The municipality of Peñablanca, 24 kilometres northeast of Tuguegarao, is the main destination for day trips. It contains the Peñablanca Protected Landscape and Seascape — a national park with over 300 limestone caves, the Pinacanauan River, and dense forest on the western slopes of the Sierra Madre. Callao Cave is the centrepiece, but the protected area also holds less-visited systems including Sierra Cave, considered one of the largest cave complexes in Asia. A full day gives you time for the caves and a kayaking session on the river before returning to the city.
Solana, just south of Tuguegarao across the Cagayan River, and Enrile to the southeast are quieter agricultural municipalities worth visiting if you have a vehicle and want to see rural Cagayan Valley life.