Limasawa
Island
Location: Southern tip of
Southern Leyte;
a 45-minute pumpboat
ride from Padre
Burgos to the island.
Attraction: Site of the celebration
of the First Christian
Mass in the Orient
when Ferdinand Magellan
came in 1521; historical
and cultural viewing
of the Magellan
Shrine / Marker.
It
is also a diver's
paradise. It boasts
of magnificent walls
and sheer drop-offs
decorated with a
variety of lovely
fan corals which
never fails to awe
even the most traveled
and experienced
diver. The island
also has sites for
novice divers and
beginners, as well
as excellent reef
communities on a
gradual slope. It
is ideal for open
water diving and
underwater photography.
For the more daring
and adventurous,
there are numerous
holes and cavelets
where one may encounter
a passing sea snake
or a couple of squids.
Travel
Tip: Best
time to visit the
island: March to
early June/October
to December. Trips can
be arranged by the
Southern Leyte Governor's
Office or passenger
pumpboats are available
at Padre Burgos
wharf.
Bitu-on
Beach
Location: Barangay San Roque,
Liloan, Southern
Leyte; can be reached
only by banca with
outriggers; a 30-minute
boat ride from the
townproper.
Attraction: White sandy beach;
shells of various
kinds and colors;
good for picnicking,
swimming; fishing
and shell hunting.
Kuting
Beach Resort
Location: Macrohon, Southern
Leyte.
Attractions: Wide stretches of
sandy beach favorite
for swimming and
picnics
Magsuhot Park
Location: Sogod, Southern
Leyte; only 3-kilometer
from Philippine-Japan
Friendship Highway.
Attractions: Has a forested area
of 500 hectares.
It has 4 waterfalls
falling into a common
basin and is 20
meters high. Other
sights 12 kilometers
away are Lum-an
and Mahayhay Falls
with a 60-meter
fall.
Wawa
Strait
Location: Macrohon, Southern
Leyte.
Attractions: The often invisible
strait is a sight
to behold from this
town; one could
simply while away
his time and get
a relaxing feeling
by going to this
point to get a glimpse
of its beauty.
Tancaan
Point (Sta.
Sofia Beach)
Location: Padre Burgos, Southern
Leyte.
Facilities: Concrete stairway
to a watchower overlooking
the deep sea and
historic Limasawa
Island; natural
shades and picnic
tables.
Tancaan
Point/Buenavista
Fish Sanctuary
Location: Padre Burgos, Southern
Leyte ; about forty
five minutes from
Maasin by land.
Description: A real stand-out
when it comes to
diving, snorkeling
or just plain beachcombing
or swimming; offers
total exhilarating
underwater tour
- excelent corals,
drop-offs, holes
and cavelets, canyons,
mini-trenches; rich
variety of fishes
like napoleon wrasses,
groupers, sweetlips,
snappers, parrotfishes,
butterflyfishes
eagle rays, sea
trurtle, barracudas,
sea turtle and pelagic
fishes.
Travel
Tips: Best
time to dive: October
to May, private
boat can be hired
from Maasin or
Padre Burgos. Divers
should bring their
diving equipment
and food.
Guinsohotan
and Busay Falls
Location: Maasin, Southern
Leyte.
Attractions: Clear waters good
for swimming and
picnicking.
Sulphur
Spring
Location: Anahawan, Southern
Leyte.
Attractions: Sulphur spring water
with curative power.
Maamo Beach
Location: Barangay San Roque,
Liloan, Southern
Leyte; can be reached
only by banca with
outriggers.
Attractions: White sandy
beach; good for
swimming and fishing.
San
Pedro and San Pablo
Beaches
Location: Hinunangan, Southern
Leyte.
Attractions: White coral beaches
ideal for swimming,
surfing and skiing;
can very well accommodate
a variety of activities
related to diving
and other water
sports/recreation.
Panaon
Island
Location: Liloan, Southern
Leyte.
Attractions: A part of Mindanao
Deep, the second
deepest body of
water in the world;
one of the most
mystifying dive
destinations in
Southern Leyte.
It is where one
may encounter a
school whales or
dolphins.
SUN-OK
FISH SANCTUARY
Location: Pintuyan, Southern
Leyte; situated
below an imposing
rock edifice, this
sanctuary can be
reached by motorized
banca in about two
hours from Maasin
upon prior arrangement
with private operators.
Description: Hosts a variety
of marine life;
the underwater contour
is actually a terrace
full of distinct
coral formations
inhabited by large
species of fish.
Fully rehabilitated
soft and hard corals
along cracks and
crevices provide
an appropriate backdrop
that sums up a totally
interesting dive
experience; the
rock edifice is
ideal for rock climbing.
Travel Tips: Best time to dive:
October to May;
fishing and collection
of shells and others
is strictly prohibited.
TABUGON
FISH SANCTUARY
Location: Liloan, Southern
Leyte.
Description: The coastal town
of Liloan, with
its protective bay,
has also one of
the biggest reef
areas recommended
by the Silliman
University Marine
Laboratory as proposed
marine reserves;
regularly visited
by the biggest fish
in the world, the
whale shark.
ILIJAN
POINT / NAPANTAW
FISH SANCTUARY
Location: San Francisco, Southern
Leyte; can be reached
by motorized banca
in about two hours
from Maasin upon
prior arrangement
with private boat
operators.
Description: Healthy corals,
clear water, rich
marine life; the
highly diversed
underwater terrain
in the area promises
to be a challenging
and exciting dive
that a resident
school fully grown
surgeon fishes welcomes
the "intruder" to
a celebration of
marine bliss and
tranquility; hideout
full of huge sea
fans and soft corals;
the place is virtually
intact.
Travel
Tips: Visitors should
bring their own
equipment and provisions
(water, foods, etc.); bathing/ swimming/ snorkeling
is allowed in nearby
beaches and adjacent
reef areas; best
time to dive: October
to May.
SOGOD BAY
Location: 124 kilometers from
Tacloban City via
the Maharlika Highway.
Description: Have already established
big fish sanctuaries
which will someday
become excellent
dive sties. The
whole of Sogod Bay
and parts of the
Pacific area, including
the islands of San
Pablo and San Pedro
can very well accommodate
a variety of activities
related to diving
and other water
sports and recreation.
PATAG
DAKU
Location: Libagon, Southern
Leyte; to reach
Patag Daku, one
has to ride a bus
or private vehicle
from Maasin to Libagon.
The trip may take
about 2-3 hours.
While in Libagon,
arrangements can
be made with the
municipal government
for guides/porters,
especially for first
time climbers.
Description: Patag Daku, in English,
means big plain.
It is certainly
big but is never
quite plain. It
is actually a valley
so dense in vegetations
that novice campers
and mountaineers
will never come
in or out without
an experienced guide
leading the way.
But the trek to
the valley comes
big in every way.
In mountaineering
parlance, it is
a major climb. Not
the leisurely stroll
that one might expect,
the climb is an
arduopus six hour
journey through
a maze of trees,
ferns, moss, grass
and big trees.
Travel
Tips: Start the tour at
about 7:00 to 8:00
in the morning;
bring potable water; climbing
/ camping equipment
is a must especially
if the group wishes
to stay
overnight.
Maasin
Cathedral
Location: Maasin, Southern
Leyte.
Facilities: Catholic Church
situated inside
a beautiful park,
with recreational
facilities such
as swings, slides,
tennis court.
Attractions: Image and “santos”
whose art and architecture
dates back to the
Spanish era are
still found in its
altar and ceilings.
MALITBOG,
SOUTHERN LEYTE
Location: 253 kilometers from
Tacloban City by
land transport.
Attraction: One of the oldest
towns in the province
of Leyte which was
once the center of trade
and commerce; old
big Spanish houses
and church; canopy of century-old acacia
trees at the town
plaza; the prominent
Escaño family mausoleum built
in 1928 with its
dome towering over
a catacomb; fine beaches
and unexplored caves.
