Biliran

Biliran is a compact island province in the Eastern Visayas, lying just north of Leyte and connected to the mainland by Biliran Bridge. The municipality of Biliran sits on the southern shore near the bridge, while Naval, on the western coast, is the provincial capital and main commercial centre. Eight municipalities make up the province.

The island has volcanic origins and its rugged, forested interior is dominated by Mount Biliran, an active complex volcano whose crater and solfataras point to a geothermal past. Once part of Leyte, Biliran became a separate province in 1992, and its small towns still centre on churches, plazas, fishing wharves and rice fields.

Nature is the main draw. Tinago Falls near Caibiran drops into a forest pool, and waterfalls such as Tomalistis, Recoletos and Ulan-Ulan form a falls circuit across the island. Mainit Hot Springs, the Iyosan rice terraces in Almeria and Sambawan Island off Maripipi, with its white sand and snorkelling, are other highlights, along with the shifting sandbar at Higatangan Island near Naval.

Naval is the practical base, with the main port, market, banks and provincial services, while Caibiran and Almeria sit closer to the falls and terraces and Maripipi is the jump-off for Sambawan. Farming, fishing and a slowly growing eco-tourism sector shape the local economy.

Biliran suits travellers seeking quiet nature tourism rather than big-city attractions. Most visitors fly into Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport in Tacloban and continue overland across Biliran Bridge, or arrive by ferry from Cebu; the island's small scale makes it easy to explore as a short stopover or a slow multi-day stay.