Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Order a flight of infused ya dong shots.
Tep Bar
Thai-Chinese makes up Bangkok’s largest diaspora.
Nai Ek Roll Noodle
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
6 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
6 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
7 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
9 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the Philippines Catarman Sunken Cemetery

Sunken Cemetery

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

Catarman, Philippines

Added By
Cee
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  Shubert Cienica
  Shubert Cienica
  g.b.khuta | photography
Hibok-Hibok Volcano (left) with Mt. Vulcan   Wikimedia
A graveyard sank in Camiguin during the 1971 earthquake - it’s completely overgrown with corals now, this cross was sank later to commemorate the site.   Flickr: pacificklaus
The Cemetery   Game Master / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

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.

Related Tags

Water Sacred Spaces Ruins Catacombs Flooded Towers Cemeteries Underwater Volcanoes Catacombs And Crypts Underwater Cemeteries Geology

Community Contributors

Added By

PrincessCee

Edited By

Paul Christian, jahan, Game Master

  • Paul Christian
  • jahan
  • Game Master

Published

May 14, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camiguin
  • http://www.bestspotsph.com/2011/12/sunken-cemetery-camiguin-island.html
  • http://www.philippinestravelwiki.com/camiguin/sunken-cemetery-of-camiguin-island
Sunken Cemetery
Camiguin Circumferential Rd
Catarman
Philippines
9.206632, 124.632608
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Chocolate Hills

Sierra Bullones, Philippines

miles away

Christ of the Divine Mercy

Cagayan de Oro, Philippines

miles away

Philippine Tarsier and Wildlife Sanctuary

Corella, Philippines

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Philippines

Philippines

Asia

Places 80
Stories 17

Nearby Places

Chocolate Hills

Sierra Bullones, Philippines

miles away

Christ of the Divine Mercy

Cagayan de Oro, Philippines

miles away

Philippine Tarsier and Wildlife Sanctuary

Corella, Philippines

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Philippines

Philippines

Asia

Places 80
Stories 17

Related Stories and Lists

18 Slightly Submerged Architectural Wonders

List

By Jonathan Carey

The Sunken World Hiding Under the Water's Surface

List

By Meg Neal

The Fantastical Beauty of Sunken Ruins

ruins

By Dylan Thuras

Atlas Obscura's 20 Most Astonishing Discoveries of 2013

By Atlas Obscura

Related Places

  • Grass Valley, California

    Old St. Patrick's Cemetery

    Established in 1853, this crumbling cemetery sits forgotten on the corner of Church and Chapel in Gold Country.

  • Cagsawa Ruins

    Daraga, Philippines

    Cagsawa Ruins

    This belfry is all that remains of the town that was buried by a violent volcano eruption.

  • Entrance to the Cave of the Coffins.

    Kiryat Tiv'on, Israel

    Beit She'arim Necropolis

    A sprawling ancient Jewish cemetery with over 30 rock-hewn burial caves.

  • Igreja Sagrado Coração de Jesus

    Pernambuco, Brazil

    Old Petrolandia Church

    The haunting peak of an old church is all that remains of a drowned Brazilian city.

  • The Relics of St. Helena

    Paris, France

    The Relic Crypt of St. Helena at Église Saint-Leu-Saint-Gilles

    This little-known relic crypt holds stolen parts of a Roman Empress.

  • New Orleans, Louisiana

    Saint Roch Chapel

    A 19th-century shrine covered with prosthetic body parts as votive offerings.

  • Madise, Estonia

    Madise's Lost Cemetery

    Tombstones buried in overgrown grass mark the deceased occupants of this abandoned graveyard.

  • Deception Island

    Antarctica

    Deception Island

    An abandoned whaling station on an active volcano offers hot springs in Antarctica, surrounded by ruined giants of industry.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.