Mambajao is a 3rd class municipality and the capital of the province of Camiguin. It is also the biggest among Camiguin's five municipalities. There are two versions of stories as to how the place got its name. One stated that the municipality’s name originated from a Visayan word “may bahaw” meaning “leftover of cooked rice.” Another version stated that it came from the Cebuano-Visayan word “mamahaw” meaning “to have breakfast.”

During the month of October, local and foreign visitors congregate in Mambajao for the celebration of the Lanzones Festival. Lanzones is a tropical fruit that grows abundantly on the north-central coast of Mindanao. The harvest of sweet lanzones fruits is celebrated with a weekend of street dancing, parade and pageants in the town. This festival also includes an exhibit of agri-cottage industry products, barangay beautification, indigenous sports, tableau of local culture, and a grand parade of the lanzones. It is said that the sweetest lanzones comes from Camiguin.

Another fun celebration, the San Juan Hibok-Hibokan, is observed on June 24 and held to honor St. John the Baptist. This festival is celebrated not only in Mambajao but also in the entire province of Camiguin. Residents go to the nearest beach where watersports, like boat races, aqua palo sebo, and fluvial procession are conducted. Venues of the festival are usually Cabua-an and the Agohay Beaches. It is during this festival that Miss Hibok-Hibokan is selected.

Aside from its convivial festivals, Mambajao boasts of its fascinating natural attractions. Two kilometers off the coast of Agoho, Mambajao is Camiguin’s popular sandbar. Aptly named as White Island, this small, uninhabited, treeless sandbar has a white, sugar-fine sandy beach with the picturesque Mt. Hibok-Hibok and Mt. Vulcan as its backdrop. The island, with a shape that differs depending on the tide, is ideal for swimming, sunbathing, snorkeling, and shell collecting.

The only active volcano in Camiguin, Mt. Hibok-Hibok, dominates the northern half of the island. Its 1250-meter slope is a challenge even to the seasoned mountaineer. It has a crater lake at the peak where steam outlets abound. Despite the formidable climb, one is rewarded of a breathtaking view of the islands of Cebu, Negros and Bohol.

Katibawasan Falls is a 250-feet majestic beauty of water cascading into a rock pool surrounded by ground orchids, wild ferns, trees and boulders. Its cold water provides a refreshing summer splash to bathers and picnickers. For the more adventurous it is possible to rappel down the waterfalls into the plunge pool below. Katibawasan Falls is located in Barangay Soro-Soro, about 5 kilometers southeast of central Mambajao.

Several springs can also be found in Mambajao. The Ardent Hot Spring in barangay Ezperanza is the town's local “hot spa.” It is a natural pool with water temperatures registering at an average of 40°C and reaches as much as 50°C, with its waters springing from depths of Mount Hibok-Hibok. Picnickers here boil fresh eggs on the shallow portions. The Municipality of Mambajao has provided cottages, restaurant and dormitory facilities that cater to local and foreign tourists. The spring is ideal for night swimming, a place to rejuvenate both mind and body with its therapeutic waters. Other springs include the Tangub Hot Spring which is a volcanic spring by the sea, and the Magting Spring which is a cold spring located 7 kilometers east of the town.

Sources:

Biyahero

Camiguin Tourism Association

Camiguin Island Beach Club

Wow Camiguin