Tacloban

Gateway city to Leyte, with the San Juanico Bridge spanning the strait, the MacArthur landing memorial, and the Sohoton Natural Bridge caves on Samar.

Tacloban sits on the northeastern tip of Leyte in the Philippines. It is the regional capital and transport hub of Eastern Visayas, facing Samar across the narrow San Juanico Strait. The city is known for two chapters of history: in October 1944, General MacArthur waded ashore at Red Beach in Palo, just south of town, launching the campaign to liberate the Philippines, and the Battle of Leyte Gulf was fought in nearby waters; in 2013, Super Typhoon Haiyan (known locally as Yolanda) devastated the city, and a cargo ship swept ashore by the storm is now a memorial. Sightseeing falls into three areas: downtown has the Santo Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum, Price Mansion, the Leyte Provincial Capitol and Santo Niño Church, all doable in half a day on foot and by tricycle; in Palo to the south are the MacArthur Landing Memorial National Park, Palo Cathedral and the Hill 522 cross; across the San Juanico Bridge on Samar, you can take a boat into the caves of Sohoton Natural Bridge National Park in Basey, or see the limestone sea stacks of Marabut. Farther afield, Lulugayan Falls in Calbiga and Leyte's inland Lake Danao and Lake Mahagnao make good day trips by hired vehicle. The climate is tropical, hot and humid year-round; March–May is the driest and best time to visit, while November–January brings heavy rain and is peak typhoon season, when boat and caving trips may be cancelled. Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport has flights to and from Manila and Cebu; around town, get about by jeepney, tricycle or hired car. For Sohoton you take a boat from Basey town, best booked in advance through the local tourism office. Plan on 2–3 days. Don't miss Leyte's signature sweets, binagol and moron (chocolate sticky-rice rolls).

Top sights

• San Juanico Bridge – The longest sea-crossing bridge in the Philippines, at about 2.16 kilometers. It connects Leyte and Samar, with small islands dotted across…
• MacArthur Landing Memorial National Park – Seven giant bronze statues stand on the Red Beach in Palo, recreating the moment in October 1944 when General MacArthur waded ashore to ful…
• Santo Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum – A lavish residence built by Imelda Marcos, with 24 guest rooms, each themed on a different region of the Philippines, filled with antiques…
• Sohoton Caves and Natural Bridge Park – A karst hideaway in Basey on Samar. Take a small boat through emerald waterways, enter the Panlaitan Cave, and look up at a natural stone b…
• MV Eva Jocelyn Yolanda Memorial – A cargo ship that was driven by the storm surge of Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in 2013 onto the Anibong residential area; it has been pr…
• Marabut Rock Formations – Limestone pinnacles and small islands rising from the sea off the south shore of Samar, where you can hop between islets by crab boat, snor…
• Leyte Provincial Capitol – A neoclassical provincial capitol completed in 1907, with reliefs above the main entrance depicting MacArthur's landing and the arrival of…
• Price Mansion – MacArthur's headquarters and residence in Tacloban during the Second World War, a white house in American colonial style.
• Santo Niño Church – The parish church of the city's patron, the Santo Niño, whose late-June feast and colorful parades make it Tacloban's biggest celebration o…
• Palo Metropolitan Cathedral – A cathedral from the Spanish colonial era in Palo, used as an Allied hospital during the Second World War, where Pope Francis celebrated Ma…
• Hill 522 (Calvary Hill) – A small hill beside the town of Palo, a key position in the Battle of Leyte during the Second World War, topped by a cross and Stations of…
• Lulugayan Falls – A wide, stepped waterfall in Carigara on Samar, known as the 'mini Niagara', where you can swim in the pool beneath it.
• Lake Danao – A guitar-shaped mountain lake at about 650 m in the central highlands of Leyte, surrounded by cloud forest, good for boating and camping.
• Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park – A dormant volcano reserve in Burauen, where the jungle hides emerald crater lakes, hot mud pools and colorful soils.

Where to eat

• Ocho Seafood and Grill – A well-known Tacloban seafood restaurant that opened in 2002. Choose your fresh seafood at the counter and have it gril…
• Giuseppe's – A long-established Italian restaurant in Tacloban, praised for its wood-fired pizza, handmade pasta and American steaks…
• Dream Cafe – An affordable café and light-meal spot on M.H. del Pilar Street in the city center. Serves Filipino and Western food an…