Northern Samar: Visita Iglesia Northern Samar

There are still a few number of colonial churches left in Northern Samar. So you could go on a visita iglesia around the province.


On top of the list is the fortress church of Capul Island. The Capul Church is dedicated to San Ignacio de Loyola. It was built by the Jesuits by the 18th century and renovated by the Franciscans in the late 19th century. For more information, on how to get to Capul Island, read Capul Island's lighthouse and old fortress church.



Visiting the rest of the churches is very straightforward. Most of the churches only have their exteriors relatively intact. You can begin at the Bobon Church (dedicated to the Sto. Nino) and then proceed to the Catarman Cathedral. Nothing much is left of the original church except the main retablo.



Next on the list is the Pambujan Church. In the next town is the Catubig Church which probably has the most interesting facade and exterior among all Northern Samar churches. The last stop should be the Laoang Church. But since we visited Pinipisakan Falls in Las Navas, the sun had already set before we made that ferry crossing from Rawis to Laoang.

Northern Samar: Capul Island's lighthouse and old fortress church

Capul Island in Northern Samar is most known for its lighthouse and old church. There are daily pump boat services from Allen. There is usually one trip early in the morning and another early in the afternoon. The boat ride is a little over an hour.

Unless you’re hiring your own boat, you definitely have to stay overnight in Capul Island. A trip to Capul is definitely not for those who are not adventurous. There aren’t that many places to stay in Capul. In fact, we went on homestay while we were there. You can easily ask the habal-habal driver to take you to one.


Before proceeding to the lighthouse, we checked out the town’s fortress church. The walls that comprise the fort are still intact, a stark reminder of how pirate attacks were a major consideration and problem during the Spanish colonial period.

The Capul Church is dedicated to San Ignacio de Loyola. It was built by the Jesuits by the 18th century and renovated by the Franciscans in the late 19th century. The fortified church is in good condition but the interior and convent were renovated after damage by typhoons.


The Capul Lighthouse is several kilometers on the northern tip of the island. Again, we had to hire a habal-habal to get us there.

Sadly, the Faro de Isla Capul is very rundown and badly in need of attention. But the view from the cliff where it stands is so picturesque, with strong waves crashing on large coral rocks down below. It’s actually perfect for a picnic.

There aren't that many places to eat dinner, just one or two carinderias. And make sure you eat early since the food supply does not last long. Remember also that by 12 midnight, electricity is shut down. So make you charge your phones before midnight.

Part 1: Busay, Veriato, Pinipisakan and more waterfalls from Northern Samar