Catanduanes + Tiwi Bike Ride 2016

The month of August offered a 3-day holiday window and we promptly filled it in with a Catanduanes Island bikepacking ride. Irosin cyclists usually does an overnighter ride every August to Tiwi for a “pilgrimage” in Joroan Church. To take advantage of the additional holiday, we planned a side trip to Catanduanes and even dreamed of a 360 ride around the island. A very ambitious plan…

The majestic Pacific Ocean

August 27, Day 1, Saturday

Started out cycling at 0315, in a moonless early morning, from Irosin, Sorsogon to catch the fast craft ferry at Albay province. That is 128 km ride away, north via the Maharlika Highway to Legazpi City and east to Tabaco City. We managed to reach Tabaco City by 1030, had lunch and boarded the clean, cool and fast ferry for Catanduanes. Ferry leaves at 1200 daily for San Andres port, P 320 per person add P 100 for bikes, add terminal fee plus the PPA additional charges for bikes (!) equals P 490 per biker.

Jong, Paulo, Joel, Arnel, Cyrk, Mark, Isong, Nat, Paye, Linzo, Raming, Noel (me) and Bito.

By 1400, we were at Catanduanes. The mountain and hills are greener and with good forest cover, cemented roads, friendly people, old churches, caves, waterfalls, coastal roads, stunning seascapes from many viewpoints...

Going counterclockwise, there was small climb going to Virac the capital town, we stopped near the Virac church for snacks, marveled at a scenic river near Bato and visited Bato church. After the town of Bato is a long 8 km climb going up and up to PAGSASA Doppler radar station. The radar station peers into Pacific Ocean for any brewing weather disturbance and provides early warning information particularly amount of rainfall. Also with an impressive view deck.

Bato River and forested mountains of Catanduanes

Weekend warriors on the road

Bato Church, oldest in Catanduanes

PAGASA radar station at Baras

View deck of PAGASA radar station

Then a long downhill ride to Baras town, and a long climb again to Barangay Puraran, and down to Puraran Surf Resort. Catanduanes is hilly! We reached the resort in the dark by 1700, exhausted. The resort offers reasonable rates for food and lodging and is a popular surfing spot.

A long hard day with 181 km pedaled and elevation gain of 1,915 meters.

August 28, Sunday

It was habagat season and so there was no favorable wind to generate waves to surf at Puraran Surf Resort. We left the resort at 0640, with a long steep ascent to the front gate, turned right and a little downhill, up again, then turned right up into a steeper slower ascent to Balacay Point.

Puraran Surf Resort, no waves this morning

Cyrk and Nat, contemplating, at Balacay Point. Jump!

The plan was to ride from San Andres to Baras, Baras to Panganiban, Panganiban to Caramoran then to San Andres in a day and a half. Faced with the actual terrain and road condition… we u-turned.  From Balacay Point, we backtracked our route to Baras, to Bato stopping at Marbina Falls for a cool down dip, and to Virac. After lunch at Virac, we pedaled to Amenia Beach Resort at Palawig, San Andres which we reached by 1400 hours. We called it a day… beach, beer and dinner.

Typical Catanduanes road scene, with incline

Baras town seaside park

A cool down dip at Marbina Falls, Bato

Amenia Resort, San Andres, with a view of Mayon Vocano

Catanduanes is really hilly, we traveled only 56 km but climbed 1,409 meters! Strava data here.

August 29, Monday

Biked 7km from the resort to the port, had breakfast and boarded the same fast craft. We were back at the saddle at Tabaco City for Tiwi by 0900, with only 8 riders remaining as the rest decided commute back to Irosin. Flat roads to Tiwi with ascents to Joroan Church where we had lunch at a roadside turo-turo. We biked back to Legazpi City ending our trip at the bus terminal by 1400 – Jong going by bus to Los Banos, while me, Cyrk and Nat also went by bus to Irosin. Paulo, Arnel, Bito and Paye biked all the way 100 km more to Irosin.

Nat's bike at Joroan, Tiwi

Distance for the day for me is 70 km with elevation gain of 751 meters.

The true circumnavigation by bike of Catanduanes Island is by a coastal road estimated to be 265 km long. According to local cyclists, only 3 riders has so far completed this circuit. Froilan of PCG Catanduanes enumerated the main challenges as: the undulating rolling hilly up-down terrain which will drain your energy reserve; the rocky dusty earth roads which will slow you down; and the very isolated sections where potable water source, sari-sari stores, carinderia and lodging houses are few and far between.  But, they say that the rugged beauty of Catanduanes seascapes are worth the effort.

My one and only touring bike

Total distance for the ride is 307 with total elevation gain of 4,075 meters. We had a taste of Catanduanes and are hooked. Looking forward to another 3-day holiday window for that Catanduanes full 360 ride…

By Noel Mercado II