Anawangin Cove, Pundaquit

The Anawangin Cove is by far the most popular destination for campers and beach goers alike. Just the mention of the name Zambales will ring a bell for those who have gone to the cove that a trip to Pundaquit is never complete without feeling Anawangin’s mixture of volcanic ash and white sand beneath your feet.

Anawangin is the nearest cove from the town proper of Pundaquit. It also is currently the most visited and developed amongst its neighboring coves. Owned by a local family who also lives in Pundaquit, they make sure that the place is well maintained  and the shores are regularly cleaned by it’s caretakers.


It is unfortunate that structures such as cement houses or buildings can’t be built behind its shores, due to the fact that seasonal rain and monsoon softens the ground beneath it and waves brought about by the typhoons can easily reach the main campsite. Also, a stream flows from the mountains and through it’s banks during the rainy season.

Anawangin is surrounded by mountains of rocks theoretically known to be formed by ages of volcanic activities in the past. But the most surprising phenomenon which has occured in the past years were the growth of pine trees just behind the banks of the cove. The seeds were brought there by the memorable erruption Mt Pinatubo together with the ash fall.

Entrance to the developed and guarded side of Anawangin is not free. This is the left side when you are facing the cove. The owner has made a business out of it by charging visitors a fee of P50 per head for a day trip and P150 for an overnight stay. This is a small fee to ask for people who wants to stay and make use of their manual freshwater pump (poso or artesian well) and also serves as income for the caretakers.


Things to remember:

• The boatride from the Pundaquit shores to Anawangin will be around 20 to 30 minutes depending on water conditions. Always wear your life vest while you are at sea and remember to put on your sunscreen before going onboard.
• If you plan to stay longer than 4 hours in the cove, bring extra water and food with you. Swimming, taking photos and even just plain walking along the shores will build you quite an appetite.
• Campers and visitors should always never leave their trash behind. Plastic bags or wrappers that flow out to sea are mistakenly eaten by sea turtles and other marine life. Bring them back with you to your resort becuase Anawangin does not have the garbage collectors that we have in the Metro.
• Don’t be stupid. Don’t drink at night and go swimming. A few people have lost their life because they did this. The current can swell differently during night and even during the day, always make sure you know and your friends know where you are.