Northern Samar: Capul, Biri and San Bernardino Islands, August 2011

A map of northwest samar showing our route

A short flight to Calbayog, a van to Victoria, a 30-minute bangka crossing to San Antonio (Dalupiri Island) to check in at the charming Haven of Fun resort, then a one-hour bangka ride brought us to Capul Island. After a beach landing at Capul town, we visited the old Spanish Church and the ruined fortress where people used to take shelter from the Moro raiders. The island was often the last stop of the galleons before Acapulco, hence its name. It was formerly named Abak and its people speak a language called Inabaknon. Interestingly, that language is not closely related to Waray, Cebuano or Bicol, but to the Samal language spoken in Tawi Tawi.

The beach landing in Capul

The old Spanish church in Capul. The historical marker was installed in August 2011

The Capul Lighthouse



The Capul Lighthouse



A 9-km habal habal ride to the north tip of the island took us to the old Capul lighthouse. Its construction started in 1896, was interrupted by the Philippine-American war, and was finally completed in 1904. The view towards Sorsogon across the San Bernardino Strait and around the lighthouse is breathtaking. Capul Island offers a great combination of natural beauty and historical interest and is definitely worth a visit while in Samar.

The Capul Lighthouse building

The view from the lighthouse, with the south tip of Sorsogon Province across the San Bernardino Strait

Biri Rock Formations

Back to Victoria, a tricycle brought us to Lavezares and from there a bangka took us in one hour to the town of Biri on Biri Island, where we checked in at the excellent Biri Resort. The Biri rock formations are a few minutes away from the town by habal habal. After a long walk through the mangrove, you find yourself in a fantactic mineral landscape with the ocean as a backdrop. You can spend hours just walking around amazing shapes and colors. I will let the pictures do the talking.

Sunrise over the mangrove at the back of the rocks

 

Taking pictures of the Back-naped Tern

A colony of Black-naped Tern (Sterna sumatrana), a rare bird in the Philippines,  was nesting in the cliffs

San Bernardino Island

San Bernardino Island is located in the middle of the San Bernardino Strait, about one hour away by bangka in a northwest direction from Biri town. It is rocky all around and it was not possible to land due to the southwestly winds on one side and the Pacific Ocean surf on the other side. A lighthouse built in 1896 stands at the top of the island. There is a smaller rocky islet beside it. A large colony of Bridled Tern and Black-naped Tern, both rare birds in the Philippines, were nesting on the island.

On the way to San Bernardino Island at sunrise

Approaching San Bernardino from the southeast

The rocky islet seen from the north, with the main island in the background

A Bridled Tern flying over the lighthouse

Bridled Tern (Sterna anaethetus)

Mount Bulusan (Sorsogon) in the distance between the main island and the rocky islet

Leaving San Bernardino Island

Sunset over Mt. Bulusan seen from the Biri Resort



The Biri rock formations are one of the most underrated natural attractions in the Philippines. I would place it as one of the top 10 destinations in the country for natural beauty. Go and visit Northern Samar!

See my other travelogue "Off the Beaten Track in the Philippines"