A national motorcycle dealer is now offering bicycle rental for tourists, with a local travel agency offering bikepacking tour packages starting this September 2026, as cyclo tourism in Catanduanes was officially kicked off with the recent “Isla Bisikleta” event.
In an interview with the Tribune, the Virac branch of Starbike Corporation disclosed that it is now offering bicycle rental packages through direct booking or through travel agencies to foreign tourists and local tourists from outside the province.
The package covers the use of a bicycle and safety helmet at P500 per day, with the use of a string bag and a cycling bottle with drinking water to cost an additional P300 per user.
For direct bookings, Starbike will be promoting a bicycle tour package, either half-day or whole day, covering a tour guide and meals for an additional P1,000 to P1,500.
However, the mountain bikes or cross-country bicycles to be provided shall be used only on roads, off-roads, and gravel paths for leisure and recreational purposes only.
The Virac store will be open during office hours from Monday to Saturday, with the bikes to be returned on or before the 5 PM cut-off time.
During Sundays when the store is closed, the bikes can be returned but only on prior coordination with the management.
Meanwhile, Island Escapes Travel & Tours is set to launch its Cyclo Tour Package this September, with the two-day package to cost somewhere between P7,000 to P10,000 each.
According to the brochure provided by the company, the tour will start with the tourists beginning with the West Loop that takes them through Museo de Catanduanes, Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Twin Rock Beach Resort and Tampad Beach in Talisoy.
Day 2 on the East Loop provides the tourist bikers with a tougher, 31-kilometer ride-and-trek to Binurong Point in Baras, Puraran Beach, St. John the Baptist church in Bato, and Maribina Falls.
The cost will include the hotel accommodation, accident insurance, photo coverage, meals, tour guide, entrance fees, environmental fees, local guide fee, and the bike to be used.
Last July 18-20, 2026, the “Isla Bisikleta: Happy Island Bikepacking Adventure” successfully promoted the island province as an emerging destination in Philippine cyclo tourism.
The event brought together cyclists, tourism stakeholders, municipal local government units, and partner agencies in showcasing the Happy Island as a destination for sustainable, community-based, and adventure tourism.
Over the course of the two-day bikepacking adventure, participants explored the municipalities of Bato, Baras and Virac, experiencing Catanduanes’ breathtaking landscapes and demonstrating how cycling can become a meaningful way to discover destinations while promoting environmental stewardship, healthy living, and responsible travel.
The activity was organized by the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) through TPB Domestic Promotions acting head Cesar R. Villanueva who is also director of the Philippine Cyclo Tourism Program, in partnership with the Department of Tourism through DOT V Regional Director Herbie B. Aguas, and the Provincial Government of Catanduanes, under the leadership of Governor Patrick Alain T. Azanza, through the Provincial Tourism Office headed by Provincial Tourism Officer Carmel Bonifacio-Garcia.
Among the participants were Benedict Camara, president of the National Bicycle Organization Philippines; Nicol Brian Lee, chief executive officer of Starbike and Maru Bicycles; and cyclists coming from the Catanduanes Bikepackers Adventure, Cycledelics, CatPPO CARA Bikers, Ride Chill Catanduanes, Team Padyakoleros, Team Breakaway Catanduanes, Catanduanes Fixed Gear, Chillax, Chill Bikers Club, Bato Bikers Club, Baras Crew Eexpress, Tibang Bikers, Bicolanong Siklista, Lantuag Project, Kalasa Cycling, Bike Packing Philippines, Kankaloo Bikers, Catanduanes Mountain Bikers Club, Team Shot Puno, and Team U.R.I.C.
TPB’s Villanueva said the package tour, which was launched this year in Marinduque as a platform for promoting domestic tourism, can be infused later with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities like coastal clean-up, painting, and tree planting.
RD Aguas recalled that Catanduanes was the first to host an event when the Philippine Motorcycle Tourism was launched in the Bicol region and is now the first in the region to do so for cyclo tourism.
On the other hand, Camara disclosed that while most of the visiting cyclists in Marinduque are doing it on their own, they have hired local cyclists to be their guides.
With the province now officially part of the Philippine Cyclo Tourism Program, the Provincial Tourism Office said the milestone creates greater opportunities to build lasting partnerships with cycling communities, tourism stakeholders, and DOT-accredited tour operators in developing immersive cycling experiences and tour packages for the Happy Island.
“More importantly, it serves as a springboard for positioning Catanduanes as a premier cyclotourism destination—welcoming cyclists from across the Philippines and around the world while creating sustainable tourism opportunities that benefit local communities for years to come,” it said.