Barcelona

Barcelona. Built-in 1874, coral reefs were used to form the church walls of Barcelona Church. The carvings on the coral reef façade make the church a priceless relic. Built simultaneously with the church across the street in

1874, this 138-year-old ruin of “La Presidencia”, as the building was then called, was the seat of the Spanish Government during the Spanish occupation in the Philippines. This office of the “Governadorcillo” was originally a two (2) storey structure built on the shoreline of the Pacific Ocean to serve as watchtower and fortress against Moro Pirates attack. There was originally an underground tunnel leading to the parish church across the street in the event of a retreat from the attacks.

Relative to this, the road from barangay Luneta to Macabari was planted with cosmos flowers on both sides of the road, when in full bloom, the flowers are a sight to behold and a sure “Instagramable” photo. They call it

“Cosmos Lane”. It’s a simple beautification project that turns out to be a great spot for a photo opportunity.

The other tourist spots being promoted are the Calayucan Beach and scuba Diving Range in Macabari, the Biyong Spring, the Mini-waterfalls in Lucot, and the caves of Lucot and Mahangot. The Local Government of Barcelona and the Provincial Government of Sorsogon are taking initiatives in improving these tourist spots in terms of infrastructure development, conservation measures and awareness to the communities in order to provide accessibility while we preserve its beauty and authenticity. For those who are religious in nature or interested in antique, there is the Chapel of the Bank Nazarene in Poblacion Norte wherein the statue was made in Spain in 1859 and brought to Barcelona in 1874 where it was enshrined.