“Aside from housing the miraculous patron Saint of Albay, Tiwi also offers a
sanctuary to beach lovers”
Tiwi is a famous destination for housing the patroness of Albay, nestled in the peaceful barangay of Joroan, the image of Nuestra Señora de Salvacion (Our Lady of Salvation) is been visited by pilgrims and devotees for century now. The miraculous image has been the center of Marian devotion in the province and is been said to be the protector of Joroan from the Moros and invaders long time ago.
I’ve visited Tiwi for several times, but the first time that I’ve meet Nuestra Señora de Salvacion was during my birthday which happens to be its long-month celebration in the month of August. I have already created a blog post regarding the story of how and why there were two churches in Tiwi and also how the image become the patroness of Albay and its miraculous testimonies. (Joroan Church (Nuestra Señora de Salvación))
From the town proper of Tiwi, you need to ride a tricycle going to Joroan to reach the pilgrim site. On our way to the church the magnificent view of Lagonoy Gulf will amaze you at the top of the mountain, the curves on the road were sharp so if you are going on a private transportation just be extra careful while driving.
Before you reach barangay Joroan, you will pass by barangay Lourdes and the Lourdes Beach Resort which was accessible just along the highway, there was no entrance fee in the resort but you need to pay the for the cottage rent, in our case since we are in number, we rented for the bigger cottage which has cost us 500.00 pesos.
From the town proper of Tiwi, you need to ride a tricycle going to Joroan to reach the pilgrim site. On our way to the church the magnificent view of Lagonoy Gulf will amaze you at the top of the mountain, the curves on the road were sharp so if you are going on a private transportation just be extra careful while driving.
Before you reach barangay Joroan, you will pass by barangay Lourdes and the Lourdes Beach Resort which was accessible just along the highway, there was no entrance fee in the resort but you need to pay the for the cottage rent, in our case since we are in number, we rented for the bigger cottage which has cost us 500.00 pesos.
The long-stretch beach is a mixture of black and brownish sand but the water is so clear and cool that it was so cold the mere fact that I take a dip in a noontime, the waves were also big and strong and there were deeper part of the sea just near the coast. As I also observed the beach resort and the area was virgin as I’ve seen nothing but nipa hut cottages and a simple lodging rooms for those who wanted to stay by the beach overnight. There were shower rooms and changing rooms not far from the cottages and there was also a karaoke for rent for those who wanted to sing. As I’ve also observed, you need to secure yourself with food and drinks especially when you are planning to stay overnight as there were no store nearby.
One thing that also surprise me is that there was a Bantay Dagat/CoastGuard that patrols I think every hour or two to remind everyone about the danger of going further by the coast because the water to too deep in the middle. Lourdes beach is a perfect destination after visiting Joroan Church, the serenity of the resort just give you peace of mind after being blessed by the blessed virgin.