Zambales Trip: Exploring Anawangin Cove

I woke up from an afternoon nap under pine trees in Anawangin cove when I decided to go to the beach. The white sand turned black with a simple sweep of its layer. It wasn’t actually white in the first place; more of greyish – its shade depended on the sun’s brightness.

Black or white, it didn’t matter. I’m just happy that my bare feet didn’t step on rocks in the process. In the water, I could easily walk without fear of sea urchins or sharp corals too.

Anawangin Cove, Zambales
February 19, 2011

Anawangin Beach

I didn’t bother swimming farther as I was already contented staring through its clear waters. It wasn’t deep but I’ve read unfortunate stories of people who were caught by waves. But then, it’s always the case wherever we go when we become too complacent.

cottages and campers

Pine Trees in Anawangin Cove

We were surrounded by pine trees standing proud and tall as we passed through the lake. The growth of these pine trees in Anawangin were brought about by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo when seeds fell together with the ashes on the ground. How remarkable a tragedy can bring about something beautiful.

tall trees

Anawangin can be trekked for about 6 hours from Pundaquit. We only used the outrigger boat as a faster route to getting to the cove which saved us a lot of time.

We proceeded with our trek trying to explore parts of the cove.

A lot of campers were around and as stated in blogs, the place is getting crowded. The apparent number of travellers and tourists in the area show how popular this place is amongst the other areas in Zambales. This is after all, the nearest cove from Pundaquit.

lake and trees

Going into the forest, we didn’t know where we were headed. Hence, we retraced our steps so we could go back to the beach and climb the mountain. I wanted to see the cove from the top. I remember Gael having a photo taken with the amazing view of the location.

fallen leaves

As it becomes more famous, I hope rules will be strictly implemented especially with the environment and keeping it clean. There’s no electricity but there was a small sari-sari store where you could buy coke and snacks. They even had halo-halo ingredients on their table; indicating that they could whip up this Filipino dessert in no time.

Lake in Anawangin

Slid on a Mountain in Anawangin

We trekked to the mountain in order to get a bird’s perspective of the beach. Under the sweltering heat, I didn’t realize that the climb took some effort. We stood beside a small tree to hide under its shade, all the while we alternately took snapshots of ourselves to capture the scene.

With Doi and Anton
photo by Teresa

Still not satisfied, I headed to the topmost part of that mountain. Not only because I wanted to see the view, but ultimately because I wanted to know how far my legs could take me. I jumped and hopped along the way, thinking that the trail was a playground.

Beach on one side, lake on the other. Pine trees in between and mountain ranges at the back. Who wouldn’t want to witness such a sight?

Anawangin Cove

Anton followed suit, I heard him mention “arthritis” and an adult nutritional milk drink he should start taking as he caught his breath. He didn’t realize that I was also panting due to the sudden ascent. What seemed like short climb actually left me out of puff. But the panorama from the top was more spectacular. I wiped my sweat with my arm and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Anawangin Cove is photogenic.” This was how Anton described it; I couldn’t agree more.

view from the top

Tripped and Fell in Anawangin

After regaining composure, I went down a slope as quick as I could which was another big blunder. Carrying my tripod, I slid and fell to the ground. What made matters worse was that I tripped in front of a group of people who were on their way up the mountain.

It didn’t hurt as much; I was more embarrassed that I fell in front of a crowd. Only then did I realize my careless nature and the consequences I faced because of being too hasty with decisions.

No video this time.
photo by doi

I managed to smile despite how many eyes stared at me. Funny how I never heard any boisterous laughter because of my mishap, not even a whisper at my back – very strange indeed.

I carried on with the walk towards my companions and showed them my battle scars (I wish). I managed to get a couple of scratches on my right leg; nothing a good dip in saltwater couldn’t cure.

getting down and dirty

I didn’t mind it as much. I slipped and hit my head on a rock in Bomod-ok Falls which was truly worse. My feet also collected dust with the red soil but it was no biggie. I could simply wash them off at the beach.

But another word to the wise (YOU) from the foolish (ME): Walk slowly especially when trailing on jagged rocks.

crazy on the loose, despite the fall – yes, I’m holding a tripod
photo by Anton

We spent the remaining minutes at the beach in order to hurriedly take a last dip. We needed to pack our things if we still wanted to catch the sunset in Nagsasa Cove.

Entrance Fees:
Day Use: 50 Php
Overnight: 150 Php

Note: There’s no electricity nor cellphone signal in Anawangin.

Check out articles about my Zambales adventure trip here:

• Zambales Trip: Anawangin Cove, Nagsasa Cove and Capones Island
• Zambales Trip: An Afternoon Nap Under Pine Trees in Anawangin Cove
• Zambales Trip: Exploring Anawangin Cove
• Zambales Trip: Morning Jog in Nagsasa Cove
• Zambales Trip: Cooking and Camping in Nagsasa Cove
• Zambales Trip: Golden Cogon Grasses in the Island of Capones
• Zambales Trip: Standing on Top of the Lighthouse in Capones Island
• Total Budget Expense in Anawangin, Nagsasa and Capones in Zambales
• Tips and Things to Know about Anawangin, Nagsasa and Capones in Zambales