VIRAC is an anonymous provincial town, busy with mercantile activity and the noise of jeepneys. There is a small central plaza where the cathedral stands and a busy market, but for most visitors Virac will simply be a base for exploring the rest of the island.
Arrival and information
Virac’s airport is 4km west of the town. A tricycle into town will cost around P50, or less if you walk away from the airport waiting area. The combined bus and jeepney terminal is near the central market on Rizal Street, a short distance across the Santo Domingo River from the town centre.
The wharf on the eastern edge of town, at the end of Geronimo Tabuzo Street, is where ferries arrive from Tabaco, along with dozens of other small craft bearing cargo from Manila and Cebu, or fish and produce from other areas of Catanduanes.
The tourist office (Mon–Fri 8am–5pm; T052/811-1335) is in the Provincial Capitol Building in Rizal Street, a five-minute tricycle ride northeast from the plaza.
There are three banks in Virac, which have ATMs and where you can change dollars. PNB is on the east side of the plaza and BDO is on the west side; Land Bank is north of the main roundabout on Rizal Avenue, opposite the Caltex station.
The post office (Mon–Fri 8am–5pm) is at the back of the municipal building, and on Rizal Street there are a few internet cafés.
Accommodation
Each of the hotels listed in Virac have cheap fan rooms as well as air-conditioned options. If you’re keen to stay out of town, but within reach of Virac’s amenities, try the Twin Rock or Midtown resorts.
Attractions near Virac
You will find some good, surfable beaches west of Virac in the villages of Magnesia, Buenavista and Palawig, although none is as pretty or as popular as Puraran (see below). Inland from Palawig there are enormous limestone caves near the village of Lictin.
To get there you’ll have to find a guide in Lictin (there are no established rates, but P500 is a reasonable amount to pay); contact the tourist office in Virac before setting out, or ask at the barangay hall or in any of the village stores. The best known is Luyang Cave, whose waters are said to have healing properties.
Another spot that makes a good short trip from Virac is the Maribina Waterfall in the barrio of Maribina, fifteen minutes inland by jeepney. The fall plunges more than 10m and the pool at the base is crystal-clear and good for swimming.
A little further east in Bato it’s worth taking a look at Batalay Church, an atmospheric Baroque structure built in the sixteenth century following the arrival of Spanish Captain Juan de Salcedo, who had been hunting for pirates on the coast.
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