Bicycle Touring Philippines: Biking Samar and Leyte Island

Samar Island is a short 1.5 hour ferry ride away from Sorsogon. Roll-on, roll-off (RORO) ferries from Matnog town will take you Allen, N. Samar and from there you can pedal away up to Liloan, S. Leyte. The Samar-Leyte bike circuit is one of our favorite route since 2008.

Departure from Irosin is usually 4AM to catch the 6AM Matnog-Allen ferry boat. Ferries don't have fixed departure time - they go when they are filled up with trucks, bus and cars. For Allen-Calbayog route, the coastal road is flat up San Isidro about 25km away. After that, the terrain undulates from Barangay Palanit up to Barangay San Joaquin in Calbayog City. This is a difficult terrain in sparsely populated area especially during hot sunny days.

First Samar ride with Abet (+), 2008

From Calbayog City is a pleasant flat ride to Sta. Margarita, Gandara and San Jorge. And from San Jorge, the road will traverse hilly terrain going to Catbalogan City (140km from Allen). Catbalogan City is nestled in a narrow plain between the mountain and the sea, a little bit crowded, and is our usual pit stop. The Allen-Catbalogan road has significantly improved since 2008. Back then, it was really bad!

Rest stop in Calbayog City, 2014

The pedicab from Calbayog going to Gandara, 2013

Having mechanical trouble near Catbalogan, 2012

From Catbalogan City is an early morning series of ascent-descent to Barangay Buray, Paranas which is the junction to Eastern Samar and to Tacloban City. From Buray is a relatively flat road up to Calbiga followed by a long ascent in Pinabacdao then mostly flat terrain going to San Juanico Bridge in Sta. Rita. San Juanico Bridge being the longest in the country is the highlight of bike trip.

San Juanico Bridge, 2013

"Sino ba si Wacky?", McArthur Landing Memorial Site, Palo, 2012

From Tacloban City is a side trip in McArthur Landing Memorial in Palo and off west to Carigara where we arrive by late afternoon. I have an aunt in Carigara, Leyte where we can stay and we usually go there during the town fiesta which is July 16th. Catbalogan to Carigara is about 155km.

Looking for the puncture in Palo ricefields, 2014

Since it is the town fiesta, we spend the rest day doing serious carbo-loading, napping, bike maintenance and having beer. Thanks to Tita Minda and Tito Ben of Shopper's Budget Store.

Carigara Fiesta, 2013

We have explored alternate routes in going back to Allen: going via Basey-Borongan-Catbalogan, and Calbayog-Lope de Vega-Catarman. The former is a long detour via the very scenic coastal roads of Eastern Samar and into the forest of Samar Island Natural Park - a two day endeavour. The latter is a short detour via Catarman to Allen.