It’s common to see locals surfing in Pundaquit. As a matter of fact, some beach resorts and locals rent out long and short boards and will be more than willing to teach you the basics for a small fee.

The best time to visit Pundaquit for your surfing adventure is the rainy and typhoon season. Low pressure areas from the open ocean build up wind. This then build up waves that drive different heights of swells that can bring even professional surfer the thrill of visiting and riding the waves of Pundaquit season after season.

Streams and waterfalls run water down from the mountains and will sometimes be a better place to hang out as the water can be cooler compared to the water from the beach. But they dry out during the hot summer and dry seasons.

Nagsasa Cove is not as popular as Anawangin Cove, but both share the beauty and pristine silence of nature away from town. Very few people have seen this place, but those very few people will share their experience and will tell you that Nagsasa Cove is worth a visit.

Nagsasa Cove may not be as homie for campers compared to the development Anawangin Cove has. There are no facilities here nor mobile phone signal as well. Make sure you are referred by a friend or by us when you hire a boatman to take you to the cove or inform your resort’s caretaker you itenirary so they are aware of where you are going and time you will be spending out of the resort.

More pictures to follow!

Capones island is another 15 to 20 minutes boatride away from Camara and offers a lot more shaded area where you can spend the rest of the day or go on a short trek up the lighthouse and enjoy the view of Zambales and the horizon facing the China Sea.

To know more about island hopping in Pundaquit:

» Read more about Camara Island
» Read more about Capones Island
» Read more about Boat Rates and Fees

First time hikers must be wary most of dehydration and heatstroke. Zambales is a relatively safe place with friendly, accommodating locals and a low crime rate; but it’s still best to keep your guard up. You should always hire a guide to accompany you as the forests of Zambales has some interesting animals like wild Carabaos, Boars, Cats, Chickens and Lizards. Your guide can help you if in case you come face to face with these animals and he will be carrying necessary gears to protect you with this uncommon encounter.

When you go out into the coves, beaches and outer islands, your cell phones will be useless. There’s also no telephone lines or electricity. Be sure to leave your itinerary (estimated time of departure and arrival) with someone reliable people, so in case you get lost, they can alert the local police as to your destination or whereabouts.

Here is a list of things you may want to bring with you:

• Water
• Snacks
• Sunscreen
• Hat/Visors
• Shades
• Flashlight
• Sweater
• First aid kit

Wear sneakers or hiking sandals instead of rubber slippers, as the former will provide the proper support your feet will need. Some parts may also be slippery and the proper footwear will give you more traction. Opt for light cotton shirts instead of heavy fabrics. For some, it’s more convenient and comfortable to wear shorts, but cargo pants or jogging pants are better suited for areas that have higher weed growth and mosquito infestation.

Here are some of the photos from those who have trekked the mountains and terrains of Pundaquit and its neighboring islands, coves and hills.

The most common camping area in Pundaquit is at the shores and behind the banks of Anawangin Cove. The place has been popular to tourists coming mainly from Manila and spending a night or two with their tents set up just a few meters from the shore. With fresh water available from a nearby poso (artesian well) and a kerosene lamp at the caretaker’s hutt, the only thing you’ll need to bring is your tent, food, water and some clothes to survive a few days and nights.

The fee for an overnight stay is P150 per head and you do not need to pay for the boatman’s fee. Caretakers will only charge visitors and tourists.

Here’s a checklist of things you might consider bringing with you to get the most out of your trip:

• Clothing (both for swimming and trekking)
• Towel (big and small)
• Tent and Blanket
• Water (Always bring extra)
• Food (This I always bring extra)
• Snacks (More of these for me)
• Mosquito repellant
• Sunscreen and sanitizer
• Sunnies and hat
• Lamp (if you will be a group)
• Flashlight and matches
• First aid kit
• Knife and compass

If you decide to go walking along the banks or go trekking along the nearby forrest and hills, make sure you do not leave your valuables (money, mobile phone, jewelries, camera) in your campsite. Bring them with you and always make sure that you are in the view of other people or the caretaker.

Anawangin’s Campsite from our contributing photographers:

Fishermen don’t need to travel that far. Yellowfin Tuna, Skipjack tuna, Wahoo and even their first class (to them it is) King Mackerels will be around less than 20miles out to sea. These predators frequent the waters and are caught by locals to be sold in the market.

Just this year (2008) I was lucky enough to try getting my feet wet around the waters in Pundaquit. I have always love fishing and it is my primary past time since I was a kid. I caught my first Yellowfin Tuna just 2 miles out of Pundaquit shores behind Camara Island. Earlier that day, I caught a King Mackerel which I gave to my boatman.

Recently, my friends from the FilipinoAngers.Org has been having luck landing a few good ones. I am quite sure they will be going back and bring their friends with them for some fishing and time off their busy lifestyle.

Pundaquit boatmen have a keen eye on their work and would surely love to have you as a client in their boats for a fishing adventure. It is advised that you buy shrimps in Olongapo’s wet market around 6AM if you plan to go bottom fishing. For trolling, I suggest you leave the shores around 4:30AM in the morning and move around the structures behind Capones Island with the hopes of hooking up with a good size Wahoo or King Mack.

For some serious fishing, going straight to the FADs will be your main goal. That is where most adult YFT, Billfish and other pelagic species love to hangout move about. So better be ready with your best gear and tackle. There won’t be any catch and release once you hook up with a big one. It’ll make you pay with every line that you have and all the tugging action that will haunt you in your dreams that’ll make you ask for more.

But we all need to know that not every fishing trip holds the promise of catching fish. There will be days when you get skunked and there will be days or should I say, mere few hours and your coolers are already full to the brim.

So good luck, tight lines and see you at the FADs.

The public market’s fresh fish comes from nearby fishing villages and are delivered as early as 6AM. Fish is cheaper here compared to Manila. Yellowfin Tuna meat can go as low as P120 per kilo (great for kilawin and sashimi) during the seasonal catch. Juvenile and other tuna species such as Skipjacks, Bonito and Yellowfin can go as low as P70 per kilo. Dorados, Snappers, Groupers, Shrimps and Squid are frequently available specially during the morning.

It’s always best to buy them fresh and either have them cooked at your resort’s kitchen (for a fee) or grilled at your cottage for lunch or dinner. Freshwater fish are also available, so is pork, beef and chicken.

The public market usually holds a seasonal weekend bazaar. You might want to buy a few pasalubong for your neighbors and friends such as mangoes or bagoong (shrimp paste).

Anawangin is the nearest cove from the town proper of Pundaquit. It also is currently the most visited and developed amongst its neighboring coves. Owned by a local family who also lives in Pundaquit, they make sure that the place is well maintained  and the shores are regularly cleaned by it’s caretakers.

It is unfortunate that structures such as cement houses or buildings can’t be built behind its shores, due to the fact that seasonal rain and monsoon softens the ground beneath it and waves brought about by the typhoons can easily reach the main campsite. Also, a stream flows from the mountains and through it’s banks during the rainy season.

Anawangin is surrounded by mountains of rocks theoretically known to be formed by ages of volcanic activities in the past. But the most surprising phenomenon which has occured in the past years were the growth of pine trees just behind the banks of the cove. The seeds were brought there by the memorable erruption Mt Pinatubo together with the ash fall.

Entrance to the developed and guarded side of Anawangin is not free. This is the left side when you are facing the cove. The owner has made a business out of it by charging visitors a fee of P50 per head for a day trip and P150 for an overnight stay. This is a small fee to ask for people who wants to stay and make use of their manual freshwater pump (poso or artesian well) and also serves as income for the caretakers.

Anawangin Cove’s from our contributing photographers:

Things to remember:

• The boatride from the Pundaquit shores to Anawangin will be around 20 to 30 minutes depending on water conditions. Always wear your life vest while you are at sea and remember to put on your sunscreen before going onboard.
• If you plan to stay longer than 4 hours in the cove, bring extra water and food with you. Swimming, taking photos and even just plain walking along the shores will build you quite an appetite.
• Campers and visitors should always never leave their trash behind. Plastic bags or wrappers that flow out to sea are mistakenly eaten by sea turtles and other marine life. Bring them back with you to your resort becuase Anawangin does not have the garbage collectors that we have in the Metro.
• Don’t be stupid. Don’t drink at night and go swimming. A few people have lost their life because they did this. The current can swell differently during night and even during the day, always make sure you know and your friends know where you are.

One of the best things to do on the island, aside from just hanging around and not being able to enjoy the beach, is go up and take a tour of the lighthouse. The lighthouse is at the back of the island when you’re facing the open sea. The steep steps up to the lighthouse is no walk in the park. So be ready and carry only what you need. If you do need to carry a lot of stuff like camera gears, make sure you put them in a sturdy bag with a strong strap and ask your guide (boatman or sometimes another local) to carry them for you.

Boat rides from Pundaquit shores to Capones Island will be about 20 to 30 minutes depending on the weather and water conditions.

Things to remember:

• Always wear a life vest during boatrides. It may not be the latest fashion but even the most experienced coastguards wear them. Nobody can predict the ocean and wearing them is one of the clear signs you’re a smart traveler and in the worst case scenario, they will save your life.
• If you don’t have waterproof bags for your gadgets, mobile phones or cameras, bring big ziplock bag or plastic bag with you. They’ll keep your stuff safe and dry. You’ll never know if when and where a big swell/wave or a rain cloud happens to be just passing by.
• The sun’s rays are magnified a thousand times when they reflect on water. Protect your skin from UV rays and sunburn with at least SPF 30 sunscreen. You can also wear a hooded shirt and a visor/hat during boatrides to protect your scalp.
• Don’t forget your shades or sunnies. They don’t just make you look good, they’ll also protect your eyes and make you feel comfortable enjoying the view of Pundaquit even if the sun is up with all its glory.
• If you can bring a magazine or some extra snack with you, the people guarding the lighthouse will surely appreciate your generosity. It is quite lonely staying up at the lighthouse with nobody else to talk to.

Capones Island Zambales photos from our contributing photographers:

The island has a great view of the open ocean. It has two sides separated by a white sandbar that becomes visible during the lowtide and disappears during the high tide. Big rocks that dwarf the tourists are plenty on this island. It won’t be long till you find yourself taking photos of them or with them and just be astonished by their size and weight.

Note: Camara Island may be near the shores of pundaquit but we always advise tourists to wear their life vests as precaution to whatever the open ocean can bring. Like what the old folks say, it’s always best to be safe than sorry.