DiscoverNumancia
Discover the natural beauty, culture and heritage of Numancia.
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Top 10 Reasons to Visit Numancia
Reason 01
A Sneak Peak into Numancia
- When you are planning your holidays to Numancia, Aklan, you will find a soothing combination of sea brine and river vapour that covers the plains of the town which are low.
- The town is located on the eastern side of the Sibuyan Sea where the Aklan River flows beautifully out of the water forming fertile banks where rice paddies and mangrove borders thrive.
- its long narrow coast is a sieve of whitened houses, waters with coral, and here and there the fishing-boat sailing along lazily at low water.
- The locals are friendly and easy-going, and they offer warm welcomes and the offer of fresh seafood grilled on the spot right in front of the village square.
- The weaving of piña is not just an art in the traditional sense of the word but a breathing art form that has been transferred down the generations with each thread being a tale of patience and dexterity.
- You will be surprised to see that as you walk around town the harmonious mixing of the modern living with ancient traditions is still present; this goes to show that Numancia is not forgotten about its cultural background.
- Capital (of the province): Kalibo
- International airport: None in Numancia
- Nearest commonly used airports:
- Kalibo International Airport (Kalibo, Aklan) – domestic and international flights (≈10–15 minutes from Numancia)
- Godofredo P. Ramos Airport / Caticlan Airport (Malay, Aklan) – domestic and limited international flights (≈1–1.5 hours by land)
- Currency: Philippine Peso (PHP)
- Time zone: UTC+8 (Philippine Standard Time)
- Driving side: Right-hand side
- Main electricity: 220 volts, 60 Hz
- Official / local languages: Aklanon, Hiligaynon, Filipino, English
- Major religion: Predominantly Roman Catholic
Reason 02
Highlights
- Piña Cloth Weaving Centre presents the craftsmen, who make pineapple fibres into the delicate and unopaque fabrics, which gloss in the tropical sun.
- Its closeness to Kalibo, only a few minutes to the west suggests that Numancia is a good target by those in Aklan to have a stopover in.
- The mouth of the Aklan River is an amphitheatre that is created by nature, and fishermen bring in the nets of bright fish, and locals exchange fresh fish with steaming bowls of pinakbet.
- Line the shoreline can be found the mangrove ecosystems which serve as living buffers against erosion and a habitat to crabs, fish and hundreds of bird species.
- Municipal hall of the town is placed in the middle of the crowded square where street vendors offer fish cakes and fresh fruits, and it gives a glimpse of the real life in the town.
- St. Joseph the Worker Parish Church has a plain though grandiose exterior, which acts as a spiritual landmark of the community, particularly on the fiesta occasion for holidays to Numancia.
Reason 03
Seasons to Travel
- November-May dry season is the time when the ocean waters are calm and clear which is perfect time to explore the river flats, view sunsets over the ocean, and participate in the local festivals.
- The wet season is an extended period of wet rice-paddies running around the month of June to October under the September rains making an ideal subject to be photographed.
- The weather is constant with an average of $28^{\circ}\text{C}$, but it becomes wet and rainy between the rainy seasons so light clothes and a nice umbrella are good options.
- You will be guaranteed of a comfortable seat with a booking with World Pinoy Flights to the Kalibo route which is the most popular and then a short scenic ride to Numancia the last leg of the trip.
- It is also possible to come in the dry months to walk in the mangrove boardwalks longer and uninterrupted where you will find crabs scurrying in the water.
- The most optimal period to observe the traditional piña weaving activities is during the dry season when the artisans are preparing to attend the next Mid-Year fair.
Reason 04
Worth A Visit
Centres/Workshops of Piña Weaving
- Enter a small workshop with the beat of handlooms drowning out the noise and beckoning you to come and observe a professional weaver as he works on one panel.
- See how each strand is carefully woven apart and painted in natural colours and then braided to create designs that represent the history of the area.
- Touch the coldness of the freshly woven cloth with your fingertips and find out how tedious the process is, which can take weeks to create one piece.
- Stick a small embroidered tag or make your own sachet; such things can be a nice memory souvenir with the scent of pine.
- Guided tours of many of these workshops can be undertaken, and questions can be posed regarding the weaving customs which have resisted colonialism.
- Continue to wear a piece of piña cloth, as a concrete example of the art and patience with which Numancia craftsmen are able to work.
Numancia Town Proper
- Walk around the town itself and observe the mix of the colonial Spanish buildings combined with the contemporary elements, in particular, in the centre of the plaza.
- mingling in the open windows of the municipal hall, the local gossip offers you the slightest idea of local civic sentiment.
- Find the tower of the old church bell; with its echoing sound, one perceives the time keeping of prayer and communal meetings.
- There are sample street foods to be had on the main road- fried banana blossoms, sweet rice cakes and skewers of grilled seafood.
- See how the children play around the banks of the river and the sound of their laughter is diluted with the soft lapping of waves on the bank.
- The town is designed in such a way that it allows you to walk around; you will feel slow as you walk around every single street.
Aklan River Mouth and Coastline
- Turn along the shore of the river to its outlet, at which the fresh and the salty water mix, and produce a coolness of the skin.
- Observe old fishermen throwing nets into the shallows of the river, and their strokes are practised and monotonous.
- Observe the little boats that lie lying on the mudflats; some are cut along with rice to be carried to the markets in the bigger towns.
- Ride a small boat over to the edge of the river and have a look at an island nearby, where you will get a view of the mangrove roots in the shape of huge, submerged sculptures.
- Find different species of birds--herons, kingfishers, sometimes a wandering heron--among the roots.
- The sandy beach of the coast is ideal when sitting down to reflect in a calm sea, particularly in the early sunrise or late sunset.
St. Joseph the Worker Parish Church
- Meetings are held once a month on Saturdays, a month before Christmas, and at the Christmas dinner.
- The exterior of the church is very plain, but with dignity in it, small altar that makes it look reverential even in the season of the festival when there is a lot of traffic.
- The pews of the interior are made very smooth with generations of religion, and the air is full of incense, making it a devotional mood.
- The harmonies of the choir may be heard during the Mass in the stone walls awakening the feelings of the locals and visitors.
- The altar on the right side has a crucifix made of local bamboo, which represents a profound faith of the community in nature.
- Children are playing in the courtyard and their laughter can be heard bouncing off the stone pillars, as the church was a centre of the community.
- Hand woven garlands of Piña cloth are used to decorate the church on the feast day, in remembrance of the cultural heritage of the town.
Reason 05
Discover More
Local Market (Public Market)
- The marketplace is a colourful event taking place in the morning, full of the brightness of tropical fruits and vegetables, such as pineapple, mango, and papaya arranged in rows.
- Fresh seafood stands are also present and lobsters, crabs, and stingrays are lying adjacent to the daily fish.
- Sellers sell aromatic spices and fresh herbs, and you are welcome to taste or purchase and use them in their next home-prepared meal.
- The square of the market is the centre of good-natured gossip, and people there exchange gossip as easily as merchandise.
- During rainy days, the stalls in the market create an impromptu canopy making the place a colourful weatherproof market place.
- There are also numerous sellers of woven baskets and small piña souvenirs, which anyone who wants to bring a bit of Numancia home to him or her should buy.
Mangrove Areas
- There are guided tours going around the mangrove forests whereby the roots of each tree resemble the fingers of a gigantic hand.
- You will know how essential the mangroves are in guarding the coastline against storms and floods.
- The forest is full of insects, crabs and the rare spotted dove, a peaceful ecosystem to watch.
- Visitors should walk on narrow boardwalks, with their feet almost touching the water, and it seems that one is walking in a living forest.
- Early mornings are misty hugging the trunks- ideal to the photographers wanting shots of the ethereal.
- Local conservationists give an explanation of how community initiatives make the mangroves continue to flourish so that future generations can experience these natural marvel.
Agricultural Fields
- Take the country roads and cross inexhaustible lines of rice paddies shining in the golden rays of the sun.
- Farmers take care of the fields and visit to show the visitor the rhythm of work and life in the fields, with the possibility of planting, weeding, and harvesting.
- Sometimes you will see a cart of a farmer with the freshly boiled rice, which is going to be sold at the market.
- Insect buzzing and wet soil smell set the almost meditative mood.
- There is a change of seasons: early flowering, full grains, and last but not least the harvest cycle, each of which offers a visual narrative.
- Local guides can also tell about the methods of farming used by their ancestors and it can be emphasised that this is the community that appreciates sustainable methods.
Local Eateries
- The food retail outlets in the town are of the small roadside stalls to the small family restaurants, both with the local Aklan flavours.
- Ditto, there is a signature dish, Inubaran, which feasts the taste with chicken or pork cooked in coconut milk and sweetness of young banana pith.
- Yet another specialty, Linapay, is made using taro leaves in which seafood or meat is cooked resulting in a soothing yet exotic aroma.
- Fresh grilled fish is sold by the street vendors, the skin of the fish so crisp and the flesh so tender, and a squeeze of calamansi is added to add brightness.
- Local desserts are served, including kakanin rice flour and coconut milk or homemade desserts.
- These restaurants are not food joints, but community gathering places where both local and foreigners sit and tell tales over hot bowls.
Reason 06
Culture Traditions
- Aklanon is the native language but it is interwoven into the daily conversations, and the Hiligaynon and Tagalog are integrated to make it inclusive.
- Agriculture, fishing and most importantly, the ancient art of weaving of piña and abaca continue to be the means of livelihood in the town.
- Characteristic of the festivals are the processions, the traditional music and beating of the drums that resonate in the streets.
- With a powerful Catholic belief, the people also meet weekly at the St. Joseph the Worker Parish Church where they pray and socialise.
- Weaving is a community activity, with the aged instructing the young hands on the fine art of weaving, which has been passed on through the ages.
- The collective memory of the past of Numancia is the subject of cultural narratives and myths, frequently recounted on evening fires.
Reason 07
Food Fun Fashion
Food
- The local palate is pleased with coconut based foods like Inubaran coconut milk balances savoury meat.
- Linapay which has been cooked in taro leaves provides a distinctive earthly profile that is best suited with fresh fish or pork.
- Fish stalls along the river also offer fresh varieties of fish which are grilled or simmered in local spices.
- Kakanin, traditional rice cakes, are made of glutinous rice, filled with sweet stuff and offer a sticky, comforting pastry bite.
- Street food kiosks have banana blossom which is sweet and slightly tangy, and is typically accompanied with a squeeze of calamansi.
- The combination of seafood, rice, and coconut forms a balanced diet and shows how the locals utilise the local resources.
Fun
- Culturally, it is a must-do experience; even the process of weaving a piña provides a clue as to the highly patient and skilled attitude that makes the town what it is.
- River and sea meet to give amazing sunsets, with the clouds brushstroking pink on the horizon of the water.
- There is rural exploration where visitors get to enjoy the quiet life of the villages, whether it is fishing or farming for holidays to Numancia.
- There are local festivals with music, dancing and collective feasting, a happy festival of the spirit of community.
- Scuba diving around the mangroves is an opportunity to view close ups of the marine life and coral reefs.
- The relaxed atmosphere of the town will help tourists to slow down, sit in the shade and have a fresh coconut and listen to the sea.
Fashion
- Metalline or cotton clothes are a must since it is hot and humid in the area.
- Relaxing shorts and light shirts will make you feel comfortable as you explore the markets and walk up and down the river banks.
- Sun protection is essential; sun glasses and wide-brimmed hats are used to protect against the scorching sun.
- Wearable shoes or sandals are served, since the land frequently becomes muddy along the river and mangrove footpaths.
- Woven skirts and embroidered blouses are traditional clothing that can be seen in festivals and they make the streets look colourful.
- Minimal and modest designs are also suitable to the natural environment and the simple life of the locals in Numancia.
Reason 08
Nature Safari
- The transparent waters of the Sibuyan Sea make up a rich marine life with snorkelling showing schools of colourful fish and corals.
- Aklan River has the estuary which is the home to numerous fish species, and this provides eco-tourists with a living laboratory.
- Mangrove forests provide important habitats to crabs, birds, and aquatics, are natural flood control structures.
- Holidays to Numancia walking tracks along riverside show the minor variations between the freshwater and saltwater environment.
- Migratory flamingos and other waterfowl nesting in the mangroves can be seen by the bird watchers.
- Biodiversity of the region draws researchers and nature lovers in order to conserve these delicate environments.
Reason 09
Events Fiestas
- March 19th holidays to Numancia Town Fiesta is the celebration of St. Joseph the Worker with processions, music, and shared meals.
- The trade fairs in the area display weaved fabrics, fruits and crafts, attracting guests in the surrounding towns.
- Piña weaving festival organised in the mid-year involves the art, using demonstrations, competition, and trade stalls.
- The rice paddies are celebrated with harvest festival in which thanksgiving prayers and food are offered by the residents of the community.
- There are also seasonal festivals such as the Balen Mami of the sea with fishermen whose offering is obtained by the richness of the catch.
- Cultural evenings with traditional dances and songs will enable the tourist to have experience of the living heritage of Numancia.