City of Golden Friendship — white water rafting capital of the Philippines on northern Mindanao
Cagayan de Oro (CDO) is the regional capital of Northern Mindanao, known primarily as the Philippines' white water rafting capital — the Cagayan de Oro River's Class 3–4 rapids through jungle gorges are among the best in Southeast Asia and accessible for beginners and experts alike with local operators running half-day tours. The city itself is one of the Philippines' fastest-growing, with a young university population and a food scene that leans hard on northern Mindanao ingredients: grilled tuna, Filipino pork barbecue, kinilaw (raw fish marinated in cane vinegar), and the Chinese-Filipino…
Cagayan de Oro takes its name from the Cagayan River ('great river') which the Spanish called Cagayán de Oro ('Golden Cagayan') due to gold dust found in its alluvial deposits. A significant trading settlement under the Rajahnate of Butuan before Spanish contact, the city was established as a Spanish colonial mission in 1622. Its modern growth came post-WWII when it was designated capital of the newly created Northern Mindanao region; today it is one of the safest and fastest-growing cities in Mindanao, serving as the commercial and administrative gateway to the region.