Puraran Beach in Baras is the surfing capital of Catanduanes so to speak. Some refer to the Puraran surfing wave as Majestics. From Virac, there are jeeps which regularly ply the Virac-Baras route. So as soon as I finished my breakfast, I was off.It's best to ask before hand what times the trips leave. I had to wait a while before the next trip left but at least I got to pick a seat since I was early. If you take the Virac-Baras jeep, you'll have to hire a tricycle in Baras proper to get to Puraran. Another jeep passes by Puraran itself. But I had to wait for another two hours before it left Virac.
After the town of Bato, the roads get rough (they're still in the process of paving the roads now). When I arrived in Baras, I asked what time the last trip back to Virac left. It turned out, the last trip was leaving is a few minutes since it was a weekend. Crap! Now what?The tricycle to Puraran is about PHP150 (they said it was the standard rate). Since I needed to be back in Virac the same day, he offered to take me back all the way for more cash. Looks like I had no choice anyway. It's common practice, especially among foreign tourists, to hire a tricycle all the way back to Virac because of the scarcity of transportation.
It's not surfing season yet. But Puraran has surfing lessons for beginners during the summer months from April to June. Majestic's Beach Resort offers surfing lessons: PHP150 for the instructor whole day (but I doubt beginners would last for even half a day) and PHP150 rental of short board per hour. By September, the waves would be too strong for beginners and that's when the real pros come over.I was surprised I was the only local visitor that afternoon. Everyone else was a foreigner, either from Australia, the U.S., or Europe. It's a wonder why foreigners hear about these great places before most locals do. Puraran Beach is a stunning landscape of cream sand and rock formations. I hope I could come back!
Majestic's Beach Resort
(0919) 5581460
PHP350 per room (nipa hut)
Puraran Beach House (LGU)
(0920) 3199742; (0917) 8041020
PHP450 fan room; PHP650 A/C room
Part 1: Around Catanduanes: Virac and Bato
