Nature
Birdwatching in the Candaba Swamp
See migratory birds in the Candaba wetlands from November to February, best in the early morning; the sanctuary floods in the rainy months.
Candaba
Town
Candaba
Wetland town whose Candaba Swamp draws thousands of migratory birds, also known for melons.
Candaba is a municipality of 33 barangays with about 119,000 residents at the 2020 census. Most of it is taken up by the Candaba Swamp, which absorbs floodwaters from the western Sierra Madre: flooded in the rainy season and farmed in the dry season.
The swamp is a yearly stop for migratory ducks and other birds. In January 2008 a 24-hour count recorded 17,000 birds, a Philippine record. Candaba is also known for its melon production.
The town's oldest parish, San Andres Apostol, was founded in 1575. In Bahay Pare, the Nuestra Señora de la Merced Parish holds what is described as the oldest image of Our Lady of Mercy in the Philippines.
Good to know about Candaba
When is the best time to see birds in Candaba?
Migratory birds use the Candaba Swamp as a yearly sanctuary. A record 17,000 birds were counted in a single day in January 2008, so the cooler months are a good time to go.
What is Candaba known for?
The Candaba Swamp and its migratory birds, melon farming, and old parishes including San Andres Apostol, founded in 1575.
What is the Pinac in Candaba?
The Candaba Swamp is also called Pinac. A statue known as Nuestra sa Pinac, blessed in 2021, stands along the Candaba-Baliuag Road.
Things to do in Candaba
Attractions
Candaba Public Market
Market for Candaba's freshwater fish, prawns, lotus stalks, buro and salted duck eggs, with fried quail in the afternoon.
Candaba
Attractions
Spanish-era house at Holy Family Child Formation Center, Candaba
Large Spanish colonial residence inside a school compound in Buas, visible from the Candaba-Santa Ana Road.
Candaba
Attractions
Nuestra sa Pinac shrine, Candaba
Roadside shrine with a massive statue of the Virgin Mary on the Candaba-Baliwag Road in Paligui.
Candaba
Attractions
Nuestra Señora de la Merced Parish Church, Candaba
Parish in Bahay Pare that serves Candaba's swampland barangays and keeps the venerated image of Apung de la Merced.
Candaba
© Valenzuela400 (uploader) on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SAAttractions
San Andres Apostol Parish Church, Candaba
Candaba's Spanish-era Baroque parish church, founded in 1575, once a grammar school and a refuge for Manila's friar students.
Candaba
Where to stay in Candaba
Family Stays
Lola Corazon Leisure Farm
Agritourism resort on the San Luis-Baliwag Road in Barangay Talang, Candaba.
Candaba
Family Stays
The Great GIGATT Resort and Leisure Park
Resort in Barangay Pasig, Candaba, with overnight rooms, swimming pools, gardens and an aviary.
Candaba
Upcoming events in Candaba
© Wikimedia Commons contributor · CC BY-SAMon
30
Nov
Mon, Nov 30
Feast of San Andres, Candaba
Town fiesta of Candaba for its patron Apung Dalis, Saint Andrew, at the parish founded in 1575.
Candaba
Itineraries & guides in Candaba
Itineraries
A day in Candaba: swamp birds, old churches and the market
One day in Candaba: dawn birdwatching in the swamp, the 1575 parish and roadside shrines, and a market lunch of fish and buro.
Candaba
Travel Guides
Eating in Candaba: fish, buro and salted eggs
Candaba has few restaurants, but its market is a feast: freshwater fish, prawns, buro, lotus stalks and mild salted duck eggs.
Candaba
Travel Guides
Birdwatching in Candaba: a practical guide
When to go, what to bring and how to visit Candaba's working wetlands responsibly.
Candaba
Getting Around
How to get to Candaba
Routes to Candaba via NLEX and Jose Abad Santos Avenue, jeepneys from San Fernando and the Baliwag Transit bus from Caloocan.
Candaba
Latest stories in Candaba
Culture
Candaba church: a school, a refuge and a mission
Candaba's 1575 parish was once a grammar school and, during the British occupation, a refuge for Manila's friar students.
Candaba
Community
The Candaba wetlands, a working landscape
Birds, rice and fish share Candaba's wetlands. Why conservation here starts with the farmers.
Candaba
Food
Cang Daba: how buro may have named Candaba
Was Candaba named after a place called Candawe, or after the big jars of fermented fish its people sold? Two stories.
Candaba