lighthouse

San Antonio, Zambales: Island-Hopping with Capones Vista Beach Resort

Posted on May 2, 2015

Capones Beach Vista Resort in Barangay Pundaquit in San Antonio, Zambales provides a convenient jumping-off point to Capones and Camara islands offshore. These islands were one of the first destinations in the Philippines when I started traveling a lot in 2008 (check out my blog entry from seven years ago). In spite of its popularity, it was good to see the islands retain its rustic atmosphere through the years, and not succumb to tourism overdevelopment that has befallen other tourist spotsRead More→

Bangui & Burgos: Coastal Wonders

Posted on June 25, 2011

The giant windmills of Bangui Known for their impressive coastal tourist spots, the neighboring municipalities of Bangui and Burgos were my next stops after Pagudpud. First up: Bangui Windmills. To my surprise, these much-photographed structures were far larger than I imagined! Out of place amidst bucolic surroundings, the white sentinels – all 19 of them in a single row – loomed 23 stories high above a sandy beach and verdant pastures along Ilocos Norte’s northern end. Since their inauguration inRead More→

Bolinao: A Perfect Beach Weekend

Posted on March 22, 2011

Golden sands of Patar Beach Maybe it was last Saturday’s supermoon – a full moon that coincides with the closest approach to Earth. The cosmos seemed to conspire to make our excursion to Patar Beach, Bolinao in northern Pangasinan the best weekend getaway by far. All the elements seemed to perfectly fall in place: cloudless skies, long stretches of golden sand, cool waters, golden sunsets, good food, cheery locals and crazy, crazy company. Unlike Puerto Galera, Bolinao makes for aRead More→

Capones Island (San Antonio, Zambales)

Posted on May 10, 2008

A behemoth of volcanic rock jutting from sea to sky, the bone-shaped Capones Island is accentuated by a dramatically weather-beaten Spanish lighthouse, Faro de Punta Capones, completed in 1890 after seven years of arduous construction. The original light and equipment were imported from France. The beautiful structure, sitting above the island’s crown of wild grass and low-lying trees, served to warn passing boats of the dangerous, rocky coastline. The island (as seen from Camara Islands in the first photo) is located sixRead More→