After staying for a couple of hours on the serene beach of Dampalitan, we head on to our next destination: Puting Buhangin Beach. A now popular tourist destination in Quezon, this beach features a wide white sandy shoreline and a fascinating cave on its side called Kwebang Lampas.
From Dampalitan Island in Padre Burgos, Quezon, it took us 30 minutes to reach Puting Buhangin located in the nearby town of Pagbilao by boat.
From Dampalitan Island in Padre Burgos, Quezon, it took us 30 minutes to reach Puting Buhangin located in the nearby town of Pagbilao by boat.
Puting Buhangin Beach and Kwebang Lampas is the second of the three beaches included on our tour (along with Dampalitan Beach and Borawan Island Resort). We got in touch with Cris, a local boatman who offered us boat transfer services for the three destinations. You can reach him through these numbers: 09055605947, 09501928546, 09074735193.
From Manila, it took us 6 hours to reach barangay Basiao in Padre Burgos, Quezon where Cris is waiting for us.
[More information on how to travel from Manila to Padre Burgos on this post]
From the boat, you know you're close if you can already see the towering chimney of Pagbilao Power Plant which is situated a few meters away from the beach.
We can also see the Kwebang Lampas at the left side of the beach as we get nearer. And the long line of tents pitched along the shore becomes noticeable too. I may say that the whole beach was very busy at that time.
As the boat skids into the sand, we jumped into the shore and unload our stuff. The place is very lively as we walked across the line of tents. Children enjoyed playing along the shore, loud music is heard from portable speakers and people are laughing their hearts out as they enjoyed their drinks.
The whole area is occupied so we had a hard time finding a place to set up our tents. After a few minutes, we end up pitching our tent on the far back away from the crowd. Our tents enjoyed the shades from the tall coconut trees, but we were mindful of the coconuts that sometimes fall from it.
A beach personnel approached us to collect the entrance fee. We paid 160 pesos each for the entrance fee (overnight rate). As of March 2016, they are also collecting a 200 peso pitching fee for every tent.
We got a discount and paid 500 pesos for three tents and additional 160 for the table.
There were several sari-sari stores which sell basic needs such as food, toiletries, water and ice. Liquors and cigarettes are available too. We didn't find any trash can on the area so it is advisable to bring your own trash bags to keep the area clean.
One can cook food at the grilling stations for free. Shower rooms are also accessible for everybody, but one must buy their own water at the sari-sari store for 50 pesos (approximately 5 gallons). Comfort rooms, on the other hand, have different fees ranging from 1 to 3 pesos depending on the "activity" one intend to do.
The whole area is occupied so we had a hard time finding a place to set up our tents. After a few minutes, we end up pitching our tent on the far back away from the crowd. Our tents enjoyed the shades from the tall coconut trees, but we were mindful of the coconuts that sometimes fall from it.
A beach personnel approached us to collect the entrance fee. We paid 160 pesos each for the entrance fee (overnight rate). As of March 2016, they are also collecting a 200 peso pitching fee for every tent.
We got a discount and paid 500 pesos for three tents and additional 160 for the table.
There were several sari-sari stores which sell basic needs such as food, toiletries, water and ice. Liquors and cigarettes are available too. We didn't find any trash can on the area so it is advisable to bring your own trash bags to keep the area clean.
One can cook food at the grilling stations for free. Shower rooms are also accessible for everybody, but one must buy their own water at the sari-sari store for 50 pesos (approximately 5 gallons). Comfort rooms, on the other hand, have different fees ranging from 1 to 3 pesos depending on the "activity" one intend to do.
Once we finished setting up our camp, some of us prepared our lunch while others explored the beach. The calm sea water reflects the clear blue sky above. The white sandy beach is composed of tiny pebbles and sand as tiny as the grains of sugar.
At that time, boats were moored along the shore, which ate up some space for those playing and swimming. I enjoyed swimming at the beach. Seeing the beautiful corals and frequent sightings of fish in the deeper part of the sea is very amusing. We also noticed some visitors catching sea urchins.
At that time, boats were moored along the shore, which ate up some space for those playing and swimming. I enjoyed swimming at the beach. Seeing the beautiful corals and frequent sightings of fish in the deeper part of the sea is very amusing. We also noticed some visitors catching sea urchins.
The left side of the cove has small brown rocks and on the other side, one can find the Kwebang Lampas. We entered the cave with ease and passed through the opening on the opposite end of it.
The sunlight adds beauty to the rock formations inside the cave. But some plastic wrappers and empty liquor bottles are scattered within the area. We also noticed some scribbling on the cave walls.
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| Inside Kwebang Lampas |
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| vandalism on the wall... |
On the other side, we walked to the left and reached a part where huge rocks can be found. We tried climbing it and on top, we had a magnificent view of the whole shore of Puting Buhangin. Jumping off of this cliff is strictly prohibited.
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| The view of Puting Buhangin beach from the cliff |
On the right side upon coming out of the cave, is a rocky part where a breathtaking view of the sunset can be seen.
We had a very pleasant experience during our stay. The locals are very friendly and so are the other visitors. We spend the rest of the night with joy as we wallow in some tasty food and hard drinks, singing our hearts out along with the strum of the guitar and laughing hard at every cracked jokes from time to time. Truly, it was a night to remember.
Our next stop: Borawan Island Resort.
Our next stop: Borawan Island Resort.
Killed Bills
This budget list covers our whole expenses on Dampalitan Beach, Puting Buhangin Beach and Borawan Island Resort.
218.00 - Bus fare from Quezon City to Lucena Grand Terminal
35.00 - Bus fare from Lucena Grand Terminal to Padre Burgos
10.00 - Tricycle fare from QCPB Padre Burgos to Brgy. Basiao Port
310.00 - Boat Services (3400 [2 boats for 11 person])
75.00 - Entrance fee at Dampalitan Beach
160.00 - Overnight Stay at Puting Buhangin Beach
46.00 - Tent Pitching Fee (3 Tents for 500 Php (we got 100 peso discount)
16.00 - Table Rent (180.00 for 11 person)
150.00 - Entrance Fee at Borawan Beach Resort
350.00 - Food and Drinks Budget and other expenses (table rent, water, liquors etc.)
70.00 - Van fare from Brgy. Basiao Port to Lucena Grand Terminal
218.00 - Bus fare from Lucena Grand Terminal to Ortigas
TOTAL - 1658.00 Php
This budget list covers our whole expenses on Dampalitan Beach, Puting Buhangin Beach and Borawan Island Resort.
218.00 - Bus fare from Quezon City to Lucena Grand Terminal
35.00 - Bus fare from Lucena Grand Terminal to Padre Burgos
10.00 - Tricycle fare from QCPB Padre Burgos to Brgy. Basiao Port
310.00 - Boat Services (3400 [2 boats for 11 person])
75.00 - Entrance fee at Dampalitan Beach
160.00 - Overnight Stay at Puting Buhangin Beach
46.00 - Tent Pitching Fee (3 Tents for 500 Php (we got 100 peso discount)
16.00 - Table Rent (180.00 for 11 person)
150.00 - Entrance Fee at Borawan Beach Resort
350.00 - Food and Drinks Budget and other expenses (table rent, water, liquors etc.)
70.00 - Van fare from Brgy. Basiao Port to Lucena Grand Terminal
218.00 - Bus fare from Lucena Grand Terminal to Ortigas
TOTAL - 1658.00 Php
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