Puraran Beach

Puraran is a short cream-coloured bay on the Pacific side of Catanduanes with a reef break offshore that surfers call Majestic - a right-hander that can barrel hard when the swell arrives, which is what draws a small international crowd here every season. Outside the swell months it is simply a pretty, empty beach: clear water, coconut palms, a couple of low-key surf camps with rooms and food, and a fishing barangay going about its business. There is no strip, no nightlife and very little to do besides swim, watch the sets and eat, which is precisely the appeal for people who have found Siargao too busy. The break is powerful and shallow over reef, so it is not a learners' wave when it is working; the camps teach on the smaller inside sections and on calmer days.

What you actually see

• The Majestic break - the reef right-hander offshore.
• The bay - cream sand between headlands.
• The surf camps - a handful of simple places to stay.
• The fishing village - boats and daily life alongside.

When to go

August to October for the main swell; March to June for calm water and swimming. Typhoon season overlaps the surf season - Catanduanes is directly exposed.

Honest expectations

The wave breaks over shallow reef and is not beginner terrain when it is on. Accommodation and food are basic, power can be intermittent, and there are no ATMs at the beach.

Nearby

Binurong Point is about half an hour up the coast; Virac has the airport and the island's services.