CATANDUANES

Catanduanes is an island off east Luzon in the Bicol region. It is more popularly known for its reputation as the "Land of the Howling Winds", as most storms entering the Philippines either hits this island province or affects it. It faces the Pacific Ocean, thus the susceptibility to storms brewing near its shores. Travellers going to the island are mostly either surfers or backpackers avoiding the usual tourist spots in the Philippines. The islanders doesn't have a traditional culture to boast of aside from that already known of the whole Bicol region, and the festival held annually is nothing but a copy of what other provinces generally do.

The remoteness of the island also makes it not a very popular destination among traveller who only wants a quick getaway. Although there are two airports in the island, commercial flights are only available to one of them and are not so much an option most of the times because of weather related issues. The best way to go there is by bus from Metro Manila to Tabaco city in Albay, and then by ferry boat (Ro-Ro) to either one of the two commercial ports-- Virac and San Andres ports. Travel by bus can be from eight to ten hours, and the the ferry ride to San Andres is for around two and a half to three hours while to Virac, the capital, is approximately four hours. Three ferry trips are available daily from Tabaco, with two going to Virac and one to San Andres. To have a preview of what to expect in the island, the recommended ferry will be the one leaving early morning in Tabaco to Virac.

Transportation options within the island are abound-- from tricycles for short distances; to jeepneys, vans and buses for travelling from town to town. Major roads are paved with a few stretches only needing some maintenance, so going around is not that hard. Most natural attractions though will have you go through rough roads for a few miles. Accommodations are mostly only available in the big towns like the capital Virac, and also the nearby town San Andres and possibly a few of the other nine towns with resorts. Otherwise, you will need a tent and camp out in beaches or near the barangays or villages. Food can be purchased almost anywhere there is a village, but don't expect anything grandiose than just rice and viand. In places near the coast or estuaries, you may be able to get your fill of seafood.

Because it is on the edge of Pacific Ocean, the island is popular among surfers during the monsoon season from around September to January. The Majestics in Puraran in Baras town is known the world over as one of the best surfing spots in Asia, topping even Siargao as the premier surfing destination of the Philippines. Well, Puraran itself is a beautiful place with white sand beach and sparkling clean waters. It has been a setting for some commercial print photo shoot for famous clothing namebrands. An annual international surfing competition is held there sponsored by the local government. It is said that surf in Puraran can rival that of North Shore in Maui during the surf season. There are a few resort operating in the cove of Puraran. It is best to go off-season if you are not into surfing, as the room rates are almost half of what it regularly is. The amenities are pretty basic but liveable. And then again this area is only from forty-five minutes to an hour away from the capital town-- where better lodging are widely available.

Well, otherwise, the island is surrounded by miles of stretches of fine white sand beaches available to you anytime. The nearest of which is no more than fifteen minutes away by car or tricycle. Most beaches are still undeveloped, but those that are either have fully-functional resorts with anything from the basic to at least three-star accommodation. Many of these resorts are in remote locations so it can be a pain to get to. Exploring the undeveloped beaches is also an option if you can get a guide. There is currently no existing tourism company or at least a government-run facility (except the Department of Tourism) to provide you guided tours. The best beaches are actually still not developed so it is a lot better to have a guide. One which I personally have been to was a village called Bitaogan in Bato town-- it can be reached in about an hour by land via rough terrain, or about half an hour with a boat from the shore of downtown Virac. The sand in the beach of Bitaogan is as fine as Boracay, although not as white; and the water is so clear that even on the edge of the reef you can see the fishes down to the bottom several meters below. The sea is so teeming with fishes that seafood is really abundant. At night you can camp at the beach and have the view of Virac shoreline with all the downtown lights.

The waters all around the island is still clean and can be swam to. Even the shore of downtown Virac, the capital, is pretty clean that during summer people flock to them to dip and cool down. Below is a picture of the breakwater adjacent to the port of Virac, which will be what you will first see as you unboard from the ferry.

Pollution is still not a problem in the island. If the sky is clear, expect to see beautiful sunsets and sunrises. At night, even in downtown Virac, the nightsky especially if the moon is full can be breathtaking.

If ever you get too tired of the beaches, the nearest waterfall can never be too far away. Within the capital town itself there are already several options like Danicop, Buyo, Dugui, San Vicente to name a few. The most popular of the waterfalls in the entire island is Maribina falls and Solong falls.

There are likewise a lot of rivers and streams throughout the whole island. It's topography is very rough and mountainous, so there is an abundance mountain for inland bodies of water to source from. There are a few rivers that are wide and deep enough for white water rafting, although this sport has not been heard of in the province. Even underground rivers are abound, but these too have been largely unexplored so it may be dangerous to go to. The waters are pretty clean still for most, but the most popular ones tend to be a bit cluttered comes summer when there are a lot of people going for a swim.

Still a water attraction, there are several estuaries and mangroves in the island where migratory birds can be found. Birdwatching is not a very popular activity in Catanduanes as of yet, because coming of birds from mainland Asia is not very regular. There are some years wherein there are thousands upon thousands of them to be found in estuaries, and then there are some years that only a few or even none comes. Two of the most notable mangrove/estuaries are the biggest in the island-- the one in Agojo Marine Park Sanctuary in San Andres town, and the other in between the boundaries between Viga and Payo towns, where the bulk of prawns and crabs supply sold in the island and imported to nearby provinces come from.

For pilgrims of faith, Catanduanes is haven to several old churches built by the Spanish colonizers. The most notable of which is the Bato Cathedral; nestled up a small elevation near the banks of the Bato River, it provides a vantage point for a great view of the sunset and the length of the river up to its delta by the bay.

The Cathedral in the capital town itself is also an old edifice, and another one is the Viga town cathedral. There is also a church named Batong Paluay in San Andres town where a miraculous stone is enshrined. It is said to be that this stone have been attempted to be taken by the Marcoses in the 70's. The stone was found several or so decades ago and it was just a speck then. It has since grown to be more than five times the original size when it was found. The strange thing with the stone is that it has the Our Lady Of Sorrow painted on it, which did grow with the stone and revealing details in time. Used to be you need to have a magnifying glass before you can appreciate the details, but now it is very much visible to the naked eye. The image was not damaged as the stone grew, for if it had been painted on it surely will have all cracked up.

To the east of the island in the town of Bagamanoc, there are several small islets of historical interest. One of which has been used by the Americans during the occupation as a Long Range Navigation Base. The beach surrounding this islet has fine white sand as well, and the water is crystal clear.

If everything else fails, there's always the forest covers and the rolling green fields to run to. The central part of the island is still in very much pristine condition and there's a big possibility of some places to have been untouched for centuries even. Several years ago, we volunteered for a sort of an expedition into the center of the island where the rain forest is. We were supposed to mark the old trees as properties of the government and can never be sawed for lumber. We saw trees that are so big all fifteen of us then could not wrap around its circumference with our arms stretched out.

There are also a lot of caves in the island. The most popular of which is the Luyang cave in San Andres town. It has on it a park built in and the view of the forest cover and the ravine below it will take you off your feet. Big trees are present despite the area being close to the urbanized portions of both San Andres and Virac towns. This cave joins a labyrinth of caverns leading to several openings and where some underground rivers may be accessed from.

When I was in the island I tend to overlook these things and was more interested in getting out to see other places. As you may have seen yourself from the pictures, I have been a fool all those times.