Alcala is one of twenty-eight (28) municipalities (along with one city) that comprise the province of Cagayan in the Cagayan Valley. The town is politically subdivided into twenty-five (25) barangays, and is a part of the 1st Congressional District of Cagayan.

The town sits on a plateau overlooking the winding Cagayan River.

One of the more interesting sites to visit is the Catholic Parish Church of Saint Philomene, the widest church within the former Diocese of Nueva Segovia, which once had jurisdiction over the Ilocos Region and the Cagayan Valley.

Alcala is also known for its carabao milk candy.