ANAWANGIN BEACH COVE




Photo by Sylvia N'guessen

If you fancy a nice quiet beach near Manila, let me suggest an interesting beach cove where young urbanites usually go pitch camp for the weekend. It is called ANAWANGIN. A day trip to the island is also possible except that you will have to leave really early in the morning and expect to arrive really late at night.


Anawangin Beach is located in Zambales, a place never known for white sandy beaches until Mt.Pinatubo exploded in 1990. After the volcanic eruption, volcanic ashes settled on the coast of Anawangin, transforming the coast into white sand. It is creation at work by no other than Great Creator Himself which makes Anawangin such a modern-day nature miracle.


Anawangin Cove is pretty special in the sense that it's the only beach in the Philippines that has pine trees in it instead of coconut trees. The story of how the pine trees sprouted there is amazing, too.  Not many know that the birds took the seeds in their beaks and just dropped them off into the island.  In a few years, the seeds have grown into really sturdy pine trees. Seeing them, I like the serenity that they brings to the place as you can hear the birds chirping. Everything echoes at the background.

*I suggest that you go there during the weekday to avoid weekend crowd.



Photo by Sylvia N'guessen

Photo by Sylvia N'guessen

 How to get there: Take a bus heading to Iba, Zambales at Victory Liner Bus terminal in Pasay. Ticket is P275. I advise you to bring jacket because I tell you will become a Popsicle inside an air conditioned province bus. If I were you, take the 5am bus. The earlier the better. Don’t worry about not having breakfast, there are food in the terminals so don’t worry if you haven't taken any. 


It will take you 4 hours travel time. If you ever you arrive at the terminal late like we did, you may just take the bus going to Olangapo. Transfer then to another bus that would take you to Iba, Zambales. There is a bus that leaves at 10:30am.

Drop off point is San Antonio. My official boatman for Anawangin is Mang Mike +63 9283405136. Text him day before your trip. He has a tricyle that will wait for you at the bus stop of San Antonio. The entire tricycle P200 (roundtrip) to Pundaquit. From there, you will take a 30 minute boat ride to Anawangin. The entrance fee in the island is P50. Last bus to Manila passes by San Antonio is around 9:00pm. It will be wise of you to leave the island around 5pm or sunset. Take the bus with Caloocan signboard. (Don’t hop in a non air conditioned bus as it stops in Olonggapo and waits for passengers for 2 hours.) You will arrive in Manila around 11:30pm or 12am.