When people ask me about my beach recommendations in the Philippines I always point to the beaches in the Visayas such as Cebu or Boracay. Having travelled almost all countries in the Southeast Asia, being born, raised and living in the Philippines, I am blessed to witness most of the greatest beaches I visited in my entire life. From beaches with stunning sunrise and sunset, fine white sand, crystal clear water to waves that are worth chasing for surfing adventure, it is safe to say that my standard when it comes to beaches are quite high. You can call me a beach snub if you will.

One of those places I usually ignore and decline for any travel invitation is Pangasinan. Ok! Wait, hear me out. I am from Benguet, a mountainous province in the Cordillera which is roughly 3- 4 hours away from Pangaisnan. When I was little the beaches in Pangasinan and La Union are the escape of most people from my hometown. I did visit some of them unfortunately I am not that impressed. Most probably because they are not white sand and there are no recreational activities being offered except swimming. (That is at least during the time I visited, I don’t know now.)

However, there’s this fine, almost white sand and very attractive beach that is located in a sleepy town of Burgos, Pangasinan and that is Cabongaoan beach. This laid back place is a neighbor to another stunning beaches like Colibra Island and the ever famous Death Pool. I heard Death Pool in the past from my friends and coworkers but I didn’t have the desire to check it out because I thought it is not worth the drive if I am just checking one place out. Until I got a travel invitation from friends that includes, Cabongaoan beach, Colibra Island and Death Pool. That’s the time I realized it must be worth it.

How To Get There

I searched online and there are no direct bus that goes to Burgos. It is either you drive there with your own car or cutting trip. You can start by taking the Victory Liner bus to Dagupan or Alaminos and hail another bus going to Burgos. As for out group we booked a joiners tour group with J-Explorer  Travel and Tours on Facebook. We opted for that because it is convenient. It was a last minute decision and adding the fact that we are aunties (lol) who can’t be bothered to plan for a DIY itinerary. Anyway, we left Baguio at 1:30 a.m and we arrived in Burgos before 6 a.m. It was a long-ass drive but it’s okay since the van is huge with enough leg room and comfortable seat to sleep. The cottages are booked in Villa Toledo where we had our breakfast and bathrooms.

Cabongaoan Beach

This beach is stretch of fine creamy white sand. There are numerous resorts here that you can book for overnight stay that ranges from Php 1,500-2,000 per night according to booking.com. If you book in the resorts along the beach you can have a stunning view of the sunset. If you are just there for a day trip some resorts also offer cottages that cost Php 500.

Aside from lounging on the beach and swimming, activities like Banana Boat and Crystal Kayak are also offered. They cost Php 150 per pax and Php 200 per pax for an hour respectively. Snorkeling gears are also available for rent for Php 150.

Colibra Island 

Forty five minutes boat ride lies this isolated small island of Colibra. The same as Cabongaoan, it also has fine creamy white sand beach and crystal clear water. Unlike Cabongaoan, Colibra is still undeveloped as it doesn’t have any cottages nor any activities to do except swimming. We took shelter under a tree and just took photos in “Welcome to Colibra Island” sign. The cost to get here is  Php 300-320 per pax depending on the capacity of the fishing boat. Some boats can accommodate 4 people some can take 5 plus Php 80 entrance fee.

Death Pool

The star of the trip. This rocky side of the beach is home to the ever famous death pool. It offers an amazing experience on how calm and extreme the waves can get in a split second so you better be careful dipping here if you are not a swimmer. It is also a few meters away from Mary Hill unfortunately it was closed when we were there so were not able to get a glimpse. To get here is a 10-15 minutes trek (depending on your speed) on a rocky side of Cabongaoan beach. Be warned to wear appropriate footwear because the path going there is very rocky. You need to climb some rocks and step on pointy edges that can injure your feet. I met a fellow resort goer who got tricked on walking barefoot and regretted it half way.

Sample Itinerary

This is the day trip itinerary given to us by the tour agency. You can always customize your activities depending on your preference.

1:30 am- Depart from Baguio to Pangasinan

6:00 a.m- Arrival in the resort (We opted for Villa Toledo)

6:30 a.m- 7:30 a.m- Breakfast

7:30-8:30 a.m- Death Pool and Mary Hill

8:30-9:30 a.m- Masanget Cove

9:30 am- 10:15 Travel to Colibra Island

10:15-12:00- Swimming, snorkeling in Colibra Island

12:00- 1:00- Back to the resort

1:00- 2:00- Lunch

2:00-4:00- Activities, Swimming, Crystal Kayak, Banana Boat

4:00-5:00- Shower

5:00- Depart to Baguio

 *Note: This can change depending on the condition of the waves, also if it is high tide or low tide.

Expenses:

Php 1800: Tour Agency (Includes transportation, Cottage, Environmental Fees and Coordinator Fee) Food not included. But the agency is very generous enough to bring a lot of food for sharing.

Php 300: Boat to Colibra Island

Php 80: Colibra Island Entrance Fee

Php 200: Crystal Kayak rent per pax (1 hour)

Php 150: Banana Boat per pax (1 hour)

Php 80: Mango Fruit Shake

Php 200: Pearl Necklace Souvenir

Php 600 (Estimated): Food

Total: Php 3,410

My Thoughts

As I said by the title, Cabongaoan beach changes my mind about Pangasinan. I think I have to swallow my words of saying the province is not worth it nor impressive. Forgive me. I believe there are more places like this that is yet to be discovered and gain more recognition for its beauty. With regards to the tour, since Colibra Island is not yet developed and there is nothing in there I would suggest to just skip it especially if you are already in Cabongaoan beach. What you get in Colibra already exist in Cabongaoan hence not worth the 45 minute boat ride.