Revisiting Sorsogon, Bicol’s Spirited South

Contributed by Turista Trails

At the southern tip of the Bicol region lies a province that lets me get drizzled in the middle of a sprawling coconut plantation and bronzed at a powdery white-to-semi-pink sand beach in one day. Sorsogon was stylish in so many ways when it came to appealing to my senses. It didn’t impose. It merely evoked a spirited sense of place, a spot where I lingered for less than a week.

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How to get there

Two visits of the coastal province were necessary for me to know it by its getaway name — the Spirited One. The peninsula can be a gruelling 11-hour drive from Metro Manila but is accessible from the Visayas region via the Port of Matnog. One can also opt for a plane ride from anywhere in Luzon to Legazpi City which is just an hour away from the province. For my 3-day immersion (a revisit), I chose to grow facial hair without leaving my seat aboard a Philtranco Bus ride to reach Sorsogon City’s grand terminal where a shuttle of my booked hotel-resort base, Siama Hotel, was waiting for me. After a few minutes, I was conveniently checked-in at the gorgeous modern Asian accommodation with access to its stunning 25-metre lap pool.

Siama Hotel

things to do in Calintaan Cave

The scenery near the

What else did I do aside from relaxing at the hotel? Check out the following destinations that I had the chance to experience, thanks to the tour that was led by Siama Hotel’s Milo Naval and Albay’s Bicolano Man:

The sight to behold from the

The tour van plied the Pan-Philippine highway to reach a view deck in the town of Irosin, the province’s largest rice granary. It crossed varying localised weather conditions from suddenly sunny to downright drizzling. I was starting to fret that I’d only see nothing but coconut tree silhouettes against a muted sky. Fortunately, at the vantage point of the , the scenery gave me a wow moment of lush greenery. The carpet of rice fields was definitely soothing to the eyes.

Marine environment advocate Alex Geneblazo established the in the town of Matnog where the tour had its next stop. We got off our van and hopped on a motorised boat to reach the entrance of the sanctuary’s bamboo enclosures where aquatic species of varying kinds are kept to grow and spawn. It is open to the public and is considered by Geneblazo as more than a fish farm. He reckons that the place is a protected habitat where coral fish, oyster, lobster and other marine animals are raised for public awareness and not for commercial purposes.

I particularly loved the seascape where the sanctuary is located because the crystalline waters were placid even with the presence of a lot of sea creatures. The subsequent short ride on a raft culminated with fish-feeding and viewing on a bamboo structure where several enclosures revealed the sea gems in brilliant aquatic colours! With numerous islets visible from a distance, everything looked scenic and tranquil.

After spending less than an hour at the , the boat tour headed to Calintaan Island for a late lunch and beach bumming at the powdery sand of Subic Beach. En route to the beach, we passed by Calintaan Cave. With openings that seem to jut out against the strong waves of the San Bernardino Strait, the islet resembled a portion of a big bowling ball with the rest of it submerged in seawater.

After fifteen more minutes of banca ride, we finally docked at Subic Beach of Calintaan Island. I noticed that the area was still highly vegetated and looked pristine. It certainly has the unspoilt charm of Cagbalete Island in Quezon Province. The soft, powdery sand looked semi-pink as it glistened against the afternoon sunshine.

Beach bumming in Matnog’s Holy Trinity Beach Resort

The owner of the island’s Holy Trinity Beach Resort reckoned that the whole strip is probably as long as two stations of Boracay’s White Beach. I tried to make a quick stroll but I really couldn’t tell because there were no highly urbanised landmarks to begin with. And this was a good thing because I loved to linger in long beachfront walks where I can’t tell which type of tree stood next to what shrub. As far as I was concerned, tropical decadence was not present at the shoreline of Subic Beach.

Also read: 15 Secret Beaches in the Philippines You Probably Didn’t Know About

and Saints Peter & Paul Cathedral

Young locals in front of the Sorsogon Capitol

As this was my revisit of the province, I can’t help but recall the feeling of visiting it for the first time in 2013. I remember chasing my blues away one summer of that year and decided to make Sorsogon City as my chosen venue to celebrate my birthday. The immersion was poignant in that I had a hard time booking a bus back to Manila because of the Holy Week visitor influx. I was glad that I stayed for one more day because I was able to walk around the city proper, hear a mass in Sorsoganon at the Saints Peter and Paul Parish (that has a similar cupola as that of St. Peter’s Basilica), plus enjoy quality Wi-Fi and people-viewing at the well-manicured grounds of the .

During my revisit of the province, I had the chance to walk around the city proper once again. The setting was more festive though because it was the time of the . And the local term (kasaganahan in Tagalog), as festival name, was aptly reflected onto the cheerful faces of residents. People of different ages hied off to the streets of the city from their respective homes to witness the province’s show of prosperity via a street parade. In the thick of the revelry, I witnessed the reenactment of the first Catholic mass in Luzon, including an elaborate street dance by Sorsogon’s youth.

Sorsogon capitol selfie

With Provincial Administrator Robert Rodrigueza

A visit to the Sorsogon Capitol and a selfie with Provincial Administrator Robert Lee Rodrigueza capped off my revisit of the province. Special thanks to Milo Naval and Bicolano Man.

A taste of Taro Chips at the terminal

Taro Chips at the Sorsogon Grand Terminal

On my way home to Manila from Sorsogon City, I had the pleasure of indulging my senses for one last time. I enjoyed having bites of the tasty province via a bag of taro chips that I bought at the Sorsogon Grand Terminal. The result was a delicious ride back to where I came from — northwest of Bicol.