March 2009
Zambales is well-known for its beaches, especially Subic,but not most Pinoy probably know Pundaquit. It is a small fishing village facing the South China Sea in San Antonio, Zambales.
boats used for island hopping by day and for fishing at night
Pundaquit is a famous jump off point to Camara Island, Capones Island, Anawangin Cove and Nagsasa Cove. Several beach activities are evident here: surfing, swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, island hopping and camping. So tourism, aside from fishing is one of the livelihoods of the locals here.
I’ve always wanted to visit this village since I saw the pix of my childhood neighbor in this town October 2008, with the primary intent of exploring the 3 unspoilt islands but since my sister wasn’t able to join me for the Nth time. I braved the town alone.
Pundaquit beach
Unfortunately, there’s no bus bound to Iba, Zambales at Victory Liner in Cubao. So I boarded the bus off to Olongapo. The trip took 4-5 hours. Then at Olongapo terminal, I took an ordinary bus to Iba, Zambales and asked the driver to drop me off at San Antonio.
San Antonio town hall
I walked a few meters from the town hall passing by a small store and I decided to buy snacks and soft drinks as they said, Coke is pretty expensive there. Took a tricycle to Pundaquit for Php 50 since I am alone. Not knowing where to stay, I told the driver to just bring me there,after a few minutes, I am almost at the end of the road.
the bridgethat leads to Pundaquit
People in this village speak Tagalog so you won’t have a hard time asking for directions, and once you’re there, you really won’t get lost because it’s just a small community. When I saw Pundaquit Elementary School, I know I was there. Besides, the end of the road leads to a small lake that will also lead you to the beach.
Even though Pundaquit is facing the open ocean of the China Sea, it is sheltered by the hills, mountains and its neighboring islands. But the waters of this village and its neighboring town has strong current because it leads to the ocean.
pines trees thrive along the beach of Pundaquit
I was lucky to take the photos at noon during the heat of the sun which highlighted the green and blue waters , the gray sand and the blue skies but at the end of the day, the color of the water turns dull.
I looked first for a place to stay, but all the inns are fully booked. So I walked along the beach and found small cottages lined up that costs Php 50.
I wanted to rest my back, so I asked a woman named Ate Fe, who owns one of the stores along the beach. She showed me a humble hut w/ a foam inside. Rate is Php 200 (good for 2 persons) for overnight stay, though I wasn’t staying , I wanted to rest so bad that I took it.
She happens to be a wife of a fishing man who also owns a boat. The rate is Php 800 for 1 island and Php 1500 fo 3 islands. But they have to make sure first that the weather is good and the current and the waves are safe for island hopping. The safest is Capones Island, while Anawangin, the most famous and most charming island in Pundaquit has the strongest current. But you can also trek Anawangin, takes roughly 4-5 hours though but the view is impressive.
the mountains that you need to trek to Anawangin
I ate the snacks I bought in San Antonio, I was starving because there’s no restaurant or even carinderia that sells lunch in Pundaquit. So better be prepared with packed lunch or take out foods at the food chains in Olongapo or carinderias in San Antonio before heading to Pundaquit, and there’s no water either. There are stores that sells snacks and softdrinks but the latter is pretty expensive.
Pundaquit is blessed with fine beaches and majestic surroundings but like I’ve said , one has to be extra careful as the current is strong because it leads to South China Sea. It’s a good camping base for the adventurous but I wouldn’t recommend it especially island hopping to the nearby islands to a family getaway especially if you have children. I have heard and read several stories about deaths in Pundaquit, particularly Anawangin but if you ask around or ask the bangkero, they wouldn’t confirm it, which I do understand because tourism plays an important part in their lives.
I left at 4pm the same day, meet 3 young campers who just got down from Anawangin while I was hoping to see the neighboring islands pretty soon!
***For Pundaquit Travel Guide —> click HERE
About the Blogger : Gael is a Filipina solo adventurer, a dream chaser and a student of life. Her (mis) adventures are documented in this blog. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.
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[...] back, I first read about Anawangin Cove and it’s mystical beauty. So when I went back to Pundaquit last year with my sisters, I wanted to see it. Unfortunately, the boatmen refused to take us [...]
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[...] is one of the trips that I miss the most, a weekend get-away with my sisters. After my Pundaquit trip I couldn’t contain my excitement to go back to Zambales and do the island hopping with my [...]
Your post is really helpful and the photos are amazing. I’ll keep in mind to visit your blog before going to Zambales.
Thank you for dropping by Mariel! Enjoy your travels!
Anawangin is totally superb, we (friends from way back in HS) keep on coming back to this small town of San Antonio. Trekking is quite easy, as long as it is sunny, downslope could be a bit steeper, but is still manageable (P.S. make sure your flip flops is durable, or else you’ll go barefoot, better yet wear your sandals). View from the top was really great, you can already see the cove there. And if your group is staying overnight, make sure you have your tents/lights/h20/stove(butane). There’s a caretaker in the island, selling h20, but is way too pricey. The last time, only 2 cubicles (use: call of nature) available. And we’ve heard that P50 is being collected (tourism/maintenance etc.) from guests. You may also climb the side of Anawangin to see the other cove (view is really awesome!).. To totally appreciate Pundaquit, you really need to go island hopping (see the lighthouse in Capones, the waves of Camara and its fine sand, go snorkeling and see fishes very near the shore!)
Re: Carinderias in Pundaquit
I think there are a few carinderias already lined up near the talipapa.
Enjoy your visit the next time you step foot in this small village!
hi Ces! =) thnx for all the tips. yeah, i’ve been to capones last year, a week after I visited Pundaquit. we we’rent able to visit the other islands as manong bangkero refuse na because the waves are getting bigger. I was just too lazy to write about it. and last summer I was able to do the island hopping completely to Camara andAnawangin. =)