Butuan is a regional centre in the CARAGA region of northeastern Mindanao, on the Agusan River delta where it meets Butuan Bay. The city is best known among historians and archaeologists as the site of the Balangay boat excavations — ancient plank-built boats dating to around 320 CE, making them among the oldest watercraft found in Southeast Asia, and evidence that Butuan was a significant maritime trading centre long before Spanish colonisation.
The Balangay Shrine Museum, 5 km from the city centre, displays the excavated boats in situ — some of the oldest and most important archaeological finds in the Philippines. The National Museum branch in the city centre holds gold artefacts and trade ceramics from the same era. The city hosts two notable festivals: Kahimunan in January (honouring the Sto. Niño, with street parades mixing Islamic, indigenous, and Christian elements) and the Balanghai Festival in May. Vinafor Beach on Butuan Bay has diving sites and resorts; Mount Mayapay offers hiking inland.
Butuan is served by Bancasi Airport with flights from Manila and Cebu. It is the main gateway to the Agusan del Norte province and the CARAGA region.