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Catanduanes Surfing is good, Real Good!Where is Catanduanes? Catanduanes is an island province in the Bicol Region or Region 5. It lies off the south eastern coast of Luzon in the Pacific Ocean. It is separated from Luzon by the Maqueda Channel. To the south is the Lagonoy Gulf and Cabugao Bay. The north and east of the island is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. Catanduanes gets hit by more than it’s fair share of typhoons, it also has the highest annual rainfall in the Philippines. For more information on Catanduanes and Bicol Region have a look here. 
How do I get to Catanduanes? Getting to Catanduanes from Manila is not difficult, in fact you can choose from plane, ferry or road transport, it really depends on how long you have available. There are daily flights from Manila with Asian Spirit, check here for timetables. The flight will take you about an hour and fifteen minutes. The airport on Catanduanes is in the capital Virac. By road you will need to catch an air-conditioned bus from Pasay, Metro Manila. Philtranco covers the 580 kms from Manila to Tabaco Port. The trip is a long one, it will take you all of twelve (12) hours. Once in Tabaco Point you have two ferries to choose from to get yourself to Catanduanes. The first, Regina Shipping Lines, has a ferry service from Tobaco Port to San Andres seaport on Catanduanes. The voyage takes around two and half hours. From San Andres to Virac you can either jump on a Jeepney or take a trike, whatever your fancy. Your other option is to take MV Eugenia which will take you straight into Virac Seaport. The ferry will take about three and a half hours. The Surfing Surfing in the Catanduanes is pretty impressive and so it should be. The deep rumbling Pacific Ocean is its closest neighbour. Waves travel a long distance before they hit land and the first land they hit is Catanduanes. If you include the numerous typhoons the island is renowned for then you can get a pretty good idea what the surf will be like. The only problem is that there can be long flat periods. The whole island is quite breathtaking with mountains touching powdery white beaches, even if you don’t surf it is pretty easy to lose yourself within the beauty here. To the north east of the capital, Virac at Puraran Bay is where most of the action takes place. It should be noted that surfing here is for the more experienced surfer. The break that has put the Catanduanes on the map is: Majestics Off the beach at Puraran Bay is the Majestics. It is a powerful right hander the sucks up on the reef and producers an exhilarating fast barrel. It needs a bit of swell to work, about a metre and can handle big swell, waves of six (6) metres. If you get it wrong you could find yourself on the sharp coral reef, not a place you want to find yourself! Other Spots If you are a little adventurous, why not hire a banca and go and search for the elusive perfect wave, maybe not so elusive in Catanduanes. There is 400 kilometres of coastline here, you can work it out….. Where do I stay? Here is a list of Catanduanes accommodations: 1. Catanduanes Midtown Inn – Web: http://catmidinn.tripod.com/
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