Sunken Cemetery – Catarman, Philippines - Atlas Obscura

Sunken Cemetery

Catarman, Philippines

A cemetery and the town it served sinks beneath the sea during the volcanic birth of Mt. Vulcan. 

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There are no flowers or gravestones to mark the resting places of the lost citizens of Camiguin – only a giant cross rising up out of the water to mark where this place of rest once was.

In the 1870s, a volcano near this place erupted and caused the cemetery along with the capital city surrounding it to sink below sea level. In order to commemorate this place of loss, a looming cross was built in remembrance. Visitors all over the Philippines and the world come to admire this man-made marvel filled with legend and enchantment.

Some say a feeling of loneliness will hit you once you see this structure standing all alone in the middle of the sea. A place of reverence and reflection, the site is accessible by boat and visitors can stand on its small base while it remains above water. Many take the small boat ride in order to take photos and soak in the view of Mt. Vulcan, the volcano that sacrificed the people of Camiguin to the sea when it came into being.

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