From San Joaquin in Iloilo, we crossed over into the adjacent province of Antique and, 1.5 kms. before the Anini’y poblacion, we all made a 1 hr. stopover at the local government-owned, Sira-an Hot Spring and Health Resort to wait for fellow bloggers arriving on the 7 AM Manila-Iloilo flight.

The resort’s man-made, junior-size tiled swimming pool

The resort, reached via a narrow and sandy access road located just a few meters away from the National Highway, has warm and refreshing sulfurous water that flows from crevices of big boulders into a man-made, junior-size tiled swimming pool and, below it, jacuzzi-like tubs.  Be warned, though, that the water coming out of the fissure from the basin is flammable.  Hence, it is dangerous  for the smoking visitors to stand near it.

Four jacuzzi-like tubs

Its Kanza Bar and Restaurant offers soup (sinigang, chicken sotanghon, mushroom soup, etc.), entrees (chopsuey, pakbet, fried chicken, crispy pata, etc.), appetizers (French fries, spring rolls, chicken wings, etc.), sizzlers (pork sisig, buffalo wings, etc.), sandwiches (clubhouse, tuna, ham and cheese, etc.) and short orders (bihon or canton guisado, lomi, etc.) plus bottled or canned drinks, beer, juices and liquor.

A single jacuzzi-like tub

The resort also has picnic huts (PhP150), 6-8-pax rooms, 6-pax guesthouse, 100-pax training center and a view deck with a fantastic of the sea.  Barangay Nato benefited from the economic development brought about by the flock of local and foreign tourists who frequented this place due to its curative waters.

Kanza Bar & Restaurant

The resort also offers 5-km. (15-20-min.) boat rides (PhP500, good for 10 pax) to the 26-hectare, uninhabited Nogas Island where you can stay until 5 PM. A naval reservation, dive site and bird sanctuary, it has a lighthouse, white sand beach and good coral.

Nogas Island

Sira-an Hot Spring and Health Resort: Sitio Dapog, Brgy. Nato, Anini’y, Antique.  Admission: Non-Residents (PhP20/pax), Residents (PhP15/pax). Mobile numbers: (0917) 498-9652 (Globe) or (0947) 315-6766 (Smart).

How to Get There: Anini’y is located 40.46 kms. from San Jose de Buenavista and is accessible by jeeps from Hamtik and Tobias Fornier.  It is also accessible via the coastal road from Brgy. Tiolas in San Joaquin (Iloilo).