Zambales: Camara and Capones Islands

To Zambales we go! Arrived at Victory Liner Pasay on time for the midnight bus to Iba but a little too late to buy a ticket (bus was full by 11PM). Nothing else to do but wait for the bus for Olongapo that leaves at 2AM. Distance: 128 km. Cost: Php 223. Travel time: 3 hours. At Olongapo, we had to catch another bus bound for Iba to get to our final destination of San Antonio. Distance: 34 km. Cost: Php 44. Travel time: 40 mins.

No queue? That's because they will only sell tickets 30 minutes before the scheduled departure

Geography for dummies: Zambales province is on the western shores of Luzon bordered by the South China sea and the provinces of Pangasinan, Tarlac, Pampanga, and Bataan.

The bus driver let us off at the waiting shed by the San Antonio town hall where we dumped our bags and half the team headed off to the market behind the town hall to buy supplies to feed our nine-man group for three days.

Three days where? Three days around the islands and coves of Zambales. Initial plan was to just hire a boat to take us to the islands and coves and bring our own tents and other camping gear (nope, no resorts here!). For nine people, we only had two small cooksets and two burners...imagine how long nine hungry people would have to wait for all the food to be ready. And then there was the problem of the butane. How will we get our hands on cans of butane when we will be arriving in Manila from Cebu at 1030PM? Thanks to Baktin, who is now based in Manila, he met us at the bus station in Pasay bearing two cans of butane! And no thanks to our two cans of butane, who chose to go on a date to we don't know where, it disappeared as we got off the bus at San Antonio! (We checked under the seats of the bus and couldn't find it. Sorry Baktin, we lost your precious cans!) After finding out our butane cans had disappeared, bags of charcoal were added to the list of supplies to be bought.

Butane missing. Small cooksets and charcoal. What is there to do? Alan Arlantico [0939 939 8456 or 0922 375 3555], the guy we had contacted two days before this trip, had agreed to take the group at such short notice. He has tour packages to the coves, but we made a request for 3 days/2 nights and was given the price of Php1250 per head, which already includes transfers to and from Pundaquit (the jump off point), boat ride to the specified destinations (Camara Island, Capones Island, Nagsasa Cove, and Anawangin Cove), tents, water, cooler and ice, wood for bonfires, and guide for Nagsasa falls. Alan was kind enough to lend us so many things from his kitchen --- a cooking pot, a skillet (which solves the problem of waiting for food to be ready if we had cooked with just two cooksets), a kettle, some plates, a cooking spoon, knives and utensils.

After shopping for our three day supply, we grabbed

some breakfast at a carenderia (eatery) by the market

 

Supplies secured. Breakfast devoured. Three tricycles (c/o Alan) took us to Pundaquit beach where we got into an outrigger that could carry 15 people. Bags waterproofed (just stuffed into trash bags really), lifevests donned, we were off to check out the islands.

Pundaquit Beach

Most of the pumpboats can carry only 5 people including the boatman (above left).

It was a relief we had a bigger boat (above right) for the sea can get quite rough.

Find them on facebook!

Capones (left) and Camara (center and right) islands in the distance

First, the nearest island: Camara

Two big hunks of rock separated by a sandbar. The shore facing Capones is quite rocky (below left photo, the distant island on the upper right is Capones). To do: Dare to go around Camara's big hunk o' rock (below right photo). Show off your rock climbing skills. Brave the waves. But please do so with care.

And on to Capones Island at noon.

Because the tide was low, we had to dock on the east side of the island --- wayyyyy too far from Faro de Punta Capones (lighthouse). One out of nine got to the lighthouse. Three out of nine got lost trying to find the one who reached the lighthouse. Five out of nine decided to just hang out on the east side where the sand was soft and the water inviting.

East side of Capones island

One of the three who got lost

Photo credit: Mike Libby

Faro de Punta Capones

Photo credit: Bee Chavez

After checking out the islands, we were off to Nagsasa Cove where we will be camping for the night.

Spotted Talisayin Cove on the way to Nagsasa

Misadventures teach you to:
- Secure your butane (and all your other things too)
- Eat enough so if you don't stick to a schedule, you won't go hungry (nine stomachs were grumbling when we  left Capones. It was after 2PM and we haven't had lunch yet.)
- Drink and bring plenty of water especially if you decide to hunt for the lighthouse (it's an hour hike under the blazing sun)
- Get a guide (there are no directional signs) or go in a group (so if you get lost, you are not alone, hehehe)


How Zambales bore a hole thru Mustachio's pocket:
If you're too lazy to add up all the expenses I have mentioned, you'd have to wait for the end of this series for the entire list :-)


Zambales series:
Camara and Capones Islands (you're here!)
Nagsasa Cove
Anawangin Cove