Anawangin Cove

Background

Anawangin Cove is a semicircular shaped cove located in the municipality of San Antonio in the province of Zambales. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Zambales during the summer season and it’s just a four hour drive from Metro Manila. Anawangin Cove is known for having a spectacular white sand beach surrounded by large and tall Agoho trees which give tourist an impressive ambiance of the province. It is bordered by Anawangin Bay and West Philippine Sea and it’s surrounded with alluring mountains of Zambales like Mt. Pundaquit.

According to its past history, Anawangin Cove was formed during the cataclysmic eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the year 1991. During that time, it throws out massive volcanic ashes in the rocky shoreline of San Antonio fishing village. As the years goes by, Agoho trees started to grow and quite unique soft white sand came out in a colorless cove which create a beautiful scenery that looks like a paradise for beach lovers. Since then San Antonio shifted to tourism not only solely on fishing alone as a source of living. For this reason, it transformed into a popular tourist destination during the summer season as travelers yearned for some time away from the hustle and bustle of city life. In addition, the place is now a good jump-off point going to several islands in Zambales such as Capones Island and Camara Island.

Presently, Anawangin is a cove with the white sand beach bordered by a number of hills not too far from the beachfront. The evergreen trees lining the great length of the beach sets Anawangin Cove and its sister coves in San Antonio apart from most beaches in the Philippines. For this reason, Anawangin Cove is the most popular cove in the province of Zambales and it’s visited by thousands of tourists every year to unwind, to chill out, have team building, to relax, to sleep and to simply enjoy mother nature. So if you haven’t been to Anawangin Cove then this is your sign to visit this wonderful beach.

Name: Anawangin Cove
Location: San Antonio, Zambales, Philippines
Features: pristine beach and impressive view of the mountains of Zambales

My trip to Anawangin Cove

Over the past few days, I wanted to go to a place I’ve never been and see the works of God’s hand and his wonderful nature created for humans to live and take good care of it. So I’ve search and browsed Facebook group about travel tours that offer fantastic day tours. Fortunately, after a few hours one of the travel and tour agencies based in Quezon City answered my demanding question about the details of going to Anawangin Cove in Zambales. She gave me the itinerary about the trip, the things that we need to bring and the total expense of the day tour. After some moments of deep thinking I finally accepted the day tour event and I immediately pack up the important things that I will need during the tour.

Fast forward, It was early Sunday when our group arrived at the fishing village of Pundaquit in the province of Zambales after nearly four hours of road trip. This is the place where tourists board a boat going to the famous islands in Zambales. From here, my eyes are fully satisfied because of the beautiful scenery which includes the beautiful blue seas and the beautiful islands of Zambales such as Capones Island and Camara Island. Even so, after a few moments we ride a motorize boat for an island hopping going to Anawangin Cove.

As we travel along the sea, I feel not bored and enjoy every minute that passes by because of the amazing rock formations and beautiful mountains. Also we see several boats heading towards Anawangin. The thrilling and dramatic boat ride lasted for thirty-six minutes and it was a great experience for all of us. To be honest, I considered it as one of the best island hopping experience.

Then the moment I’ve step on the shoreline of Anawangin Cove I said to myself that this is one of the most finest and pristine white and light gray sand beaches I’ve ever been to because of the perplexing views it offers to the visitors. It is truly a sight to behold. Moreover, the ambiance here is great and so peaceful. Without a doubt, this is the perfect place for camping. As we continue to explore, we can see a lot of beach tents and cottages lined up perfectly under the line of agoho trees and we spotted families and groups doing picnics and cooking pork chops, hotdog and grilled milkfish.

Later we decided to go hiking towards the viewdeck of Anawangin Cove to have a splendid view of the entire cove and surrounding. We paid the entrance fee going to viewdeck amounting to twenty pesos. The trail is narrow and rocky, so everytime there’s a tourist on the way down we greet them and give way as a sign of respect. Then after fourteen minutes of hiking we reach the first viewdeck and open area. The weather is clear, bright and sunny and it’s a perfect day to enjoy the moment. A few moments later our group decided to go to the second viewing deck to have a bigger and wider view of the entire cove.

At the second viewing deck of Anawangin Cove, we have a much more alluring view of the surroundings and we can see a lot of tourists swimming on the neat beach while others are playing beach volleyball. Indeed, this is the perfect spot to see the entire Anawangin Cove and the alluring blue seas and grayish white sand below. Also, from a distance we can see the imposing lofty mountains of Zambales. Beautiful nature at its finest.

Everywhere I look and turn a lovely view is there. As a result, our group take many pictures and videos as a souvenir to this spectacular place, one member of the group even flew his DJI Mavic drone camera to the bright sky to capture the astounding view from above. We stayed at the viewing deck for nearly twenty minutes.

After that we decided to go down to have a nice swim at the beach. When I took a dip I noticed that the water here is salt water and saltier than Nagsasa Cove, even so, the water here is so clear and calm and not too cold that our group enjoy the beach bumming time.

Although Anawangin Cove is smaller than its counterpart, its frequently the most visited cove because of its closeness from Pundaquit beach. Furthermore, even though there are no cellphone signal and internet at the beach we’re having fun because of the relaxing view and there’s no distractions at all and it’s more fun in Zambales. Without a doubt, I fell in love with the swimming friendly beach and scenery. This is literally a heaven on earth.

Meanwhile, in the shallow part of the beach we have short conversations about the surrounding mountains because it looks bald or denuded. One member of the group told us that the government needs to do a massive reforestation in the mountain facade to prevent flooding in the region. We agree to him and we think that it will create a more picturesque perfect view at Anawangin Cove.

Anyway, an hour later, the other group members try snorkelling at the deeper part and they feel satisfied because the beach was full of fishes and corals. On the other hand we decided to go to the main camping site located at Anawangin Lake Resort which is just beside the fresh water lake. We cross a small creek and a man-made wooden bridge that has a length of fifty meters that lead us to the main campsite on the other side.

At the campsite I noticed that it is surrounded by tall trees which makes the surrounding cool and rejuvenating. I’m more into the forest type of places and that’s what I love about this place. Also we can see camping tents and closed cottages with fan in every angle and lots of happy faces enjoying life as usual. According to one group member, some of the tourist stay for at least two to four days to appreciate the scenery. Even so, he told us that the only challenging part in camping at Anawangin Cove is there’s too much red ant. Later there were cottages for rent being offered to us but our group didn’t need one because we only came to see the peaceful place.

Then I found out that there’s no electricity in the area but this is a great place for a retreat and definitely a perfect spot for bonding moments with friends or loved ones. Then I see some dogs roaming around and I told myself that this is also a pet-friendly spot. From my point of view, I considered Anawangin Lake Resort as the most delightful vacation spot in Luzon Island.

Before 12 pm, we take our lunch at the main campsite. Our lunch meal prepared and cooked by our tour coordinator is fried tilapia, shrimps, mussels and pork sinigang which is group sharing. After our lunch, I took a nap for a little while under the shade of the tree. After that our tour coordinator told us that this is already our free time. For this reason, some group members play volleyball while others just share stories and jokes while exploring the Anawangin Lake Resort.

After that we regrouped and we started to trek to wishing mountain. The pathway is well established and have a railing on both sides which is very helpful. Hiking up all the way to the top is exhausting but it’s also a fun thing. After 200 steps we finally made it to the top of the wishing mountain and we rest for a little while at the nipa hut before we start taking pictures. While resting I saw the huge signage I love Destinare and the symbol of love lock. The view is surreal and incredible and the wind is cold and fresh. I think it offers a much better view compared to the viewing deck of Anawangin Cove.

Also, I can wish for everything I want to wish for, everything that we want to happen in our life and what we wish for should come true. We stayed at the wishing mountain for twenty-three minutes and after that we started to go down the mountain to have an afternoon snack. The prices of the food down there are quite expensive but its understandable since the goods here are imported from the other side of Zambales.

In the afternoon, we watched the beautiful sunset on the beach painted in orange and it did not disappoint us because it looks photogenic. What an amazing experience, it’s a golden hour for our group. From my point of view, this is one of the most beautiful sunset I’ve ever seen in my life.

In my opinion, Anawangin Cove is much less beautiful compared to Nagsasa Cove because it has shorter beachfront and it’s crowded and jam packed with boats coming in and out of the cove during weekends and holidays. Nevertheless, I love all the things that I saw during the day tour such as the magnificent cove, beach, sand, mountains, hills, sunset and the verdant tall agoho trees. Before we left Anawangin Cove I said to myself that I will definitely come back again together with my friends as I had a very fun-filled day.

Sample day tour itinerary to Anawangin Cove

12:15AM – Meet up at Mcdonald’s Eton Centris in Quezon Avenue
1AM – ETD going to San Antonio Public Market
5AM – At San Antonio Public Market, buy goods and essentials
7AM – Arrive at Pundaquit beach, coordinate with the boatmen to do boat transfer
8AM – Arrive at Anawangin Cove, pay the entrance fee, explore campsite or swim
10AM – Trekking towards Anawangin viewdeck
11:20AM – Back to the campsite
12PM – Lunchtime
1PM – Free time, swim again or trek towards wishing mountain
4:30PM – Pack up
5:20PM – Boat ride going back to Pundaquit
5:40PM – Arrive at Pundaquit, tidy up
7PM – Going back to Metro Manila, dinner along the way
11:55PM – Arrive at Metro Manila, homebound

Sample overnight itinerary to Anawangin Cove

Day 1
1AM – Assembly and pick up at McDonald’s Quezon Avenue
1:45AM – Departure going to Zambales
5:20AM – Arrive at San Antonio public market in Zambales, purchase supplies, equipment and foods enough for consumption during stay at the campsite
6:20AM – Arrive at Pundaquit beach
6:45AM – Island hopping, Pundaquit beach to Camara Island (sightseeing)
8:20AM – Going to Capones Island, picture taking
10AM – Boat ride going to Anawangin Cove
10:25AM – Arrive at Anawangin Cove, tent pitching, setup camp, lunchtime, free time, explore, swimming, hiking and overnight stay
6:30PM – Dinner and socials

Day 2
6:10AM – Breakfast, sunrise watching
7:30AM – Swimming time and beach bumming
1:30PM – Departure going back to Pundaquit beach
2:30PM – Going back to Manila
7:30PM – Arrive at Manila

Things to bring on your visit to Anawangin Cove:

Dry bag
Smartphone and camera
Slippers
Extra cash and clothes
Swimwear
Sunscreen or sunblock
Toiletries
Power bank
Plastic bag
Umbrella
Food and snacks
Beach mat (optional)
Hat/Cap (optional)
Tent or camping hammock (optional)
Butane stove
Cooking wares
Flashlight if doing overnight
Mosquito repellent or insect repellant if doing overnight
Liquors if doing overnight (optional)

How to Go to Anawangin Cove

By commute

Option 1:

1. From Victory Liner Cubao Terminal in Quezon City, ride a regular aircon bus bound to Iba, Zambales and tell the bus conductor to alight you at San Antonio Public Market. The travel time is approximately four hours and the bus fare is around 566 pesos.
2. Then from San Antonio Public Market in Zambales, ride a tricycle going to Pundaquit beach. The travel time is around eighteen minutes and the tricycle fare is 50 pesos per head. 
3. At the Pundaquit beach, rent and ride a boat going to Anawangin Cove. The boat ride will last for twenty-five minutes.

Option 2:

1. From Victory Liner bus terminal in Caloocan City, ride a regular aircon bus bound to Olongapo, Zambales. The bus fare is 280 pesos and the estimated travel time is one hour and thirty minutes.
2. From Olongapo, ride a bus going to San Antonio, Zambales. The bus fare is seventy pesos and travel time is around one hour. 
3. Then at the San Antonio public market, ride a tricycle bound to barangay Pundaquit and once you reach Pundaquit ride a boat bound to Anawangin Cove.
   

Note: Anawangin Cove is tucked away behind the mountains of Zambales that getting there by land requires hours of hiking over an almost bare landscape. Nonetheless, the easiest and accessible way to reach it is by having a boat ride from Barangay Pundaquit.

Reminders and Tips:

• The entrance fee in Anawangin Cove is 70 pesos per head and the environmental fee is 20 pesos per head. Meanwhile, the entrance fee going to the Anawangin viewdeck is 20 pesos per head.

• Please maintain cleanliness at all times during your stay.

• Its highly advice that you bring your own food to Anawangin Cove to lessen your expense especially if doing an overnight stay because the goods, foods and drinks there are very much expensive and the price is double kill. To give you an idea, the tapa with egg cost 180 pesos and the small block of ice cost 100 pesos. For this reason, it’s better to go first to San Antonio Public Market to go shopping for the things you want to buy and cook before heading to Pundaquit for island hopping. The public market sells a variety of seafood and meat at a reasonable price.

• Its highly recommended to join a packaged tour going to Anawangin Cove for ease and convenience. The packaged day tour going to Anawangin Cove ranges from 1100 pesos up to 2000 pesos per head. On the other hand the overnight package tour in Anawangin Cove range from 2700 pesos up to 3500 pesos which include three hosted meals (lunch, dinner and breakfast), round trip boat transfers, (Manila-Zambales-Manila), all entrance fee including overnight fee, life vest, island hopping fee, private tent accommodation (2 to 4 persons per tent), open hut cottage or table for the group, free bonfire and shower, grill with free charcoal and some kitchen utensils.

• It is highly advisable that you bring plenty of cash before going to Anawangin Cove because you will be surprised by the price of the product and foods there. To be honest, everything that is sold there is really expensive and a bit overpriced.

• There are available tents for rent for overnight in Anawangin Cove which cost 5000 pesos and it’s good for four persons only. On the other hand, the kubo rental rate for overnight is 3000 pesos. 

• You can park overnight your car or motorcycle at available parking spaces in Barangay Pundaquit. The minimum parking fee for a car is 100 pesos for a day and for overnight parking it’s 200 pesos. Note: some resorts offer it for free for the guests. It is safe there and you have nothing to worry about according to locals and visitors.

• The boat ride from Pundaquit going to Anawangin Cove is more or less forty minutes. Note: the boat rates depend on the number of passengers.

• Please take note that there’s no mobile signal or mobile data in Anawangin Cove. So you must be prepared. However, if you are really looking to get some meaningful relaxation then being off the grid for a day or two may just be exactly what you need. This also presents as an opportunity to bond with family, friends and other guests being detached from all the toxicity of being always online on social media accounts.

• There are small stores at Anawangin Cove that sell popular Filipino breakfast dishes and home-cooked with rice such as tocilog, tapsilog, longsilog and pancit. In addition, there are stores that sell popular snack food such as banana cue, halo-halo, shakes, mais con yelo, street food and deep-fried banana rolls.

• Be responsible in making sure the surroundings are kept clean as we leave because we are blessed to have this kind of place in our country. Always dispose of your trash properly in the installed waste management in every corner and be considerate to other tourists as well.

• There are separate clean restrooms for men and women with continuous flowing water near the campsite. Also, there’s clean water stored in large drums to be used for bathing and washing dishes.

• Walk-in is allowed in Anawangin Cove but it’s much better if you already have conversation with the boatmen in Pundaquit. 

• Bring a lot of drinking water and basic needs especially if doing overnight camping because the mineral water there is expensive.

• There are many things and activities to do in Anawangin Cove such as beach camping, beach volleyball, swimming, island hopping, riding a jetski, banana boat ride, hiking, kayaking, pedal boat ride, watersports, photographing, having a bonfire at night, night party, watching a fire dance and fireworks display with live band jamming at the beach and stargazing on a clear night.

• If your group have ample time especially if it’s an overnight trip you can visit the nearby Capones Island. It is only a thirty-five to forty-five minutes boat ride from Anawangin Cove.

• The banana boat ride is 350 pesos per head and it’s good for fifteen minutes only. On the other hand, riding a jetski costs 500 pesos per head and it’s good for one hour.

• The smartphone charging at the small store is 100 pesos per hour and the rent for grilling is 350 pesos.

• The electricity and generators that provide lights and ventilation in Anawangin Cove runs from 6 pm in the evening up to 6 am in the morning.

• The best month to visit Anawangin Cove is during February to April when the waves in the sea is calm and the weather is bright.

• The overnight stay at Anawangin Lake Resort is 130 pesos. You can bring your own tent. 

• In the future, there will be a floating cottage or floating balsa during nighttime at the Anawangin Lake Resort where tourist can stay and dine in. This is really good news to all visitors. Last but not least, for booking a tour in Anawangin Cove and for inquiry about the room rates and accomodation in Anawangin please visit this facebook page https://www.facebook.com/anawanginlakeresort/ and their official website – https://anawangincoveresort.com/ for more information such as itinerary, inclusions and package rooms.
  
  
  

There you have it, beach lover. Always be grateful for everything because not everyone is as blessed as you are. All in alll, I hope that this Anawangin Cove blog has been favorable to you and to your loved one. Have fun on your trip and thank you for reading my blog. Godspeed.