Anawangin Cove | Sunrise Hike To Mt. Pundaquit

4 years ago, after buying our very first DSLR, we hastily thought of a great trip that would break-in the supposedly tough device. We needed a mixture of different elements that would test the durability of our new gadgets hence; the thought of climbing a mountain near the sea came into mind. After much deliberation, Mt. Pundaquit was unanimously chosen as the destination of choice.

We started the trek at an early time of 05:30 AM. The sun was still behind the peaks making the first part of the hike a cool walk. As our group trod the Lahar glazed path, the amazingly unique environment of the volcano-battered province halted us from time to time.

We took photos of the mountain peaks gazing down on us. It was an easy walk at the start giving us plenty of strength to take every conceivable picture we could find. Little by little, the sun started to spread all around the area.

After around an hour of hiking, the path became a gradual ascent. We walked through the reddish soil of the trail while being slowly roasted by the sun. It was definitely a good break-in for any tough gadget we just bought.

For every step we took, the air became more precious. At last, we were out of the smog-laden city and finally breathing smokeless air. It was definitely a welcome treat for us office people looking for an adventurous weekend.

After 2 hours of hiking, we finally stepped at the ridge line to the cove. I could clearly see that the one we were stepping on wasn’t the summit nonetheless, the views rewarded to us were still breath taking.

Capturing every photo using our newly bought camera, we were like kids using a new toy. I even tried to shoot HDR images of the place with self-proclaimed great results. It was certainly a great buy from our point of view.

As the winds dried our sweat-soaked shirts, we rested in awe at the ridge, not minding the searing hot sun that was burning our skin. The sceneries from atop would really take your mind off the suffering.

After 30 minutes of nature gazing, we continued our trek down to the cove. It was much faster than the one we had uphill as the slope was gradually descending all throughout.

The pine trees started to take over the landscape as we neared the beach. 

And after almost an hour down climbing the slopes, the cove of Anawangin welcomed us with its meter-high waves gently kissing the sands. We pitched the tents and readied ourselves for 2 full days frolicking under the pine trees complimented by the unique ash-sands of the beach.

Before noon the next day, we were back at the beach of Pundaquit, eating our lunch and ending our 2-day adventure at Zambales.

Almost 4 years after this climb, I can still aver that this Anawangin adventure was really a great testing ground for any supposedly tough gadgets you have. May it be a Camera or a cellphone, the mixture of soil, sweat and sea air would really give it a tough test. 

Our camera may be long gone now but the memories captured by it would stay in our hearts and in our hard drives forever. May its new owners appreciate its toughness and love it just like the way we did!

Group Itinerary

day 0

10:30 - meet up at Victory Liner, Monumento

day 1

00:00 - departure from Manila to Pundaquit

04:30 - arrival at Pundaquit, Zambales, arrange guides and boat

05:00 - start trek

07:30 - arrival at ridge overlooking Anawangin cove

08:00 - continue trek to Anawangin cove

09:00 - arrival at Anawangin cove, pitch camp, explore

11:00 - prepare lunch

12:00 - lunch

18:00 - prepare dinner

19:00 - dinner, socials

22:00 - lights out

day 2

06:00 - wake up call, prepare breakfast

07:00 - breakfast

10:00 - breakcamp

11:00 - departure for Pundaquit

12:00 - arrival at Pundaquit beach, tidy up

13:00 - departure for Manila

18:00 - arrival at Manila

How to get to Anawangin

From Manila, board a Sta. Cruz, Zambales bound bus from Victory Liner Monumento,

you can check their schedules here: http://www.victoryliner.com/schedules/

Drop off at San Antonio and ride a tricycle going directly to Brgy. Pundaquit

You can contact Mang Alfring (09283829947) for guides, tricycles and boat arrangements while at Pundaquit proper

If possible, reserve a ticket for the bus you'll ride as it is the last trip to Sta. Cruz for the day. If you skip the bus, the next trip to San Antonio would already be at 04:00 AM. This happened to us that's why we opted to bring a car instead.