Pangasinan | Bolinao DIY Tour: Patar Beach Resort/Bolinao Rock Formations

Patar Beach - Bolinao, Pangasinan

It's past summer time and this post is long overdue but nonetheless, here it is - a continuation and the last part of our day tour in Bolinao.

Bolinao is a popular summer destination up north and prided itself with its pristine beaches. Beach resorts abound in this town; many are pricey but there are some public resorts, too. One of these public resorts is Patar Beach.

Patar beach is situated on the west coast facing the West Philippine Sea. It boasts of a long stretch of  creamy white fine sand and expansive beach front. It is a public beach with no entrance fee so expect to see a lot of crowds here, especially during summer. By the way, since Patar Beach faces an open sea, the beach looks kind of rough even during summer. I find it not safe for young children, probably even for non-swimmer adults, so make sure you watch out for your kids/each other at all times.

Sand's kind of beige but really fine, you can walk around barefoot.
Play, get drunk, chit-chat with your family and friends - some of the things you can do in Patar Beach

my newphews, with the crowd!
I'm somehow  afraid for my nephews' safety but I let them enjoy the waves and the sand for a few minutes, of course,
with my older nephew holding both the kiddos at all times and me kind of nagging him to never let go of them even for a few seconds

the not so friendly waves of Patar Beach :P

play volleyball, if you're tired of swimming

Bolinao Rock Formations in Photos

Our tricycle tour guide brought us in this resort, with 'rock formations' something in its name. Is this the real thing? Am not sure, all I remember is that I paid 50 Php per person as entrance fee here, including the kiddos. No kids discounts! A rip-off, I must say. I saw almost the same formations in the far stretch of Patar Beach.  Anyway, didn't take much photos in here, can't look/walk around because of the little kiddos.

my travel buddies!

lolong!

lion king!

How to get to Bolinao/Patar Beach

• From Pasay/Cubao: Go to Five Star Bus Liner terminal in Malibay (Pasay) or Victory Liner (Cubao-EDSA) and take Bolinao-bound bus; get off at Bolinao bus terminal; fare is around 500 Php for aircon buses, one way; travel time is around 6-7 hours.

• In Bolinao, take a tricycle going to Patar Beach, fare is around 150 Php, one way. 

• In our case however,  we get off at Church of Saint James since we came from Bani (via a jeepney). On the side street across the church are tricycles offering Bolinao tour; cost is 600 Php, round trip; tour takes around 3-4 hours, depending on how long you stay in each of the tour destinations.

~ oo00oo ~

Patar Beach 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 via a tricycle. Bolinao DIY tricycle tour costs 600 Php covering four of Bolinao's tourist destinations - Bolinao Lighthouse, Enchanted Cave, Rock Formations and this beach.

Patar Beach

Patar, Bolinao, Pangasinan

Entrance Fee: None

Shower Fee: 10 Php

Date of Visit: May 3, 2015

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Pangasinan | Bolinao DIY Tour: The Enchanted Cave

Bolinao Enchanted Cave

Just like Cape Bolinao Lighthouse, Enchanted Cave isn't the only cave Bolinao is proud of. There actually are three caves in this town - Cindy's, Wonderful and Enchanted Caves. Of the three, Enchanted is the most famous one. It is located in barangay Patar and is usually the first destination of the Bolinao tour.

Bolinao Enchanted Cave entrance, for photo-ops ^_^

Enchanted Cave is a privately-owned resort/nature park immortalized in the GMA television series Dyesebel (starring Marian Rivera). It features an underground cave with a natural spring lagoon of refreshingly cold crystal clear water enticing guests to take a dip and swim.

coral stones everywhere,
the path to the enchanted cave...

inside the cave..., notice the water?
it's crystal clear; visible still, despite the poor quality of this photo. ;)

The park and the cave itself sits on/is surrounded with coral stones giving credence to the story that this area was once submerged under the sea. Another testament to this claim are the fossilized giant clams displayed near the park's entrance that they say are millions of years old, though no carbon dating has been performed on those clams, yet.

fossilized giant clams (taklobo)

According to the resort's tour guide assigned to us, Enchanted Cave accepts tourists for overnight accommodation. They have several cottages with a room setup like the one in the photo below for 2,500 Php/night, good for two (2) persons. I don't know if they still offer the said rooms for the same rate; couldn't find a site/review to verify it, either. Please contact them directly for any inquiries, if ever. 

inside one of the cottages in Enchanted Cave,
thanks to the tour guide for allowing me to take a photo of the room

Entrance Fee Notice

It's been more than a year since this escapade but I checked the WWW and found out this is still the prevailing entrance fee to the resort; that is, 150 Php per person, young (6 y/o and above) and old, swimming or non-swimming guests. Quite pricey for an entrance fee, especially if you only want to see and explore the place for a little while. Also, since the the cave is quite small, it gets crowded pretty fast especially during peak season.  During our visit, we only get to stay inside the cave for a few minutes; the cave is crowded, it's hot inside and there's nothing else to do and see anyway, unless you'll go swimming.

Overall, the resort is a nice place to see and visit (and do photo-ops ^_^) though, I find it too commercialized, too, given the limited things to do inside and considering the current entrance fee rate. I hope the management could make it more economical and bring back the old rate structure; that is, lower rates for non-swimming guests. :)

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 ~

Enchanted Cave 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 Lighthouse, Bolinao Rock Formation, Patar Beach and this cave.

~ oo00oo ~

Enchanted Cave

Patar, Bolinao, Pangasinan

Entrance Fee: 150 Php/person (fixed)
young/old, swimming/non-swimming guests

Date of Visit: May 3, 2015

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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

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