Pangasinan | Bolinao DIY Tour: Cape Bolinao Lighthouse

Cape Bolinao Lighthouse
Note: tourists are no longer allowed to climb the tower

Cape Bolinao Lighthouse in Patar is the famous of the two (2) lighthouses (the other one is the Port Bolinao Lighthouse in Guigui-wanen, Luciente I) in Bolinao, Pangasinan. It is the second tallest (Burgos Lighthouse in Ilocos Norte being the tallest) lighthouse in the Philippines at a height of about 351 feet above sea level, including the elevation of the hill were it was built. It is one of the top tourist drawers of Bolinao, Pangasinan.

Cape Bolinao Lighthouse was built atop Punta Piedra by Filipino, American, and British engineers in the 1905. As with all other lighthouses, it was built to avoid sea disasters and guide seafarers sailing along that part of West Philippine Sea. Based on several online accounts I've read, this lighthouse used to guide seafarers as far as 44 kilometers away as its beacon light is still visible that far. The lighthouse served its purpose for hundred years or so until it ceased its operation as a lighthouse in 2004. Since then, Cape Bolinao Lighthouse just serves as one of the tourist attractions of the town.

The Ruins of Cape Bolinao
this ruin used to be the lighthouse's Admin building
solar panels at the lighthouse
Cape Bolinao Lighthouse was used to be powered by kerosene for around 80 years,
then by electricity when Pangasinan Electric Cooperative extended its operation to Patar
and for a time, by solar energy when it was renovated through a loan package extended by Japan.
Cape Bolinao Lighthouse ceased it's operation when the beacon lights shut off and the batteries bogged down in 8 November of 2004. 

How to get to Bolinao

* From Pasay or Cubao, take a Bolinao-bound bus and get off at Bolinao bus terminal; fare is around 500 Php for aircon buses, one way; travel time is around 7-8 hours.

* In Bolinao, head off to Church of Saint James. On the side street, in front of Adora's Restaurant, are tricycles offering Bolinao tour; cost is 600 Php, round trip; tour takes around 4 hours.

~ oo00oo ~

Cape Bolinao is part of a DIY tour my nephews and I made last 2015, while on vacation at my mother's hometown Bani. Just like my Ilocos Norte adventure, it was also a tour via a tricycle. Bolinao DIY tricycle tour costs 600 Php covering 4 of Bolinao's tourist destinations - Bolinao Enchanted Cave, Bolinao Rock Formation, Patar Beach and this Lighthouse.


Cape Bolinao Lighthouse
Patar, Bolinao, Pangasinan
Entrance Fee: None
Date of Visit: May 3, 2015

Photo Wanders | Marcos Highway: Of Golds, Greens and Blues

Marcos Highway along Tanay(??) in Rizal

Road trip and photography, two activities I wouldn't get tired of doing. And not just because I wasn't the one who's driving, if I own a car, I'd probably be on a road trip every weekend. I think?! Haha! Anyway, there isn't a single road trip my friend and I made that I didn't take photos while cruising the highway or any road along the way to where we're going. I simply love taking photos that even if we went through the same route several times before, I still can't help but take some photographs.

So for this week, I'd be posting some of the photos I took while cruising along Marcos Highway, during our road trip to Regina RICA in Tanay, Rizal. Fasten your seatbelt folks and come ride along with us, let us all see and appreciate the beauty of nature that God has blessed us with. Enjoy the (virtual) ride... ^_^

In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous. ~Aristotle

Follow the trail of your dreams, not the highway of others expectations. ~Anonymous

Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful,
we must carry it with us or we find it not. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere. ~Vincent Van Gogh

A sunset here is a sunrise on the other end of the world.
Never give up because what appears to be the end may actually be a new beginning. ~Brahma Kumaris


Sunsets, like childhood are viewed with wonder
not just because they are beautiful but because they are fleeting. ~Richard Paul Evans


~ oo00oo ~

All photos were taken along the stretch of Marcos Highway in the province of Rizal last February 8, 2016. Photos were taken by yours truly using either Canon EOS 550D or iPhone 5. Except for the sunset photos, all else were taken while cruising and all are handheld shots.


~ oo00oo ~

Happy and blessed Sunday every one. Enjoy the rest of the day and welcome the coming week with a happy heart. God bless! ^_^

ShareThisWidget