Visayas

Visayas,Philippines- A Quick Guide

The Visayas or Bisayas are an archipelago of islands that, together with Luzon and Mindanao, make up the great archipelago of the Philippine Islands. The inhabitants of the Visayas are called Bisayos and their population is over 17 million.

It is composed of several islands in the central part of the Philippines, which mainly surround the Visayas Sea, although the Visayas are considered the northeastern tip of the entire Sulu Sea.

The main islands of the Visayas include Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, and Samar. Although culturally they may also include Masbate, Romblon, and Palawan because their inhabitants are also considered Bisayo, and their languages are more closely related to other Visayan languages than to the main languages of Luzon.

There are three administrative regions in the Visayas: Western Visayas (7.1 million inhabitants), Central Visayas (6.8 million), and Eastern Visayas (4.1 million). The Negros Island Region existed from 2015 to 2017, separating the Western Negros and its capital Bacolod from the Western Visayas and the Eastern Negros from the Central Visayas. The region has since been dissolved.

Despite being included politically by Manila in Luzon, Masbate Province, and the Mimaropa region, which includes Palawan, Eastern Mindoro, Western Mindoro, Romblon, and Marinduque, are part of the Visayas geographically.

The term Visayas was derived from the name of the 7th century Thalassocratic Empire of Srivijaya in Sumatra. In Sanskrit, Sri means "lucky", "prosperous" or "happy" and vijaya means "victorious" or "excellent". The Visayas and Sulu archipelagos were once Hindu Buddhist states or tributaries of the empire.

Where is the Visayas?

The largest islands of the Visayas from west to east are Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, and Samar. Administratively, the Visayas is divided into 3 regions: Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and Eastern Visayas. In addition, the Visayas is composed of 16 provinces.

Western Visayas

The islands of Panay and the western half of the island of Negros form the Western Visayas. Its provinces are Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental.

Central Visayas

The islands of Cebu and Bohol and the eastern half of Negros make up the Central Visayas. Its provinces are Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor.

Eastern Visayas

The islands of Leyte and Sámar form the Eastern Visayas. Their provinces are Biliran, Leyte, Leyte del Sur, Sámar, Sámar Oriental and Sámar del Norte.

Visayas Top Tourist Destinations

Bohol

Bohol, a circular island next to Cebu, has a prominent attraction. Northeast of the capital, Tagbilaran, a series of small hills, formed by limestone, slate, and sandstone, in an area covered by the ocean, rises 30 meters above the flat ground to form a unique and highly photographed image. They are called the Chocolate Hills, because in summer when their scarce grass dries, it turns brown like chocolate. Two of the highest hills offer a hostel, restaurant, swimming pool, and a panoramic viewpoint.

The Alona Beach of Bohol is a very nice and quiet beach for diving. Moalboal, on the island of Cebu and the small island Apo de Negros sees more diving traffic.

Learn More

Boracay Island & Aklan

Cebu

Siquijor

Christmas in the Philippines - How Filipinos Celebrate the Yuletide Season

A Little Bit of History

The first inhabitants of the Visayas

The first inhabitants of the Visayas were the Austronesian and Ati people who migrated to the archipelago about 6,000 to 30,000 years ago.

During the 12th century, the Visayans carried out a series of raids along the coasts of southern China. They were said to have a fearsome reputation, and the mention of their names would cause many to flee in horror and terror.

There is evidence of trade between the Visayans and other Asian peoples. It is believed that the Vizays maintained close diplomatic relations with the kingdoms of Malaysia and Indonesia, as the people of Cebu were able to converse with Henry of Malacca through the use of the Malay language, when the Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan arrived in 1521.

Magellan's Expedition

Tourism in Visayas: Key Information

1. How to Travel to Visayas?

The main air hub of the region is the Mactan-Cebu International Airport. It has domestic flights to most airports in the Philippines, international flights to many in the Asia Pacific region, and some to other locations.

Air Asia and Philippine Airlines fly from Manila to the major cities in the Visayas: Cebu, Tagbilaran, Tacloban, Kalibo, Iloilo, Bacolod, and Dumaguete.

There are flights and ferries from the largest cities in the Philippines to most of the major cities in the Visayas. The main transportation centers are in Metro Cebu, Mactan-Cebu International Airport for flights, and the port in Cebu City for ferries.

Mactan-Cebu Airport also has connections to many Asian cities and some beyond. The airports of Iloilo and Kalibo also have some international flights.

Sumilon Island, Cebu

Boracay Island

Whale Sharks in Oslob

Kawasan Waterfalls

Birds View of Cebu City

The Mystic Island of Siquijor