Summer Getaway At Lingayen

I spent my first summer getaway this year in Lingayen, Pangasinan. I have been here once before but I did not stay long due to lack of time. This time around, I made sure I will make the most out of my stay in this place.

I and my college friends stayed at El Puerto Marina Beach Resort And Spa which is a short walking distance to Lingayen Beach for 3 days and 2 nights. The whole of Day 1 was spent bumming around and relaxing on Lingayen Beach which by the way is a historic beach as this is where General McArthur landed during the second world war. We also tried surfing since the waves were strong. This was my first time to surf so it was such a memorable experience. Since there were only few people around, it feels like we had the beach to ourselves. On the second day, we had a day trip to The Hundred Islands which is around 1 hour from Lingayen. After Hundred Islands, we went back to Lingayen and had a bonfire night. On the third day, we left Lingayen and stopped by Dagupan to eat lunch then made our way back to Manila.

Lingayen Beach (taken by Tin on March 27, 2009)

Lingayen Beach and Kayak (taken by Kate on March 27, 2009)

El Puerto Marina (taken by Tin on March 27, 2009)

Bonfire by the beach (taken by me on March 28, 2009)

Lingayen beach may not be as popular as other beaches in the Philippines, but I still love this place. I love its fine sand (think Boracay sand but gray) and long wide shore. I love its clear water and the sound of the strong waves. I love the feeling of calmness this place gives and having the whole wide beach to yourself. Just perfect.

Access from Manila to Lingayen:
Dagupan Bus takes the Manila-Lingayen route. You can also take daily buses to Dagupan and from Dagupan, catch the bus or jeepney to Lingayen. Travel time is around 4-6 hours depending on traffic.

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Hundred Times The Fun At The Hundred Islands

Day 2 of our Pangasinan summer getaway brought us to the Hundred Islands National Park in Alaminos, Pangasinan. Day 1 was spent in Lingayen. I and my college friends (Carol, Kate, Tyn, Tin, Joy, Pao, Berto and Marc) spent the whole day island hopping, swimming, "caving" and just relaxing in the many beaches of the Hundred Islands. Due to my "good" memory, I forgot to bring my camera's battery (nice timing huh) to Hundred Islands so the pictures below were either taken by my friends or images I took with my cellphone.

The Hundred Islands National Park has 123 islands all in all. Because of this, we cannot go to all of them in just a day, so our guide simply took us to the more famous ones such as Governors Island, Quezon Island, Cuenca Island and Marcos Island.

Our first stop: Governors Island. Governors Island is the biggest island in the whole national park and it offers a panoramic view of the whole park from its peak. It is also home to the Big Brother House which was used during the Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition. After Big Brother season was over, the house was transformed into a tourist accomodation. Since I think this is the only accommodation with electricity in the whole national park, it is always fully booked especially during the peak seasons. So if you plan to stay in this house, make sure to book early.

Governors Island (taken by Kate on March 28, 2009)

Pinoy Big Brother House in Governors Island (taken by Kate on March 28, 2009)

View from the Governors Island (taken by me on March 28, 2009)

After which, we proceeded to Quezon Island and had our lunch there. This island is one of the most frequented islands because of its developed facilities (such as dining halls, grills) and sandy beach.

Quezon Island (taken by Kate on March 28, 2009)

Then, we went to Marcos Island, which is named after former president Ferdinand Marcos. Our guide led us to a flight of stairs up to a cave. For me, the highlight of the trip was jumping off the edge of the cave's cliff and into the sea. The whole drop was around 15 feet. I was scared to jump at first, but luckily I did and I loved every second of it. :D Just a side note: One of my to-do things before I die is to jump from a cliff so yeyyy I accomplished it here. Ok back to Marcos Island. After jumping, we swam out of the cave and back to the beach where we relaxed and just goofed around.

Approaching the Cave (taken by Tin on March 28, 2009)

Marcos Island Cave Jump (taken by Tin on March 28, 2009)

Swimming back to Marcos Island (taken by Tin on March 28, 2009)

After an hour or so, we left Marcos Island and headed to our last stop, Cuenca Island. Cuenca Island is home to Cuenca Cave shown below.

Cuenca Island (taken by Tin on March 28, 2009)

After this, we headed back to the port in Alaminos City and made our way back to Lingayen where we stayed during the whole Pangasinan Trip.

The Hundred Islands has so much to offer to beachgoers and adventurers alike. It is a good place to enjoy the sun and the sea with your family or friends.

Access from Manila to Alaminos City:
Bus companies such as Dagupan Bus Co and Victory liner take the Manila-Alaminos Route. When you arrive in Alaminos City, take the tricycle to the port and there you can rent the bangka which will take you around Hundred Islands.

Tip: Since there are no restaurants in the whole national park, it is best to bring your own lunch and eat it in the island of your choice. :D

For more information, visit Tourism Hundred Islands National Park

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