Picturesque Potipot

Tucked away in Uacon, Candelaria, Zambales is the funny-sounding but picturesque little island called Potipot. Just a five minute banca ride from Candelaria (P400 to P600 for 6 people) will bring you to white sandy shores and calm, aquamarine waters.

The island’s caretaker will be the first to greet you and collect P50 per person for the island’s maintenance. It looks like the place is regularly swept clean and the waters are free from floating plastic and other trash so your 50 bucks are well worth it. And for P500 more you can rent a hut for a whole day. Not that you need one anyway because the island has a number of trees that you can hide under when the sun is at its zenith. And for the most part you’ll be enjoying the water and not even notice the sun.

The island is tiny. In 15 minutes or less you can explore the island in its entirety. It is bounded by white sand with a slightly orangey-peachy tint. Right smack in the center of Potipot is a quaint tree house. It’s the tree house every kid dreams of, sitting on the tallest tree in the island and hovering above the small huts. After exploring the island, the calm, aquamarine waters beckon. The water is so clear and clean you can take really nice underwater pictures and when you go snorkeling you can see fishes just a few feet from the shore.
The island is not such a secret anymore with a number of day-trippers and campers enjoying the laidback and pristine vista. But it is far from being crowded. Zambales is still not a popular vacation spot like Puerto Galera or Laiya in Batangas, and that’s what makes it so appealing for those who want a quiet beach getaway. I mean, how could you not be lured by something this beautiful?

Dazzling Zambales: Anawangin, Capones and Pundaquit

I needed a vacation, and luckily, a friend mentioned a convenient get-away destination for the weekend—Anawangin Cove in Zambales. To get to Anawangin Cove, one has to ride a boat from Brgy. Pundaquit in San Antonio, Zambales. Armed only with a road map, my travel companion and I left Manila at 3:30 a.m. and arrived in San Antonio by 7 a.m. Just 3.5 hours travel time. Not bad considering we made several stops to eat and gas up.

Upon arrival we checked out different resorts in Pundaquit. One resort called Wild Rose Inn caught my eye. Its red watchtower and white picket fence made it very picturesque. The owner, Tita Tess, was at the entrance of the inn warmly welcoming her guests. Their airconditioned rooms with toilet and bath are clean and comfortable. And for less than P1,500 per night, it’s a good deal. Chatting with the owner, I learned that Tita Tess was based in Canada and the Wild Rose Inn started as a private vacation house for her family. About a year and a half ago they decided to open their doors to vacationers.

We were supposed to go island hopping by noon but since it started raining and the sea was too rough for a boat ride, we searched for a good place to have lunch instead. Sadly, there were hardly any eateries to choose from. The locals recommended Nora’s so we tried it. We ordered sinigang na lapu-lapu and rice. The serving was good for two and quite tasty. The sinigang had a kick to it minus the “lansa” or fishiness. Total bill for lunch was around P350. The food in Pundaquit is quite expensive considering it’s a province, so if you want to lessen your expenses, do bring baon.

For the rest of the afternoon we just walked along Pundaquit beach, watched the surfers ride the waves (Note to self: Learn to surf) and went to the waterfalls.

The next morning there was a light drizzle but it was manageable. Our boatman, Mang Caloy, agreed to take us to Anawangin and Capones Island for P1,200. The 20-30 minute-boat ride to Anawangin was really scary. Waves were crashing on our small bangka from all directions. I was gripping my seat and praying the whole time that our boat would not topple over. But the view was spectacular. The waters became relatively calmer when we were at the mouth of the cove, and all my fears disappeared as we got closer.

Anawangin is a breathtaking place. On one side is the great roaring sea, on the other is the calm river, and all around are pine-like trees and white sand. One option for budget travelers or adventurers is to camp in the white sand beach. There’s a toilet and a hut where the caretaker of the cove lives. The sea was rough the day we went there, more suitable for surfing than swimming. The river was calm and crystal clear, however, perfect for a cooling dip. I have been told that one can also trek to Anawangin from Pundaquit proper and that the view from the top is amazing. Would love to try trekking next time.












Next stop: Capones Island. It will take a 15-minute boat ride from Anawangin to Capones. We passed by one side of the island where people were swimming in calm, crystal blue waters. But that was not my agenda in Capones. What I really wanted to see was the old lighthouse that was built during the Spanish colonization period. Our boatman dropped us off at a rocky part of the island and we started our climb from there. The trail was slippery and rocky with lush vegetation surrounding and shielding you from the sun. I learned the hard way that you should wear appropriate footwear for the trek up. What could have been a 15- or 20-minute climb became 30 minutes because my slippers kept sliding from my feet. By the time we reached the gate to the lighthouse, my feet were bleeding from scratches from branches and rocks. Still, the view that greeted me at the top was well worth the effort. It was pretty amazing. =)