Adventure Spot

Calicoan Island

Calicoan Island boasts of miles of white sand beaches. With powerful swells rolling in from the Pacific over the 10,000 meters Philippine Deep, Calicoan is a surfer's paradise. The season for the best waves is generally from October to March.

In the middle of the island are six lagoonsringed by forest, the largest being 30hectares in size.

At the cliffside margin of Calicoan's forestsare dozens of caves. On the northern tip of Calicoan arewetlands like the Everglades, teeming withfish, shrimp, and crabs.

The rich diversity of the area is evident when one sees the exotic species being sold. The surrounding waters support several marine based industries such as fish, seaweed, and pearl farming.

On September 1, 2007, Tim Brumlik, of the Calicoan Island Resort Development Corp. (CIRDC), announced that a $160 million 11 hectare beach resort will be constructed on Calicoan Island in January 2008 and would be finished in 2 years. Architect Douglas Ramsey said the 8-story hotel will be shaped like a pyramid. Attty. Manuel Go, owner of the land said Korean investors would construct a 500-room luxury hotel at the south beach of Calicoan Island.

Calicoan island is readily accessible by land, sea and air. Chartered flights can land in Guiuan's airport, a 5 minute drive from Calicoan. The nearby regional capital of Tacloban is only two to three hours away . Several buses and vans on regular schedules shuttle passengers to Guiuan via a scenic two-lane coastal highway which runs past mountains, steep cliffs, distant rock islands and boat-filled bays. Tacloban is regularly serviced by scheduled flights from Manila. Alternatively, several bus companies have daily trips to Guiuan from Manila. Travel time is approximately twenty-one hours. Guiuan is also 2 hours away from the provincial capital Borongan City which also has weekly flights from Manila using South East Asian Airlines.

Calicoan Island is envisioned to become the surfing capital and a top tourist destination in Eastern Visayas.

Facilities

Guiuan’s airport has a 2.8 km. runway which could service light private planes, chartered cargo and military planes. It also has a municipal and national seaport operational throughout the year. Telephone companies operating in the municipality includes TELECOM, Globelines and Bayantel. Smart and Globe cellular phone companies are also operational.

In 2004, Eastern Samar Electric Cooperative (ESAMELCO) was able to energize Guiuan, Calicoan Island up to Sulangan covering 37 out of 60 barangays. Island barangays are served with electricity through generator sets either privately-owned or operated by the barangay council.