Cotabato City

Overview

Cotabato City sits between the Rio Grande and the Tamontaka River in the Bangsamoro, and its landmark is the gold-domed Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Grand Mosque, the largest in the country. The city pairs that grandeur with a layered history, from the People's Palace and an old church to the caves and wetlands on its edges, and with living craft traditions in weaving and brasswork in the towns nearby. It is the most accessible cultural base in the region, and it asks for modest dress and a respectful pace.

Standout experiences

• 01 Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Grand Mosque

  The country's largest mosque, with gold domes and a wide courtyard, open to visitors outside prayer times.

• 02 People's Palace and city center

  The city hall and its park, an easy introduction to Cotabato's civic history.

• 03 Kutawato Caves

  A cave network in the city, paired with the nearby Tamontaka church.

• 04 Inaul weaving and brasswork

  Living Maguindanaon craft in nearby towns, from woven inaul cloth to cast brass.

Getting there

Cotabato Airport (CBO), also known as Awang Airport, sits in Datu Odin Sinsuat beside Cotabato City. PAL and Cebu Pacific fly there from Manila; PAL also links it to Tawi-Tawi, and Bangsamoro Airways serves Jolo and Zamboanga. Intercity buses run to Davao, General Santos, Zamboanga, Pagadian and Dipolog, and roll-on/roll-off services reach Basilan and Tawi-Tawi.

When to go

Cotabato City is hot, humid and wet all year, with a slightly drier spell from January to February. Rainfall rises through May and peaks in June and July, when monthly totals average above 300 millimeters. The Shariff Kabunsuan Festival runs December 15 to 19, and Araw ng Kutabato, the charter day celebration, runs June 12 to 25.