Sorsogon At A Glance:  

Sorsogon, a province is located in the Bicol Region, is the southernmost province in Luzon. It is subdivided into fourteen municipalities (towns) and one City. It’s capital is Sorsogon City (formerly the towns of Sorsogon and Bacon) and borders the province of Albay to the north. Sorsogon is at the tip of the Bicol Peninsula and faces the island of Samar to the southeast across the San Bernardino Strait and Ticao Island to the southwest

Where to stay

Other Amenities

Related Destinations

Popular Destinations

Bulusan

Barcelona

Sorsogon City




Matnog

Prieto Diaz

Gubat

Sta Magdalena

Pilar

Magallanes

Contacts:
Secretary
Sorsogon Provincial
Tourism Council
c/o Fernando’s Hotel
N. Pareja Street, Bitan-o,
West District, Sorsogon City, Sorsogon 4700
Tel: +63 56 211 1573;
+63 56 211 1357
E mail: chairsptc@gmail.com

Here is some quick information on Sorsogon which will be useful for travellers visiting the Province.

Towns:
Barcelona, Bulusan, Bulan, Casiguran, Castilla, Donsol, Gubat, Irosin, Juban, Matnog, Magallanes
Prieto Diaz, Pilar, Sta. Magdalena

CITY:
Sorsogon City

ACCESSIBILITY:

By Air:
Sorsogon City is 45 minutes land travel from Legazpi Airport. From Manila, Philippines Airlines, Cebu Pacific Airs and Zest Air have daily flights
to Legazpi Airport.

By Land:
Air conditioned buses travel daily from Manila to Sorsogon,  and from the South, Mindanao-Visayas to Sorsogon via Roll on roll off ports in Bulan,
Matnog and Pilar

By Sea :
Several  shipping lines have trips daily at the three ports of Sorsogon : From Cebu-Masbate-to Pilar, Sorsogon; Cebu-Leyte to Matnog and Leyte to Bulan, Sorsogon

GEOGRAPHY

Sorsogon, is bounded on the north by the province of Albay, on the east by the Philippine Sea, on the south by the San Bernardino Strait, and on the west and northwest by the Ticao and Burias Passes. It has a total land area of 2,119 km2. Except for its overland link with the province of Albay to the north, it is completely surrounded by water. Sorsogon is the gateway of Luzon to the Visayas and Mindanao through its Roll-on/Roll-off ferry terminal facilities located in the municipalities of Matnog, Pilar and Bulan.
It is characterized by an irregular topography, and, except for landlocked Irosin, all the towns lie along the coast. They are all connected by concrete and asphalt roads. Mountains sprawl over the northeast, southeast and west portions. Mt. Bulusan, the tallest peak, rises 1,560 meters above sea level.  

The entire province is one big eco-tour package. With Sorsogon City – the capital and seat of government – as jump-off point, all the eco-tour destinations within the province are easily accessible, including the singularly exciting, high adventure Whale Shark or Butanding Interaction activity off the waters of Donsol, Pilar, Castilla, Magallanes, and Bacon District of Sorsogon City; a rare nature-commune at the Mt. Bulusan Natural Park and its mystical Bulusan Mountain Lake Resort, with its exotic flora and fauna; the province’s magnificently colorful dive sites and marine sanctuaries; mysterious caves with interesting folk legends to explore; hot springs and healing mineral water spas to soak in, relax and unwind; the picturesque little islands within Sorsogon Bay and off Matnog, offering fine white, black or pink sand beaches; the historical landmarks, including old churches, ancient houses and monuments, historic ruins of baluartes, murallas, and astilleros or ancient shipyards; and local arts and crafts.
Sorsogon offers the visitor a wide variety of diversions, including SCUBA diving, snorkeling, sport fishing, swimming, boating, island-hopping, sunbathing, beachcombing, mountain climbing, biking, hiking, spelunking, or just simply touching base with nature at its pristine best. Or revel in the pageantry, celebration and merrymaking during its numerous festivals and barrio fiestas, and imbibe and experience its rich cultural heritage.
In Sorsogon, you will never run out of things to do, sights to see, places to go to, folk celebrations to join and enjoy.

HISTORY and Culture:

Sorsogon was once a part of Albay. The early towns established here were: Gibalon in 1570 (now sitio of Magallanes); Casiguran -1600; Bulusan – 1631; Pilar – 1635; Donsol – 1668; Bacon – 1764; Juban and Matnog - 1800; Bulan - 1801; Castilla – 1827; Magallanes – 1860; Sorsogon – 1866 and Irosin – 1880. The province was eventually separated from Albay on October 17, 1894 and adopted the name Sorsogon. The town of Sorsogon was also selected as its capital.[1]
Even before the coming of the Spaniards, Sorsogon was flourishing with trade between the nearby southern islands and has an existing culture as evidenced by excavated burial jars in Bato Cave in Bacon, Sorsogon City and Magallanes which are dated before the written history of the area. In 1570 two Augustinian friars, Fr. Alonzon Jimenez and Fr. Juan Orta, accompanied by a certain Capt. Enrique de Guzman, reached Hibalong, a small fishing village near the mouth of Ginangra River in Magallanes and planted the cross and erected the first chapel in Luzon. It was from this village that Ibalong, referring to the whole region of Bicol came to be.

How Sorsogon got to be Sorsogon . . .

The name Sorsogon was originally spelled “solsogon” in most old Spanish maps. Solsogon is an old Bikol word, meaning, “to trace a river going upstream”. The rootword “solsog” is Bikol for “going against the current”. It is also variously pronounced and spelled as “sogsogon” or “sosogon”, which all really mean the same thing – “to trace a river, a trail, or a pathway”.
As the old folks story goes, after establishing a settlement in Gibalong, in what is now the town of Magallanes, the Spaniards fanned out to explore the area and one group soon came upon a small river emptying itself into what is now Sorsogon Bay. Tired and lost and not knowing where they were, the Spaniards asked a native about the name of the place. Ignorant of the Iberian tongue, and fearful of the white men with the funny hats and bushy countenances, the native, thinking that the strangers were asking for directions, simply pointed at the river and said, “Solsogon”, meaning, trace the river upstream to a native village beyond. And the name stuck.
From Solsogon to Sorsogon. The people of Sorsogon invites everyone, from whichever corner of the world they are, to trace the path towards the beautiful and most hospitable Province of Sorsogon.