CALAGUAS ISLAND IN CAMARINES NORTE

Calaguas has the best beach in the country would be an understatement.

To get to this hidden paradise, I had to travel for nine hours by land to Paracale, Camarines Norte, and another hour and a half of a rough boat ride to the Calaguas group of islands.

Then there it was -- Mahabang Buhangin, a picturesque piece of heaven on earth.

Getting there isn't easy. Driving to the Bicol region from Manila requires a lot of patience. It's a winding road once you get to Camarines Norte, so make sure your car is in a very good condition. A nine-hour drive down south can make you hungry, so bring lots of water and snacks.

There are two points of entry to the Calaguas islands: the towns of Paracale and Vinzons. For this trip, our group traveled to Paracale, a quaint town in the province's northern part.

A fisherman’s boat was ready to take us to paradise, but not with comfort. The hour and a half boat ride literally soaked us wet. Since we were going against the current, splashes of water came right at us with every big wave. The boat ride was an adventure in itself.

Tip: Make sure to bring large plastic bags; in our case, they provided us with big black garbage plastic bags to cover our backpacks, especially our gadgets. No picture taking for this ride, unless if you have an underwater camera. Secure your things because they'll be soaking wet if you don’t look after them.

For a tourist friendly ride, take the Vinzons route. The town's port offers a friendlier boat ride experience. The boats are unlike those in Paracale; the only catch is that the ride from Vinzons is farther.

The Paracale to Calaguas route takes an hour and a half, and because of there are more islands in the area, the waves are much calmer. On the other hand, the route from Vinzons will take more than two hours.

 

And on the island, we got back to the basics. Tents served as our house, a poso (water pump) as our water source, the beach as our playground, the white sand as our bed. Countless stars filled our night sky, and the moon was our light before we closed our eyes.

Note that there was almost no signal (cellphone) activity on the island, which I think adds to the charm of the place.

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And on the island, we got back to the basics. Tents served as our house, a poso (water pump) as our water source, the beach as our playground, the white sand as our bed. Countless stars filled our night sky, and the moon was our light before we closed our eyes.

Note that there was almost no signal (cellphone) activity on the island, which I think adds to the charm of the place.