The Hinatuan Enchanted River in Mindanao, Philippines

The Hinatuan Enchanted River is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Mindanao, Philippines. This river is hidden in the thick vegetation of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur and is long thought by the locals to have miraculous qualities.

What qualities you ask? Here’s three:

First, nobody can actually explain where the water stems from. Obviously, there are underground springs which are the logical source of water but in this river’s case, nothing’s found yet.

Second, the river is purely salt water. This fact defies how we usually think that rivers along with lakes, ponds, and falls are always fresh bodies of water.

Lastly, a bell rings every 12 noon which means that swimming or taking a dip in the river is prohibited. At this hour, the resort’s staff members throw food into the waters and large groups of fish pop out from nowhere. After the fish feeding, they slowly fade away from the waters’ blue surface like nothing happened.

The area has already been developed and picnic tables and cottages are already available. However, despite the modernization and mysteries, the deep blue basin remains remarkable.