Cantilan, Philippines
Cantilan is a town of 9,408 people in Caraga, Philippines, founded in 1782.
Why visit Cantilan
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 3 parks and trails, 27 places to eat, 11 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Weather in Cantilan
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Cantilan
Cantilan, officially the Municipality of Cantilan (Surigaonon: Lungsod nan Cantilan; Tagalog: Bayan ng Cantilan), is a municipality in the province of Surigao del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 8,115 people.
From the Wikipedia article Cantilan (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks1
San Pedro Country Farm Resort & Events Cente Inc.
Monument and historic site · 2.2 km
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes27
Janise Iriberri Bakeshop
Bakery
La Purisima Street
Mo-Su 07:00-17:00
La Vecchia Spiaggia Restaurant
Restaurant · Pizza, Italian, Filipino · 6.6 km
Union - Cantilan Road, Madrid
Amici Chocolate Lovers Snack Park and Wine Galore
Brewery and winery
Arizobal Street
15 more on the map.
History
Cantilan existed as a settlement for more than three centuries as early as 1622.
According to legend, the word Cantilan originated from the big shell of a bivalve locally called, "Tilang". A couple with beautiful daughters lived close to the location of the big shell. When suitors came to visit the daughters and were asked their destination, they would answer, “Can Tilang” (meaning “to Tilang’s"). Eventually, "Can Tilang" became "Cantilan".
According to sources, it was created by virtue of the Spanish Royal Decree of 1768 known as Maura Law. Another source states however, that Fr. Valerio de San Agustin implemented it in 1782 at "Daan Lungsod," the old town in the coastal area. It was populated with people from Bayuyo, Ilihan and Calagdan. They constructed a fortification, a "Kuta", (Fort) made of limestone later named as Baluarte de Señor San Miguel, located across the river in the modern Cantilan.
Caraga is obviously named after the old, historic Caraga, an extensive landmass covering several provinces, in the northeastern seaboard of Mindanao whose existence outdated the arrival of the Spaniards in this country.
The people of the old Calagan were originally from Ilihan (now Panikian), Calagan (now Calagda-an), Parasao (now Palasao) and Bayuyo (now Union, Manga and San Antonio).
From the History section of Cantilan on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay11
Churches and places of worship6
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging6
Schools, colleges and libraries61
Carrascal National High School
School · 4.9 km
Surigao-Davao Coastal Road, Carrascal
N.A. Uriarte Memorial Elementary School
School · 1.0 km
Surigao-Davao Coastal Road, Cantilan
Healthcare7
Map of Cantilan
124 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Tandag Airport (TDG) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 36 km away.
- Carrascal 5 km northwest, about 5 min by car
- Madrid 8 km south, about 8 min by car
- Tandag 37 km southeast, about 37 min by car
- Tago 45 km southeast, about 45 min by car
- Cabadbaran 54 km southwest, about 54 min by car
- Tubay 53 km west, about 53 min by car
- Mainit 55 km northwest, about 55 min by car
- Magallanes 61 km southwest, about 1 h by car
- Butuan 64 km southwest, about 1 h by car
- Bayugan 68 km south, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Cantilan Embarcadero Philippines, Paolobon140, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built November 8, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.