VISAYAS

The Visayas or the Visayan Islands are one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Luzon and Mindanao. Located in the central part of the archipelago, it consists of several islands.

Visayan Islands, also called Visayas or Bisayas, island group, central Philippines. The Visayan group consists of seven large and several hundred smaller islands clustered around the Visayan, Samar, and Camotes seas. The seven main islands are Bohol, Cebu, Leyte, Masbate, Negros, Panay and Samar. These islands and their smaller neighbors make up the central group of the Philippine archipelago.

The Sinulog-Santo Niño Festival is an annual cultural and religious festival held on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City, and on the fourth Sunday of January in Carmen, Cebu, and is the centre of the Santo Niño Catholic celebrations in the Philippines. The feast venerates the Senyor Santo Nino de Cebu. For many years, Cebu’s Sinulog has featured different activities such as the Miss Cebu beauty pageant, the fluvial procession, the solemn street procession, the film-making contests, the arts contests, among others. But most people, especially non-locals, equate Sinulog with the Grand Parade.

Ati-Atihan Festival (Kalibo, Aklan Philippines)

The Kalibo Ati-Atihan Festival is an annual religious festival that involves colorful costumes, dancing, parades, and more. It is one of the Philippines’ largest festivals and lasts for an entire week in January, although the build up is often much longer. The festival is probably more well-known for the black paint that most participants put on their bodies. The black paint that covers the whole body contrasts starkly with the colorful costumes and ornaments. The Ati-Atihan, though honoring the Santo Nino, has tribal and pagan origins. But together with the city’s Christianization, the festival has taken a new meaning.

Dinagyang Festival (Iloilo City)

The Dinagyang Festival is a famous and religious and cultural festival in Iloilo City, Philippines held on the 4th Sunday of January, or right after the Sinulog in Cebu and the Ati-Atihan Festival in Kalibo, Aklan.

MassKara Festival ( Bacolod City )

The MassKara Festival is an annual festival with highlights held every 4th Sunday of October in Bacolod, Philippines. The most recent festival was held from Oct 8–27, 2019. The festival sites include the Bacolod Public Plaza, the Lacson Tourism Strip and the Bacolod Government Center.

Pintado-Kasadyahan Festival ( Tacloban City )

Lasting a whole month, Tacloban City holds the Pintados-Kasadyahan Festival culminating on June 29. The current festival also includes the Leyte Kasadyaan Festival of Festivals, the Pagrayhak Grand Parade, and the Pintados Ritual Dance Presentation. The festival commemorates and fleshes out how the Spaniards saw the early Filipinos when they arrived in Leyte: bodies filled with tattoos and holding weapons which were previously heated in open fire. In fact, pintados is how the tattoo-covered natives were called, and that’s how the festival got its name.

Sandugo Festival (Tagbilaran Bohol)

The Sandugo Festival is a historical event that takes place yearly in the island of Bohol. Otherwise known as the Bohol Sandugo Celebration or the Blood Compact Commemoration, this festival commemorates the treaty of friendship of Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and Datu Sikatuna; two people of different race and creed. Captain General Miguel Lopez de Legaspi led the expedition that represented the King of Spain and Datu Sikatuna was a native Boholano chieftain.

BEAUTIFUL PLACES IN VISAYAS

From the fine white sand of Boracay to the mystic province of Siquijor, Visayas region will surely satisfy your wanderlust. Here are some of the must-visit Visayas tourist attractions.

Boracay is a small island in the central Philippines. It's known for its resorts and beaches. Along the west coast, White Beach is backed by palm trees, bars and restaurants. On the east coast, strong winds make Bulabog Beach a hub for water sports. Nearby, the observation deck on Mount Luho offers panoramic views over the island. Offshore, coral reefs and shipwrecks are home to diverse marine life.

Bantayan Island is an island located in the Visayan Sea, Philippines. It is situated to the west of the northern end of Cebu island, across the Tañon Strait. Bantayan Island is popular for its pristine beaches located in Cebu. But aside from being a beach destination, it also takes pride in its rich marine life and the fresh seafood they offer: danggit (dried fish).

The Chocolate Hills are a geological formation in the Bohol province of the Philippines. There are at least 1,260 hills but there may be as many as 1,776 hills spread over an area of more than 50 square kilometres. They are covered in green grass that turns brown during the dry season, hence the name.

Panglao is an island in the north Bohol Sea, located in the Central Visayas region of the Visayas island group, in the south-central Philippines. It is of historical significance in that it was the place where the Spaniards went after an unfortunate experience in Cebu. It is said that the Spanish explorers who came to this island in 1803 named it Panglao after the world 'mapanglao', meaning 'lonesome place'. It is also one of the oldest towns of Bohol.

Malapascua is a Philippine island situated in the Visayan Sea, 6.8 kilometres across a shallow strait from the northernmost tip of Cebu Island. Administratively, it is part of the peninsular barangay of Logon, Daanbantayan, Cebu. Malapascua is a small island, only about 2.5 by 1 kilometre, and has eight hamlets.

Malapascua is an island located in North Cebu, Philippines that has attracted local and foreign tourists, especially divers, because of its rich marine sanctuary. It is best known for Monad Shoal where thresher sharks can be seen regularly before sunrise.