P350 for room service, P300 if you have it at the massage cabanas by the pool. I swear the therapists at CWC give the best massage ever. Personally, I would rank them first in the totem pole of therapists I have had the luxury of submitting myself to.

LRay recommended a therapist named Paz, and her expert fingers gave me a deep-tissue massage that was both therapeutic and pleasurable. I think she put all my veins back on track. Paz says Bicol is really known for hilots, and she expertly but carefully massaged my sore right foot, which I sprained seven weeks ago, and promised me it would be better. It is!

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While the athletes in your group are enjoying the CWC, you can take a trip to nearby Naga City. If visiting old churches and convents gives you the high that wakeboarding gives to a sportsman, then go around Naga. 

My sisters and I (my husband opted to watch an NBA game where the Cleveland Cavaliers were playing) visited the Basilica where the four-centuries-old miraculous Lady of Penafrancia is housed. It is a fairly new basilica, but it houses a precious symbol of the Mother of Christ.

Then we went to the 18th-century Naga Metropolitan Cathedral, whose dome, ceilings and arches showcase trompe l’oeil art. It is unfortunate that there are many beautiful churches in the Philippines (like the Daraga Church in Albay) whose façade has been preserved, but whose interiors have lost its Old World charm after years of neglect. The Naga Cathedral is an exception and if you appreciate religious art, you will surely rubber-neck while praying inside. Beside the cathedral, reputedly the biggest in the Bicol Region, is the brick-walled 17th-century Holy Rosary seminary, another mute witness to Naga’s rich religious culture through the centuries. The foyer of the seminary is studded with centuries-old hand-painted tiles reminiscent of those you find in the Andalusian region of Spain, like Granada and Cordoba.

After attending to the needs of our soul, we responded to the needs of our belly and had a lunch of authentic Bicol specialties at a roadside restaurant called Bob Marlin, known for, aside from it marlin, the best pinangat (gabi leaves stuffed with fish and simmered in thick coconut cream) in town. We had dessert of halo-halo Naga-style in a fastfood outlet called Iceblink in downtown Naga, which served halo-halo with grated cheese (P55 for ordinary and P77 for special). We bought pili sweets at a place called J. Emmanuel, which also sold bottled Bicol Express for P150. Several restaurants, including Geewan in Naga, Let’s in Albay and the canteen in the Legazpi airport, sell frozen pinangat (spicy or ordinary, take your pick) for P40 each, which you could take back home for pasalubong.

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LRay Villafuerte knew that to truly make CamSur attractive to tourists, the province had to offer more than just the allure of old churches, laing, pinangat and pili nuts. He gave Filipinos another reason to visit CamSur — he developed Caramoan Island and created the CWC so they could indulge in watersports, too.

The old churches and the antiques and the cheese-flavored halo-halo are a reason to visit CamSur, but the allure of CamSur is that you now have other choices as well.

There will be a time to worship, and a time to get wet and wild!

(You may e-mail me at [email protected])