The town known today as Buhi began as a small settlement by refugees fleeing the outrage of Mayon Volcano hundreds of years ago.

These people founded a permanent settlement in an area close to the lake and flourished as time passed.

The general exodus of people fleeing and being able to escape grave calamities such as Mayon's eruption was known in local vernacular as "naka-buhi".

On December 28, 1995, 13 people of Sitio Bogtong, Barangay Gabas were killed, three of whom were beheaded, by four gunmen inside a house, with survivors numbering at least seven.

[5][6] The massacre arose due to disputes over a 24-hectare farm land previously owned by the assassinated Cristito Nieva Jr. and his wife Ester; two of the victims, Estelito Campo and Alex Gaite, were petitioners in an agrarian case that had the Nieva couple as respondents.

[7][6] A witness pointed to brothers Toto and Rogelio "Crisboy" Clyde and two of their relatives as being the perpetrators of the crime.

It is bound on the east by Mount Malinao, on the west by Mount Asog and Iriga City, on the north by Sagñay-Buhi mountain ranges and on the south by the low-lying ranges of Polangui, Albay, with the following coordinates: 13 degrees 25’ 32.4" north latitude and 123 degrees 30’ 49.1" east longitude.

The Poblacion located on the south shore of Lake Buhi, has gently rolling topography.

Itbog Falls located in Barangay Santa Cruz, on the south-eastern side of Lake Buhi, is a 60 feet (18 m) twin waterfalls.

Higher slopes east and north of Lake Buhi are predominantly forests and secondary brushland.

8 out of 10 persons are Roman Catholics; Iglesia ni Cristo makes up about 2% of the total population which is the largest minority religion in the municipality.