Davao

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San Pedro Cathedral 01, Davao, Davao Region, Philippines

Davao Poblacion District, San Pedro Street (Davao City; 08 20 2023), Davao, Davao Region, Philippines

Davao river mouth, Davao, Davao Region, Philippines

Davao City Hall, Davao, Davao Region, Philippines

About Davao

Davao City sprawls from the shore of Davao Gulf all the way up to the slopes of Mount Apo, the highest peak in the Philippines, making it one of the country's largest cities by area. It is the biggest city on Mindanao and the main gateway to the southern Philippines, with an airport, a busy port at Sasa and a compact downtown around San Pedro Street and City Hall.

The city grew from a Spanish settlement founded in the 1840s and later drew settlers from across the archipelago, alongside the Lumad indigenous peoples and Muslim communities who were here first. That mix shows in the city museum, in the sculptures of People's Park and above all in Kadayawan, the August harvest festival with street dancing, floats and mountains of fruit. Durian, pomelo and mangosteen are sold everywhere, and the city happily calls itself the durian capital.

The most memorable trips lead uphill: to the Philippine Eagle Center in Malagos, to the cool pine forest of Eden Nature Park and, for serious hikers, to the summit of Mount Apo.

Best seasonMarch to May for drier hiking weather; August for Kadayawan

Ideal stay3-4 days

ArrivingFrancisco Bangoy International Airport, about 20 minutes from downtown

12 Places Locals Love in Davao

Wildlife 1

Philippine Eagle Center

Run by the Philippine Eagle Foundation in Malagos, Calinan, this forested center breeds and cares for the critically endangered Ph...

Hikes 1

Mount Apo Natural Park

Mount Apo, at roughly 2,950 meters the highest mountain in the Philippines, rises on the western edge of Davao City and is protect...

Parks 1

People's Park Davao

This landscaped downtown park is known for its large sculptures of Mindanao's indigenous peoples and local wildlife by Davao artis...

Landmarks 1

San Pedro Cathedral Davao

Davao's cathedral stands on San Pedro Street in the heart of the old Poblacion, near City Hall. The parish dates back to the Spani...

Museums 1

Museo Dabawenyo

The city museum on Pichon Street gives a compact introduction to Davao's people, with galleries on the Lumad indigenous groups, th...

Family 1

Davao Crocodile Park

A family attraction in the Ma-a area that started as a crocodile breeding farm and grew into a small zoo. Saltwater and freshwater...

Nature 1

Eden Nature Park

High in the Toril district, this mountain resort feels nothing like the hot lowland city, with pine trees, flower gardens and cool...

Food and Drink 1

Malagos Garden Resort

Set in the foothills near the Philippine Eagle Center, this garden resort is best known for Malagos chocolate, made from cacao gro...

Viewpoints 2

Shrine of the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague Davao

Perched in the Shrine Hills of Matina, this Catholic pilgrimage site honors the Santo Niño de Praga and draws devotees every weeke...

Jack's Ridge

A hilltop dining complex in the Shrine Hills area with several restaurants spread over terraces facing the city. The draw is the p...

Temples and Shrines 1

Lon Wa Buddhist Temple

Along J.P. Laurel Avenue in Lanang, Lon Wa is one of the largest Buddhist temples on Mindanao and a reminder of Davao's long-estab...

Events 1

Kadayawan Festival

Every August Davao celebrates Kadayawan, a festival of thanksgiving for the harvest and a showcase of the city's indigenous and Mu...

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Photo: Patrickroque01, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Herbertkikoy, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Patrickroque01, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Herbertkikoy, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Teemu Väisänen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

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