The City Government is proud to present the newest and nearest resort hotel in the area,  the Dapitan City Resort Hotel located at Sunset Boulevard.  It is a 20-room resort hotel overlooking Dapitan Bay which boost of the latest equipment and facilities.

      The city have also a number of developed beach resorts with complete accommodation facilities.  One of the finest is the world-renowned five star resort - Dakak Park and Beach Resort located at Dakak, Barangay Taguilon, about 9 kilometers from the city proper.  Dakak once sponsored the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant 1994 tour.  The resort is ideally situated in a natural cane of pure white sand.  Facilities include quite a number of cottages, aquacycles, swimming pools, hobbicats, surf board for windsurfing, a disco house, tennis court, bowling allays, billiard, horseback riding and a nice chapel.  It also offers the best continental cuisine.  The place can be reached in about thirty minutes by pumpboat from the mainland and by car.

       Other developed beach resorts are the Tangui-an Beach Resort in Tangui-an, Taguilon and the Bitoon Beach Resort in Bitoon, Sicayab-Bucana.  Tangui-an is a white sand beach with a big cottage, picnic sheds and a floating shed for free.  The resort is accessible only by water transportation.  Travel time is about 15 minutes by pumpboat from the mainland.  Like Tangui-an Beach, Bitoon Beach Resort is only accessible by pumpboat and is about 20 minutes from Sicayab-Bucana.

         Dapitan provides both historic and natural attractions that could boost tourism drive of the national government.  The Shrine City is endowed with scenic mountain sides, rivers, caves, bays, waterfalls and white beaches which could attract sightseers, mountain climbers and naturalists. 

A.  Historical and Cultural Landmarks

 
          1.     Rizal Shrine  - major historical landmark of the
         City.  It is the original estate of the country’s national
         hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, who lived for four  years in 
         Dapitan  as an exile from July 17, 1892 to July 31, 1896.

         Other  structures  that  could  be  found at the Rizal
                Shrine are the  following:

a.      Casa Cuadrada - Rizal’s Home together with members of his family who came to visit him.  It has been faithfully reconstructed in its original light, native materials.

b.     Casa Redonda - an octagonal dwelling which served as the pupils quarters.  It was later converted to a clinic and it was here where George Taufer, the foster father of Josephine Bracken was operated on his eyes.

c.      Casa Redonda Pequena - a hexagonal structure which served as the chicken house.

d.     Casitas de Salud - there are two of these structures intended as tea houses but which our national hero converted into clinics to accommodate patients from far flung municipalities.

e.      Aqueduct - a reservoir which served as a good water system.  Bamboo tubes used to connect the diversion canal to the kitchen and lavatory.

f.       Mi Retiro Rock - it is a natural heart shaped rock so called because it was here where our national hero is known to have  scribbled  beautiful  verses  of  his  famous  poem  “Mi Retiro” and “Himno a Talisay”. He also spent many hours watching the sunset here.

g.      Amphitheater - an open air auditorium with a seating capacity of 500 which was constructed beyond the Mi Retiro Rock by the city government from funds from the office of the Reginal Commissioner headed by Rear Admiral Romulo M. Espaldon, now Minister for Muslim Affairs.

h.      Rizaliana - a modern, concrete building constructed in 1972 which houses all Rizalian books, periodicals and all sorts of historical exhibits.  Part of it also serves as the Office of the Rizal Shrine Curator.

 
         2.     Relief Map of Mindanao - Across St. James is a
         giant   Relief Map of  Mindanao roughly 900  sq. m. in
         area and made by Dr. Jose P. Rizal  with  the  
         assistance  of  Fr.  Francisco de Paula   Sanchez, S.J.   It
         was intended as a  motivating device for  teaching 
         history  and  geography  to  the town folks and at the
         same  time  contributed  to  Rizal’s beautification efforts
         of the town  plaza.

3.     Ilihan Hill   -   To    protect    thriving   settlements    from    foreign invasions,  the Spanish government constructed military fortress in strategic  places. One  of  these   was  “Fort de Dapitan”  which  was  established  in  1762  at   about  the  same  time  as  Fort  Pilar in  Zamboanga City, Fort Misamis in Ozamis City and Fort Iligan  in Iligan    City.   “Fort de Dapitan”  was   strategically  constructed on  top  of  Ilihan  Hill  which  is  located  in  the   Poblacion overlooking Dapitan Bay.  A  stone  wall  was constructed  along  its  slopes  and a  guard  house with mounted cannons.

      
        Relics of this ancient military fortress are still  visible at Ilihan Hill.  Two cannons were taken from   the fortress, however, and have been       installed at the   City Plaza just across the City Hall.

4.     City Square   -   The  present  City  Square  is  the very Plaza which Dr. Jose P. Rizal developed  and  beautified   with  the  assistance  of Gov. Ricardo Carnicero.  His plan was  to  beautify  it  to  make it comparable with the   ones he saw in Europe.

5.     St. James Church  -   These   two   edifices symbolize  the early   Christianization of Dapitan.  The old Spanish masonry and architecture  are still evident even if a century has elapsed since their construction.

6.     Our Lourdes Grotto - Rocky hillock located almost at the Southwest foot of Ilihan Hill.

  B. Historical Markers

1.     Sta. Cruz  -  Site  where  Dr.  Jose  P. Rizal landed at  7:00 o’clock  P.M.  on  July  17,  1892  to begin  the life of an exile in Dapitan.  With  Captain  Delgras and three   artillery   men,  they  walked  through  Sta.  Cruz  Street  with  a “Farol de Combate” to the Casa  Real   where   he   was   presented   to   Don   Ricardo   Carnicero, Spanish Military Governor of the District.

2.     Casa Real - Official  residence  and  Administration  Building  of  the Politico-Military  Governor  of  the  District.   Here,  Jose Rizal lived       as   an   exile   from   July  17,  1892  to  March  1893   when  he  was transferred to Talisay, now the Rizal Dapitan Shrine.

 3.     St.  James  Church  -  On  this spot of St. James Church constructed by  the  Jesuits  in 1883, Jose Rizal stood while hearing  mass  every  Sunday during his  exile  in  Dapitan  in 1892-1896.

         C.        Other Scenic Spots

1.     Dapitan Bay  -    A  stretch  of  clean  beaches  on  the   northern  section  of  the  Poblacion.   Ideal  for  beach  parties  and  highly  accessible.

2.     Aliguay and Selinog Islands  -  These  are  island  barangay  located roughly 10 to 14 kms. respectively from Tag-ulo Point.  Both islands  have white sand beaches and rich aquatic resources.

3.     Panoramic  view  of  the  Ridge  at  Barangay  Daro  -   A   breath taking view of the Sulu Sea north and east of  the City  stretching as far as the municipality of Sibutad, Zamboanga del Norte and Baliangao in Misamis Occidental.

4.     Panoramic  view   of  Ilihan Hill and  Foot  Trails  at  Talisay  -   A winding  concrete  steps  towards  the  top  of  the  hill  under  the  shades of mahogany tree in Ilihan   Hill and mango tree at Foot Trails.  At the peak gives a wonderful view of the splendid gift of  nature  of   clean  beaches  of  Dapitan  Bay  and the scenic mountain of Dapitan.

            D.  Potential Tourist Attractions

1. Liboran and Dapitan Rivers

2. Taguilon Bay and Port

3. Tag-ulo Point Lighthouse

4. Dao Islet at Barangay Oro

5. Sinonoc Creek and Falls

6. Cave with enchanted clear water at Barangay
          Banbanan

7. Waterfalls at Barangay Ba-ao and Kauswagan

8. Balut Island at Barangay Burgos

9. Napo White Beaches

10.  Natural  Caves  at Tag-ulo, Canlucani, Taguilon,
        Baylimango and  Maria Uray

 11. Forster Fishpond