Biri Island is where the gods go to wage war. This is where the San Bernardino Strait combats the mighty Pacific as the latter pushes its tides into the Visayan domain. The elements, who bear witness to the ferocious duel, are caught trapped in the battlefield. The winds sometimes cheer, sometimes howl as they watch from above. The waves, in their desperate attempt to flee, lap up the edges of the shore. And the land, Biri Island, referees the constant clash but not without finding a silver lining, getting a hold of it, and never letting go. As it takes the beating from the seas, who just pound its hard face with one blow after another, it allows the gods’ skilled hands to shape its cliffs. Every punching wave is a stroke of art and every gusty storm is a painful dash of necessary sacrifice — the torture in art, the beauty in chaos. The result, staggering rock formations that intimidate not just with their immensity but, more importantly, their splendor.

How to Get There

Gone are the days when all three major low cost-carriers in the country — Cebu Pacific, Airphil Express, and Zest Air — flew to Catarman, the nearest airport from Biri. Now, only Philippine Airlines remains the only big airline that operates here and they fly from Clark. But there are other ways of reaching this elusive paradise.

1. If you’re coming from Manila, take a bus to Clark and then fly to Catarman, Northern Samar. PAL’s flight as of this update is PR 2675 (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, 08:00am). Travel time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
2. From the airport, take a tricycle to the main terminal.  Cost: P100 per trip if you take those trikes at the main parking lot of the airport. Travel time: 5 minutes
3. Ride a jeepney bound for Lavezares. Tell the driver you intend to go to Lavezares port. (Emphasis on Lavezares. When you just say pier or port, they easily assume that you mean the much bigger Allen port.)  Travel time: 1 hour. Cost: P50.
4. Find a boat that goes to Biri Town. Normally, on a busy day, the cost is P50. But when there are not many passengers, you might just want to pay for the remaining seats or just split the cost with other passengers. A private one-way trip costs P750.  Terminal fee: P25. Travel time: 45 minutes.
5. From Biri jetty, take a habal-habal to your hotel or guesthouse. Usual cost is P10 per person.

If flying to Catarman is not an option for whatever reason, you may just travel to Matnog, Sorsogon and take a ferry to Allen, Northern Samar. Then take a jeepney to Lavezares town. You may also fly to Calbayog or Tacloban, although the latter requires a 6-hour land travel from Leyte to Northern Samar. The Tacloban route is great if you’re backpacking across Eastern Visayas because it will allow you to see and explore much of the region