Pagudpud

Pagudpud: Saud White Beach

We arrived in Pagudpud at almost midnight. There was nothing much to see in the dark as compared to Boracay and Cebu, Pagudpud is not crowded with bars and there’s no active nightlife spot. We checked the beach, drank a cup of coffee and went to sleep. We had the entire next day free to do whatever we want before the amazing race tours start the following two days.

We explored Saud white beach which luckily is right in front of the hotel we stayed at. The beach was clean and the water was the perfect temperature for a swim. Some of us went scuba diving and the rest decided to snorkel. It was all in all the definition of R&R. Another great thing about our trip was the food. There is a ton of delicious local cuisine like bagnet, native salad, freshly catch fish plus an assortment of tropical drinks that was ideal for the summer weather.

Pagudpud – Bangui – Burgos Tour

After a day of doing absolutely nothing, the amazing race started. There are so many places to see and do in Pagudpud that I wondered why it is not as popular as other summer hotspots in the Philippines. Our driver who is a local in the province told us stories behind the every place we went to. It was fascinating as the places were too.

Our first stop was the Pagudpud Bridge, everyone who visits Pagudpud stops by this landmark. It’s across the photo albums of Facebook peeps that pass by this bridge. You’ve got the sea to the left and the mountains to the right then the bridge right in between. The view was breathtaking.

Next on our tour were the Bangui Windmills. This was a project by a former president to find alternative sources of electricity.  It has not been fully utilized as the project seized further development when the said president’s term ended. The windmills were right on the beach and although it’s a bit off the highway and there are only few visitors, it is still a picturesque place to see.

We briefly stopped by the Pagudpud view deck to see the windmills, sea and mountain side. Since it was shaping up to be a full day, we didn’t stay long. The next destination was the Kapurpurawan White Rock Formation, a spot popular for photo-shoots with its unusual yet amazing views. It’s a long walk from the closest parking area and the noon sun was melting every step we took but the 40 minute walk back to and from was worth the 5 minute look around the place.

The Burgos Lighthouse was the next stop on the tour, an old abandoned Spanish style lighthouse that allows an awesome view after climbing steep sets of stairs. We were panting by the time we got to the top and before we can completely catch our breaths it was time for the climb back down to go to the next tourist spot. The lighthouse concluded the South Pagudpud Tour so we were then off to the North.

We started the North Pagudpud tour with a stop at the Patapat Viaduct, another spot that allows the sea collide with the mountain side. Then we were off to Paraiso ni Anton, a tiny waterfall that is absolutely clean that people get mineral water from. The water is also constantly cold and the area looks like a mini sanctuary, hence the name I suppose.

We drove off to Agua Grande afterwards which is another natural water power plant. It is part of the project that aims to find alternative power source like the windmills I’ve mentioned above. But just like the windmills, further developments were negated after the president’s term ended.

After driving for over an hour we finally got to Timangtang rock and Bantay Abot Cave. They are within close vicinity of each other. There is another bout of walking on the sun, getting our feet wet in the sea and climbing rocks, it was tiring and the heat was overwhelming at times but the view, like most of the places we’ve gone to, was well worth all the effort.

My favorite place of all was the second to the last stop, Blue Lagoon. The water is literally deep blue and it is the sight of Hannah’s Beach Resort. It is a vast area with water sport activities and is host to the longest zip line in Southeast Asia. We had lunch at a beach front restaurant and the food, as always, is mouthwatering. The place was a little crowded as it is where most people who visit Pagudpud stay. But the crowd is not so bad because one’s focus is on the view.

Kabigan Falls is the final stop. It is a falls hidden within a mountainous terrain. We had to walk 60 kilometers and almost 2 hours to and from the parking area. We had to pass rice fields, a river and climb up the side of a mountain. The falls was immaculate; the water was cold and fresh so despite sweat dripping from my forehead I was able to enjoy the scenery.

The day was full and I was exhausted but we were able to accomplish my list of places I had to visit and I had a ton of fun. Tomorrow is another full day. Vigan and Laog is up next.