Located in the province of Pangasinan, the town of Bolinao is one of the perfect places to spend a quick weekend by the beach. Situated about six hours away by bus from Manila, a midnight ride from Cubao can easily transport tourists from the bustle of the metro to a relaxing seaside getaway. Besides its sprawl of golden beaches and aquamarine waters, it boasts of three easy to explore caves with natural pools within its caverns, three gorgeous waterfalls, unique rock formations along its coasts and the second tallest American Era lighthouse in the Philippines.
The sun was quickly retreating down horizon as we alighted from our van. I hurried towards Patar White Beach, Bolinao’s renowned public beach, my feet dragging on its golden sand. I plodded on, knowing full well that the window for the day’s most beautiful light would soon come to pass.
 |
| PATAR WHITE BEACH DURING WEEKDAYS |
Patar White Beach’s cream-colored sand, sidely lit by the sinking sun, mimicked the gentle lapping waves of the shore. I took my sandals off and my toes promptly sank beneath the soft yellow granules. I set up my gear, surveyed the seemingly endless beach and saw that besides the locals enjoying the sunset, we were almost the only tourist in the area.
A chasm dropped beneath the shallow seabed, its opening, an angry mouth overgrown with golden seaweeds. It was frothing. Alive. The fuming sea filled it one moment, the rift, swallowing it the next; a furious repetition that hypnotizes. I stood at its edge, watching it dance, when a particularly massive wave slammed the dinosaur-like coral rock just behind it. It broke my reverie, remembering I was towing a camera with me.
 |
| TREASURES OF BOLINAO LOBBY |
 |
| AN OVERVIEW OF THE RESORT FROM THE MAIN HOUSE ROOF TOP |
It was almost three years since our last visit to Bolinao, a place where lasting friendships has been kindled. We were definitely excited when an invite to revisit it presented itself. We boarded a bus from Cubao one afternoon and arrived at Bolinao’s Poblacion close to midnight.
 |
| THE NEARBY PATAR WHITE BEACH |
Like the last, we’re staying along the town’s famous Patar White Beach, but this time, we’re sleeping on a more posh location, the Treasures of Bolinao Beach Resort. It became our home for two nights in Patar, and what a home it turned out to be.
 |
| OUR ROOM FOR TWO NIGHTS |
We were billeted at their Standard Room in their New Villa Building. The room is minimally decorated with framed black and white photographs, a couple of plush chairs and a foldable sofa bed. Its two queen-sized beds were good enough for four, but since we were only two, it was really quite spacious.
 |
| STANDARD ROOM AT THE NEW VILLA BUILDING |
The toilet and bath is adequate enough (has hot shower, no bidet though) and the room has a veranda overlooking the central drive which has a mini version of the Bolinao Lighthouse. This was where we downed our bottles of sake before finally going to bed.
It wasn’t really until the next morning that we got to see what this resort has to offer.
 |
| AFTERNOON STROLL AT THE PATAR WHITE BEACH |
Treasures of Bolinao sprawls on acres of land right in front of the beach. On its back stands the iconic Bolinao Lighthouse, on its left, Patar’s White Beach is accessible directly from the resort, and the strange Patar Rock Formations, unique to the area, guard its right flank. Hands down, this resort has the best location in all of Patar.
 |
| THE MAHARLIKA BUILDING |
 |
| INFINITY POOL OVERLOOKING THE WEST PHILIPPINE SEA |
 |
| SOAKING IN THE SUN |
It is the resort that started the tourism boom in Patar several years back. From a single structure, it has now expanded into six resort buildings totaling the number of rooms to sixty five. The latest building, dubbed as the Main House, is now being readied to open right before the summer starts. Treasures of Bolinao has two pools, one inside the grounds and the other, an infinity pool over looking the West Philippine Sea.
 |
| WAS SURPRISED TO SEE A SURFER AT PATAR |
 |
| ONE OF THE MANY OPEN CABANAS AT THE RESORT |
We got a glimpse of these while waiting for our complimentary silog breakfast to be served at their restaurant’s al fresco tables. We were watching a lone surfer, out breaking the waves, as our first meal of the day arrived, tapsilog for C and the superb Alaminos garlic longganisa—also paired with fried rice and egg—for me.
 |
| SWIMMING ON THE WATERS IN FRONT OF THE RESORT |
 |
| THERE’S A GOOD SNORKELING SITE AT THE PATAR WHITE BEACH, BUT THERE’S ALSO ONE NEARBY |
Quickly finishing everything off, we took a walk at the Patar White Beach, reminiscing the first time we visited the place, before running towards the water to swim and snorkel. The waters on the left side of the resort, protected by a natural surf break, was very calm and was quite good for wading. Part of it has a sandy bottom, with its fringes filled with rocky corals populated by colorful little fishes. It isn’t as deep as those at the far end of the White Beach, with maximum depth at around four feet. Very safe for kids, but still deep enough for a relaxing swim.
 |
| HYPNOTIZED BY THE WAVES HITTING THE ROCK FORMATIONS |
There were quite a few weekenders walking along the shallow midpart of the waters, we followed suit. Since the tide was at its lowest, the sea was just about shin deep. We watched as some kids played dangerously near the edge of the seabed that forms the surf break, waiting for the waters to explode as it slams into the rock platform.
 |
| THE MINI BEACH AND ROCK FORMATIONS AT THE RIGHT FLANK OF THE RESORT |
A blowhole sprayed seawater as we passed, to the shrieks of kids near it, and a massive wave several meters away from the farthest edge almost made me tumble. This is a wild place. Eventually, after our measured steps, we reached the small cove at the right side of the resort. The water was also very shallow, but there were a couple of natural pools or bath tubs one can soak in.
 |
| AIR-CONDITIONED RESTAURANT AREA |
 |
| SHRIMP AMPALAYA, SURPRISINGLY GOOD |
Lunch came just right on time, crispy nilasing na hipon (fried battered shrimp marinated in wine), shrimp sautéed in ampalaya (bitter gourd) and bowls of sinigang na tahong (mussels in sour soup). Everything was quite good.
 |
| THE RESTAURANT SERVES BOTH FILIPINO AND WESTERN DISHES |
An advice for those ordering at the restaurant, make sure to place it in advance, like hours before your actual meal, since their current kitchen staff are a bit limited and can be swamped with orders during peak hours.
 |
| PATAR BEACH FACES THE WEST |
On one of the open bungalows extending towards the sea, we spent the rest of the afternoon, sipping on glasses of very cold beer while watching beach goers cross the shallow sea towards the surf breaks and rock formations. The setting sun signaled our final shot.
 |
| SUNSET AT TREASURE OF BOLINAO’S SIGNATURE BRIDGE |
 |
| MESMERIZED BY THE WAVES HITTING THE ROCK FORMATIONS |
We scampered over Treasure of Bolinao’s iconic white bridge to watch and photograph the golden hour, the sun, blazing fully, bathing the waters in fiery oranges, before retiring down the horizon; the sea rising and breaking through to the shore in massive waves.
 |
| A PERFECT SUNSET AT THE TREASURES OF BOLINAO |
Internet signal is quite hard while in Patar. The resort has wi-fi at its lobby, but it is understandable slow. We were advised by one of their friendly staff that their signal is much stronger at the roof deck of the new building. And so, to the rooftop we went.
 |
| TWILIGHT AT THE TREASURES OF BOLINAO |
Indeed, notifications started to flood our phone as soon as we stepped on the deck. We were quite busy, checking e-mails, posting on Instagram and Facebook, that we almost didn’t notice the moon rising over the hill where Bolinao Lighthouse stood.
 |
| MOONRISE AT THE BOLINAO LIGHTHOUSE |
It was a full moon, and its proximity to the lighthouse cannot be more perfect. I’ve never seen Bolinao’s landmark in such a magical way. And I probably wouldn’t have witnessed this rare moment anywhere else, a final gem to cap our first day in Patar. Treasures of Bolinao, indeed.
~ OUR GRATITUDE TO TREASURES OF BOLINAO FOR INVITING US FOR A PATAR WEEKEND GETAWAY
Treasures of Bolinao
Address: Brgy. Patar, Bolinao, Pangasinan
Contact Number: (075) 696-3266 | (02) 413-4914
(0908) 853-0000
Email: info@treasuresofbolinao.com
Room Rates | Daytour Rates: PHP385.00 adult,
PHP280.00 kids, PHP4,000.00 cottage
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
GPS Coordinates Map: 16.306095, 119.780731
What should’ve been an overnight affair turned into a three-day jaunt. What should’ve been an easy relaxing stay at a posh resort turned into a rugged wash and tumble landscape shoot on jagged seaside formations. I have always longed to visit Bolinao, Pangasinan and when the opportunity presented itself at last, I got more than what I bargained for.
Here’s a rundown of my three-day trip to Bolinao.
P O S T C A R D S
D A Y O N E
Bolinao’s St. James the Great Church
A Refreshing Dip at Bolinao Falls 1
Round Two at Bolinao Falls 2
Floating Inside Bolinao’s Wonderful Cave
A Glimpse of Patar’s Coastal Landscapes
Going Higher at Cape Bolinao Lighthouse
The Gold Sand Beach of Patar, Bolinao
D A Y T W O
Sunny Days at Puerto del Sol
Slow Morning at Bolinao Beach
Rock View Beach Resort
Intense Sunset at Bolinao’s Patar Rock Formation
Starry Starry Night at Bolinao’s Patar Beach
D A Y T H R E E
The sun arose with me on my last day in Bolinao. I have witnessed its demise the previous afternoon, radiating a final magenta warmth over the whole land and introducing multitudes of tiny sparkling stars as the twilight passed into evening. Now I await as it slowly resurrected itself at the other side of the land, unseen from the rocky shoreline of Patar Beach where I was currently standing, again waiting for it to paint the land with its golden hues.
My steps crunched loudly on the pebbles littering the beach. I tried to make my way to the hut above the hill overlooking Patar’s Rock Formation but I can barely see anything. It was seven in the evening and it was pitch black outside my lonely thatched room at the Rock View Resort.
Last night I saw the Milky Way. It was crawling its slow way out of the distant horizon. Even with its millions of suns, it still took a few minutes before my eyes adjusted to the dark and I was finally able to make it out from the multitude of stars.
The land was bathed in glowing magentas. Waves relentlessly pounded Patar’s distinct shoreline, the natural elevated seabed extending some meters into the roiling sea acted as my personal breakwater and my landscape playground. The tide hurriedly crashed in, I waited as it filled my mesa; I lightly touch my camera’s shutter waiting for the right moment when the water ebbed back to the sea and pressed it at the crucial split second as another set of waves crashed into me.
This is the only reason I stayed a day more in Patar, Bolinao. There were a few more caves, another waterfall and probably some more sights I was unable to visit during our tour of the place but my interest was focused on only one thing, Patar’s unique rock formations and how I would capture its beauty during the golden hour.
My mind was swirling with the crashing waves. I was unable to let go of the images I witnessed yesterday when we visited Patar’s Rock Formation. My mind’s eye was churning infinite and exquisite possibilities of how those craggy coral stones and low lying natural sea platforms would look with the angry waves during the golden hour.
But the only way I can make these hazy images become a clear possibility is for me to stay another day in Bolinao. That meant I have to say goodbye to my travel buddies as they head back to Manila and it also meant that I have to find myself a decent lodging; cross decent, an affordable lodging near the rock formations where I can spend the night without me having to thumb my way back to the metro.
My soft bed at Puerto del Sol Bolinao whispered that there would be no beautiful light to be shed by the morning sky today. It promised me of deep comfort and restful slumber if I just lay off the thoughts of those lights and rays. I almost lost the struggle if not for the persistent quacking of my alarm clock; it was already thirty minutes to sunrise as I slowly broke off the drowning spell of sleep.
I know for a fact that I wouldn’t be getting a direct sunrise from this side of the land, Bolinao being located on the western seaboard of the country. But I’m just too hardheaded and too never-miss-a-moment kind of guy that I still decided to ditch my much needed sleep and take a chance on the light that might or might not be present that day.
It’s a rare treat for me to check in at posh resorts when out traveling; preferring bare, no-frills accommodations over fancy ones to save on travel expenses. But for the first leg of my Bolinao tour, Puerto del Sol, the town’s most prominent resort near Patar, became my home, well, at least for a night. 
Beautiful cottages, lush gardens, an azure swimming pool, fantastic cuisines and fine, white sand beach. Who am I to refuse a free stay at a resort as luxurious as Puerto del Sol?
Standing proudly from a 250-foot hill above the sea, the towering Cape Bolinao Lighthouse dominates the clear blue skies of Punta Piedra Point. The late afternoon sun paints its white circular needle in golden hues and I can see how this lighthouse has now come to represent Bolinao’s tourism icon.
Constructed by Filipino, American and British engineers in 1905, the lighthouse has been a beacon of salvation for seafarers sailing the waters of South China Sea for more than a hundred years. Sadly the light has since gone out of its tower as its batteries broke down in 2004.
I wasn’t expecting to personally witness the famous Patar landscapes I’ve been seeing on many local photography forums during our Bolinao Tour. I knew we’d be visiting caves, waterfalls and beaches but not landscapes. It just wasn’t on most local tourists’ lists of things to see.
Stuffed with lunch and done with our waterfall activities, we again clambered on Puerto del Sol’s van to see more of Bolinao. A spelunking activity was next on our itinerary and we’d be doing it under one of the town’s three caves, the most wonderful of the three in fact; we’re getting down and dirty at Bolinao’s Wonderful Cave.
Still not satisfied in visiting the first Bolinao Falls, we made our way to another waterfall some minutes away from our first rendezvous. Seems the locals at Bolinao are having a hard time naming their waterfalls as this second one is also anonymously named as Bolinao Falls 2.
