Backpacking Calaguas 2015

Calaguas. I have been hearing a lot of positive experiences from here so it’s been a while that my wandering feet have been itching to explore this place. And so it happened. ^_^

We departed Manila at about 7:30 PM on board a Superlines A/C bus bound for Paracale. We arrived shorty before 5 in the morning. Even though it was dark outside, the atmosphere was pumped up because of the enthusiasm of fellow tourists that filled up more than half the bus.

Kagawad Jong Jesus was our kind contact who facilitated our trip to Calaguas. He owns the fishing boat that took us to and from the island. They also manage a fish stall in the market, so we sure did acquire the fresh catch of the day. He and his wife was also kind enough to assist us in buying supplies in the market, and even lend their home for us to freshen up before our trip back to Manila. Thank you Sir!

We departed for Tinaga Island from Paracale at about 7:00 AM. A bumpy 2-hour boat ride followed. After a lot of “Are-we-there-yet?” moments, we finally laid our eyes on the beauty that was Calaguas.

By the time that we arrived, there was still not many people on the island. We got to have the island almost only to ourselves, for an hour, I think. 🙂

After setting up camp, off we went to hike the north side of the island. Facing the beach, you’ll notice a narrow foot path on the right end of the island. The caretakers charged us 25 pesos each to enter the trail. It was a short hike up a gentle slope, and to call the view at the top of the hill beautiful is an understatement.

The trail continues a couple of meters up the top of another hill, where you will be rewarded with a viewpoint of the nearby island of Balabag,

We returned to camp at around 11 AM and started preparing for lunch. Kgd, Jong also provided our cooking tools. How cool is that. He lent us a kaldero that can feed a whole barangay. Hahaha. It was only filled to a quarter with our rice, so we still can’t believe that it cooked well. After wrestling with pork belly, bangus and hotdogs, we were finally ready to eat!

Our (not burnt) humble lunch.

After lunch, we explored the hidden beach beyond the rocks on the north end of the island, beside the trail leading up the hill that we visited earlier. After a handful of challenging rocky climbs, another fabulous stretch of beach came to sight.

The shore here was composed of coarser sand than that on the shores of Mahabang Buhangin. Comparative picture below:

Hidden Beach vs Mahabang Buhangin.

Next came a spectacular show. Mahabang Buhangin faced the West so we were rewarded with an awesome sunset.  A few more photo ops, til we had our yet again humble dinner.

We laid out in the shore for a couple of minutes before going to bed the tent. Stars were very visible, thanks to the absence of illuminating city lights. I could have taken a picture, if my camera had decent accessories for night shooting I had the skills.

Having the gentle waves kissing the shore as our background music, we kinda dozed off right then and there. I did not mind the uneven ground on my back as I laid on the sand. Aside from a ridiculous small group of tourists who brought a mobile bar with them, it was all so soothing and calming.

The next day was an additional excuse for more photo sessions. Haha. Other tourists left the island early. But not us. We swam and enjoyed the beach to our heart’s content. The water was cool and sooo clear. But yeah, even the good times must come to an end. 😦

Leaving Calaguas was done with a heavy heart. But to say that the experience was awesome will be an understatement. I promise to visit again, before the wave of commercialism gets ahold of this treasure.

Our Calaguas DIY Itinerary

With this trip, I ticked yet another province on my list! See my progress here.

Over and out!