Biri Rock Formations

Wave Cut Rock Formations Where The Pacific Meets The San Bernardino Strait Walkable Only At Low Tide, And Almost Nobody Goes · Biri, Northern Samar

BIRI IS A SMALL ISLAND AT THE NORTHERN TIP OF SAMAR WHERE THE PACIFIC MEETS THE SAN BERNARDINO STRAIT, AND THE SEA HAS CUT THE SANDSTONE INTO FORMATIONS THAT LOOK ARCHITECTURAL - flat-topped, layered, sheared off in slabs and terraces, with tidal pools held in the rock and Pacific swell breaking white against the seaward faces. THERE ARE SIX NAMED FORMATIONS - MAGASANG, MAGSAPAD, TANIKAN, PUHUNAN, BEL-AT AND CARANAS - and YOU CAN ONLY WALK OUT TO THEM AT LOW TIDE. At high water the connecting flats are under the sea and the trip does not happen. ALMOST NOBODY GOES, WHICH IS THE WHOLE POINT: this is a ferry from Lavezares, a habal-habal across the island and a walk over rock, and it is one of the emptiest remarkable places in the country. THE STRAIT HERE HAS SERIOUS CURRENTS. Swim in the tidal pools rather than the open sea, aim for a late afternoon low tide when the light on the layered rock is extraordinary, and leave well before the water turns.

Biri Island, Northern Samar, Biri, Northern Samar, Philippines

BIRI IS REACHED BY BOAT FROM LAVEZARES IN NORTHERN SAMAR, roughly an hour, with CALBAYOG or ALLEN the nearest transport hubs and a long road journey from Tacloban or a ferry from Matnog in Sorsogon. THERE IS NO GATE; a SMALL COMMUNITY FEE is collected and local guides take visitors out. THE FORMATIONS ARE ONLY REACHABLE AT LOW TIDE - CHECK THE TIDE TABLE BEFORE PLANNING THE DAY, because at high water the connecting flats are underwater and there is simply no way across. HABAL-HABAL MOTORCYCLES COVER THE ISLAND. SWIMMING IS IN THE TIDAL POOLS, NOT THE OPEN SEA - the San Bernardino Strait has serious currents and the Pacific side takes heavy swell. ACCOMMODATION IS SIMPLE HOMESTAYS AND SMALL GUESTHOUSES. Crossings are cancelled in rough weather.

Biri Rock Formations on Spottos · Explore more places on Spottos