majestic nagsasa cove

listening to stories of Mang Ador convinced me that prior to Mt. Pinatubo's eruption in 1991, this cove was already majestic. the expansion of land and the towering Agojo trees just made it more enchanting. 

these mountain range has some of the country's most stunning mountain formations. pointed peaks, rolling hills and the multiple mountain ridges makes it a climbers haven. the kind of place that i can return a hundred times.

from the coast, two most prominent view would be Mt. Balingkilat a local name which means "house of lightning". a ridge inclined which forms a pattern of a lightning. while on the other side is Mt. Dayungan which means "where people gather".

mountain range rise on both side of a very wide beach coast cut with a winding estuary formed during high tide. a short trek uphill of any of these mountains gives an impressive panoramic view the cove.

though its coast wont match the white sand beach of Capones island, the shaded beach side makes it a perfect picnic spot. beach camping at its best. even sleeping over hammocks would make one feel like you got the best accommodation.   

but as the tourist increased, a large area of cottages were already built along its beach coast. though may still not be like Anawangin, this cove still has those spots which would remind of its untamed state. 

nonetheless, Nagsasa Cove being farther than Anawangin, is still a serene spot for campers. when the time comes that these area will be filled with cottages, people who explore will always find another cove to wander.

the beach
sand is grayish on most portion of the beach but as one would look at it closely, it has a mix of crushed crystals and crushed corals. through the years, the coast has combined its original sea sand and the lahar particles which came from the eruption. a wide portion of the cove is shallow.

the people
majority of the locals in this coast are indigenous people who are the aetas who came from the farther mountains and migrated to these coves after the Mt. Pinatubo eruption. among the caretakers of one area is Mang Ador who has seen the coast before the eruption. 















the distance
most preferred access to Nagsasa cove is via the fishing village of Pundaquit in San Antonio Zambales. From Pundaquit, a typical fishing boat trip would take about an hour to reach this cove. Could be longer depending on the weather condition.

















topography
the cove is surrounded by two mountain range with a large beach coast with a small estuary. the mountains and hills that surrounds it are majestic. a top spot for landscape photographers.

















security
since it has a large coast and is managed by several caretakers, it would depend on which area is safer. but as of date, the entire coast remains a safe place to camp but on days where  there are too many people, it is still best to safeguard your gears and packs the entire time. 
















recommended activities:
- beach camping
- landscape photography
- trekking
- swimming
- sunset viewing


















beach coast profile:
Coast: Facing West Philippine Sea
Island: Luzon island
Province: Zambales
Region: Central Luzon

GPS Location:
14' 49"  22 N
120' 8" 15 E

how to get there:
by commuting:
From Manila to Pundaquit:
[1] Take a bus from Manila to Iba Zambales and ask the bus operator to drop you at San Antonio bus stop (4hours). From there, you can take a tricycle to Pundaquit. 
[2] Take a bus from Manila to Olongapo/Subic (3hours) then from there take another bus to Iba (45mins) and ask the bus operator to drop you at San Antonio bus stop. From there you can take a tricycle to Pundaquit (10mins)
From Pundaquit:
Take a boat ride from Pundaquit to Nagsasa (1hour)

tips:
1. contact ahead Mang Vic (+639297170739) who can arrange you a boat ride from Pundaquit to Nagsasa, Anawangin, or Capones.
2. for Nagsasa, look for Mang Ador. as of this post, there is no mobile phone signal in Nagsasa Cove.
3. best to check weather condition before proceeding as water can be rough in this coast particularly during the rainy season or when a typhoon is about to hit the area.