When the Department of Tourism described the Bicol region with the word “exciting” in its tagline, it was no empty boast or a worn-out adjective. It may have been synonymous with the perfect-coned Mayon Volcano for the longest time, but it has proven in recent years that it has a plethora of natural wonders to offer beyond this iconic peak.
Composed of six provinces, it has been among the top domestic destinations because of its blend of countryside adventure, delectable dishes, colorful culture, warm people, and a semblance of cosmopolitan living.
Luzon’s southernmost region, has a vast contiguous landmass which will enable tourists to hop around the attractions with relative ease even by public transport. With among the lowest Covid-19 cases in the country, the region is cautiously reopening tourism to make the industry compliant to the new normal regime, and strike a balance between health and the economy.
Albay, is the regional center and aerial gateway to the Bicolandia with its numerous flights and the new international airport which is expected to operate this year. Named by the Unesco as a Man and Biosphere Reserve in 2016, the province is reinventing itself as a haven for farm tourism with the agrarian-themed attractions around the foot of the majestic Mayon.
Albay Gulf, the vast body of water embracing the province, is emerging as a hub of watersports such as scuba diving, jet-skiing, and sailing with the recent introduction of Goose sailboats which aim to make the area a boat club. The Gulf, which also hosts occasional dragonboat tournaments, runs along side the Legazpi City Boulevard, a long promenade which has become a hive of outdoor recreation, fitness activities and family bonding.
Neighboring Sorsogon, the habitat of the butanding (whale shark), the world’s biggest fish, is also unveiling a bevy of newly developed beaches and natural sanctuaries to lure nature-lovers to foray into its hidden nooks.
Bulusan Lake, the province’s old-time poster image, has undergone a landscape redevelopment to provide visitors a front seat to the placid lake. Tucked with the lush Bulusan Volcano Natural Park, the 16-hectare lake is a quiet retreat where you can navigate its surface on board a kayak or stand-up paddle.
At the neoclassical Provincial Capitol Complex in Sorsogon City, visitors can travel back in time at the newly opened Museo Sorsogon, a repository of its rich natural, political and cultural heritage.
Sorsogon also takes pride in Gibalon Shrine in Magallanes town, a galleon-shaped spot which is the site of the first Mass in Luzon in 1569 officiated by Fray Alonzo Jimenez. The place is recognized by the National Quincentennial Commemorations as the place where the first seeds of Christianity were sown in the archipelago’s main island.
To showcase more of its best-kept secrets, the province will take center stage in the GMA Teleserye “I Left My Heart in Sorsogon” topbilled no less than by its first lady, Heart Evangelista.
Camarines Sur, the region’s largest province, continue to lure sports adventure lovers at the CamSur Watersports Complex which is undergoing a facelift to restore the glory of what was once the country’s wakeboarding capital.
New tropical-themed accommodations are coming up in the sought-after Caramoan beaches which are famed because of the Survivor international reality TV show. More powdery sand beaches which were once almost inaccessible are being opened with the completion of paved roads.
The road gateway to the Bicolandia, Camarines Norte has been introducing its once sleepy shores in its Pacific seaboard over the past few years. These new beaches, in addition to its famed Calaguas Islands, once voted as the country’s top Tourism Gem, will make sun worshipers and island-hoppers come to CamNorte again once it reopens.
On the west and east of Bicol’s mainland are the island provinces of Masbate and Catanduanes, respectively, which have their own distinct charm which have been veiled for so long.
Known as the Rodeo Capital of the Philippines, Masbate has missed for two successive years the staging of the most spectacular cowboy-themed festival in the archipelago. Guests may be barred from entering the ranches and doing the cowboy stuff, but the unspoiled islands and beaches away from the madding crowd can still be visited.
A must-see is the 200-meter Buntod Sandbar, an award-winning reef marine sanctuary just 15 minutes away from Masbate City.
Last but not least, Catanduanes is another pleasant surprise waiting to be uncovered by those who dare to go the roads less traveled. Lying at the archipelago’s Pacific rim, it promises to be the Happy Island with its raw and crude topography, and happy interludes with nature. It also boasts of being a surfing getaway with the so-called Majestics, which known for its huge waves.
As Bicol bounces back, the region’s tourism will surely become more exciting and enticing.