Capones Island revisited

The trials you will face going to the Lighthouse

Travelling in different places is what I love to do. It connects me to the positive world when I feel lost, upset and other negative aspects that messing up my mind. Among the places that I had been, Capones Island is one of the places I've visited more than once. I don't know what's the reason why I keep coming back on this island. Maybe because I found inner peace on this place, plus the fact that I'm surrounded with great friends.

Every time I went here, I experience different memories from the other. Because this time it rained, the waves was strong, as we trekked going to the white beach it was more challenging than before and we also explore seventy percent of its surroundings.

My friends

Capones Island was remarkably known by its Lighthouse. The island does not contain any shops, resorts, acommodations, its just you and the island. It is suited for the people who loves adventures and camping. I hope it will stay this way and hope they don't put any establishments here so the island will remain its natural beauty.

The Island is located in the Province of Zambales and 4 kilometers from the seaside of Pundaquit. In Pundaquit you can negotiate with a boatman to take you out to Anawangin, Capones Island and Camera Island. It depends on your negotiating skills so you could get a cheap fare. For us, we had our suki boatman, we paid him two thousand (8persons) back and fourth.

The Boat trip to the islands would takes about thirty minutes going to Capones, Camera Island and one hour going to Anawangin. Brace yourself for wild and wet adventure!.

Staying overnight on Capones Island, you'll be needing to take your things with you like food, tents, water and other basic needs.

The Lighthouse

From our campsite, in order to reach the Lighthouse you should pass the Four Levels of trials before reaching to the top!. I suggest you wake up early cause in this time the tide is very low. For us we manage to wake up early and leave the lighthouse soon so we can avoid the high tide and the too much heat by the Sun. I know it is a bit of a hike from the beach, but man it is totally worth it.. Bring plenty of water!

Going to San Antonio

If you are heading from Manila you travel north to Olongapo City, make sure you bypass Olongapo and go through the Subic Bay Freeport which is part of the

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SMBA).

You will skirt the inside of Subic Bay passing through the towns of Barrio Barretto and Subic and continue until you reach San Antonio. San Antonio is roughly an hour out of Subic Bay.

From San Antonio you will need to get to the coastal village of Pundaquit, which in direction is south west of San Antonio and a bit under 5km. 

If you are catching a bus from Manila, you catch the one that goes to Iba in Zambales, just make sure you get off at San Antonio. From San Antonio you can get either a jeepney or a trike, which are plentiful to take you to Pundaquit.

There is accommodation at Pundaquit, which is the closest to Capones Island and Camera Island.

EXPENSES: Two days and One night

BUS Fare: Caloocan to San Antonio - 361

Tricycle fare: from San Antonio to Pundakit Shore - 30/person

BOAT Fare - 2,000 php devided by number of participants group of 8 or less for us 250/person.

ROOM: Tent

FOOD : 400 php/each ( uling, water, food)

Tricycle fare: from Pundakit Shore to San Antonio - 30/person

BUS: Fare back to Manila : 361

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Total Expenses: 1,182 PESOS

CAPONES ISLAND

If you are really looking for a complete adventure like Trekking, Camping, Rock Climbing, Rappelling, Walking, Surf,Swimming and want to save money. Well, I think CAPONES ISLAND is the best place for you.

Capones Island (Faro de Punta Capones) is a 2-kilometer long bone-shaped volcanic mass located 4 kilometers off the coast of Brgy. Pundaquit. The trip takes about 4 hours from Manila passing through the city of Olongapo heading further north to San Antonio then following the directions to Barangay Pundaquit. The village’s beautiful beach is exceptionally located behind a mountain and facing the horizon of the setting sun. In front of it is Capones Island, which is accessible for overnight camping, day picnic and swimming. There are no resorts on Capones but if you are planning to Camp Be sure to bring all necessary gears and lots of liquids as long as there's no typhoons. Bancas are present along the beach of Pundaquit, and available for rent anytime. Overnight stay is allowed but with prearranged pick up with a boatman. You may enjoy swimming in the crystal clear water along the beach, snorkel, explore the surroundings by kayak or simply walk around and discover the natural beauty of the island. Request your boatman to drop you closer to a tall cliff for a better shade.

Capones is not a tropical paradise. It’s rocky. And it’s mostly barren. But it invokes instead a sense of adventure that would appeal to those people who are looking for secret hideaways far from the madding crowd.

Although there are no commercial accommodations on the island, there are actually structures there. One is a lighthouse and the other is an unfinished building. Constructed by the Spanish colonial government, the lighthouse went into operation on July 16, 1890. Today, the lighthouse is unmanned, the adjacent quarters abandoned, and is solar-powered like many other lighthouses in the country. There are plans to restore and preserve the lighthouse as part of the Philippine heritage. See this extremely informative EPAFI webpage to learn about that plan. As for the unfinished building, I couldn’t find any information about it and what it was supposed to be.


What I really went about that place was the LIGHT HOUSE.
If you want to go there easily, you can request your boatman to drop you there.
But if you want adventure just like we did. We walked and trekk for about 45 minutes from our campsite even
there was no guide at all, its our intuition that made us there .

Your adventure is not complete without seeing the LIGHT HOUSE.

I really enjoyed the place with my fellow TRIP NG BARKADA cast. (PRINCE, ME, DHOC, JOAN C., NELSON, LEILA, MAKIE and AENAH).

How to go to Pundaquit, San Antonio, Zambales and Capones Island:

By car

From Manila, take the NLEX exit at San Fernando Pampanga, from San Fernando, head southwestward to Olongapo city. In Olongapo city, at the the head boundary of Olongapo, make a right turn going to Subic Castillejos then San Marcelino, at San Marcelino, take westward to San Antonio. In San Antonio, head southwestward to Pundaquit. The road to Pundaquit is circuitous so better ask around when you're there. From San Antonio you will see tricycles ask them to take you at Brgy. Pundaquit the fare cost is 20 persons per each depending on your luggages. Finally, From Pundaquit ask the boatman to take you there at CAPONES.


Commute

Take Victory liner (IBA ZAMBALES) at Monumento the fare cost is 250+ pesos, Asked the conductor to drop you off at Brgy. San Antonio, From San Antonio you will see tricycles ask them to take you at Brgy. Pundaquit the fare cost is 20 persons per each depending on your luggages. Finally, From Pundaquit ask the boatman to take you there at CAPONES.


PLEASE and I'm BEGGING!:
If you are planning to go there please don't leave any trash on the Island. Bring garbage bag like we did!. I am very sad when I was there when a group of campers leave their garbages!. Very unhuman!.