Southern Luzon - The Rough Guide to the Philippines - page 231

(20min; P30). From Virac pier, vans run to Bagamanoc (every
2hr until 1pm and then hourly thereafter; 1hr 30min; P80)

and Viga (hourly; 1hr 15min; P80); there are also local buses
to Bagamanoc (noon & 2pm; 2hr).

INFORMATION
Tourist information The provincial tourist o ce (Mon-
Fri 8am-5pm; T 0929 399 8437, W catanduanes.gov.ph)
is on the second floor of the Old Capitol Building on Santa
Elena St in Virac.
Services All the services are in Virac. There are a few
banks, including PNB and BDO on the main plaza and a

branch of DBP on the ground floor of the Old Capitol
Building, just below the tourist o ce. The post o ce
(Mon-Fri 8am-5pm) is at the back of the municipal
building. For internet, try WorldNet.com on Salvacion St
(Mon-Sat 8am-8pm; P20/hr; T 0919 773 5578).

ACCOMMODATION
If you're keen to stay out of town, but within reach of Virac's amenities, try the Twin Rock or Amenia Beach resorts. The
resorts at Puraran Beach are very laidback and it is not unusual to end up staying for longer than you had planned.
Electricity is often limited to a few hours a day and the nearest internet access is in Virac.

but also a pleasant spot to stay - the nine rooms, named
after local trees, are appealing enough, with d ecent-s ized
beds, and there are a couple of swimming pools. P2000
Twin Rock Beach Resort Brgy Igang, 10km south of
Virac T 0928 836 2648, W twinrock.com.ph. One of
the island's most developed resorts, with leafy grounds
on a lovely stretch of beach in front of two jagged rock
formations. Boxy rooms, and a couple of claustrophobic
rock cottages with a single bed (P1000). There's a zipline
over the sea, climbing wall, kayaks a nd poo l with two
slides. The noisy karaoke is a drawback. P1500

VIRAC
ARDCI Corporate Inn 4th Floor, ARDCI Corporate
Building, San Roque W ardciinnvirac.weebly.com. On two
floors of an of ce block with floor-to-ceiling windows, this is
a good option; rooms are comfortable and the bathrooms
have rain showers. There's a wi-fi-equipped café with vie ws
over the rice paddies and Virac. Breakfast included. P1000
Midtown Inn San José St T 0947 563 8165,
W catmidinn.com. The pick of the Virac bunch, just off the
main roundabout, with a little communal lounge on the
first floor. Most rooms are a/c and have cable TV and priv ate
bathrooms with hot showers. Wi-fi throughout. P1344
Rakdell Hotel San Pedro St T 052 811 0881, E josh
[e-mail]. Budget option with acceptable
a/c rooms with private bath and hot shower - but its location
opposite the town's only nightspot means it can be noisy.
On the plus side, there's a restaurant and a roof f deck w here
guests can enjoy their meals. Wi-fi in the lobby. P1000

4

PURARAN BEACH
Pacific Surfers' Paradise Middle of the beach T 0917
738 2941. Under construction at the time of research,
this place looks promising - the eight small cottages are
mostly decorated with native mat erials and there's a nipa
restaurant serving Filipino dishes. P750
Puraran Surf Resort Northern end of the beach T 0915
764 9133, W puraransurf.com. The six simple, welcoming
bamboo and palm-leaf cottages (P600) with wooden beds
are far better than the rooms in the conc rete b lock at the
back. There's also a four-bed room (P1500). P500

AROUND VIRAC
Amenia Beach Resort Palawig Beach, San Andres,
12km southwest of Virac T 0915 353 0020. The real draw
here is the lovely beach outside; it's popular with day-trippers

EATING AND DRINKING
VIRAC
Blossoms Salvacion St T 0932 710 0576. The most
atmospheric restaurant in town, serving pasta (P60) and
pizza (P125), as well as seafood (P195), noodles (P40) and
cakes (P55). Mon-Sat 7am-10pm.
Café de Au Salvacion St T 0939 158 1749. This tiny,
welcoming café makes great coffee, using a proper coffee
machine (P50). Plus snacks and substantial meals including
American breakfasts (P65) and pasta (P35). Mon-Sat
8am-10pm, Sun 3-10pm.
Elit Kape Constantino St T 0929 189 5879. Authentic
Thai food including curry (P229), tom yam (P189) and
pad thai (P120). At lunchtime there is a selection of

dishes laid out in pots, or you can order Filipino and
international dishes à la carte. Free wi-fi. Mon-Sat
9am-10pm.
Sea Breeze Pier Side, PPA Building, Brgy Salvacion
T 0906 494 6597. By the pier, with shaded wooden huts
by the beach, this is a pleasant spot for a beer (P50) and a
sea breeze; the food, however, is less than average. Free
wi-fi. Daily 7am-1am.
SOG Santa Elena St. Apparently it's an acronym for “Squid
on Go”. The town's only nightspot is a simple little bar
hosting acoustic bands on Thurs, Fri and Sat; other nights
you can sip beer (P60) as the locals belt out videoke. Daily
9.30pm-2.30am.