Camarines Norte: The Then Pristine Beach of Calaguas Island (Bicol's Hidden Gem)

After a hearty lunch of laing, a Bicol specialty of taro leaves in coconut milk and chili, and grilled yellow fin tuna in Apuao Grande Island, Tutubi and his group "sailed" on for more than two hours to reach their desired destination that fueled the whole tour of Camarines Norte: the virgin beach of Calaguas Island.



The journey was long even made worse by the not so placid water of the Philippine Sea with sightings of small islands with rolling hills and small patches of white sand beaches visible from afar, but the distance and time was immaterial to the ultimate quest was at hand.



There are many islands belonging to Calaguas group of islands but the main island has the longest white sand beach of them all that locals call Mahabang Buhangin (literally long sand, translate loosely as Long Beach).



Upon setting foot on Mahabang Buhangin, the fine white sand of the beach is truly something to behold. The sand is as fine, if not finer than the powdery white sand of Boracay, and also not hot to the feet despite the heat of the summer sun, must be due to the rare chemical composition of the sand also present on Boracay Island.



first sight of Mahabang Buhangin on the "undiscovered" island



Trudging slowly over wet sand towards the "resort," birds of various species flew away on sensing the presence the group while butterflies fluttered in every direction indicating a still intact ecosystem unharmed by the few inhabitants of Calaguas, mostly living on the other side of the island in Vinzon's barangay Banocboc. At dusk, the sound of male kuliglig (cicada), calling the female species for mating, add very rural setting to the place to be enhanced further at night when alitaptap (fireflies) light up nearby trees for a spectacular display of nature's beauty.



There are no resorts on Calaguas, accommodations are either native huts or tents pitched on the beach and some camp sites. There's toilet and bathroom (with tiled floors and walls) inside the bahay kubo but you need to fetch water or hire a local to fetch for you for a minimal fee. There's fresh water supplied by a deep well while drinking water used by the locals from the saluno (aqueduct) (it's is advised though to bring your own drinking water if you can't stand natural mineral water). About a kilometer trek through the thick forest leads to a village where you can buy basic supplies in case you need something.



the bahay kubo (native hut) is the only "high-end resort" on the island



walking on the pristine beach, lonely planet style (does this picture look familiar?)



footprints on the sand...sand that does not feel hot to the feet



After a sumptuous dinner around a bonfire, Tutubi and his friends chose not to sleep inside the bahay kubo, and instead slept on the beach, using blankets, with the sound of lapping waves, croaking frogs, chirping birds, gentle ocean wind and under the canopy of stars with the mythical hunter Orion and the Pleiades keeping watch.


cheap place to stay on the beach!



Nature, adventure, birds, butterflies, seclusion, serenity, cerulean skies, amazing landscapes, rolling hills, turquoise waters, cool fine white sand without the maddening crowd and hint of civilization all rolled into one: Calaguas Island!



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Other activities in Calaguas Group of Islands:



Island-hopping, SCUBA-diving and snorkeling at Banocboc coral reef, trekking/mountain climbing, Butterfly watching, bird watching. The recommended Calaguas itinerary is just an overnight stay on the island unless you really prefer to live like that on a remote island.



Other places to see in Vinzons, Camarines Norte: Wenceslao Vinzons Shrine and Vinzons Church


Trivia: Vinzons town was first called Tacboan, later renamed Indan. It was changed to Vinzons after Wenceslao Q. Vinzons, a former governor of Camarines and guerilla leader executed by the Japanese in World War II. Vinzons Hall in the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman is named after him.

Note: there's no electricity. Smart mobile phone signal can be received at a marked point on the beach :(

How to get to Calaguas Island, Vinzons, Camarines Norte:

Board a bus to Daet, Camarines Norte via Sta. Elena (Piltranco, Amihan Express, Daet Express, fare: PhP500.00), get off at a junction called Batobalani in Jose Panganiban town, ride a tricycle to the port of Paracale (fare: PhP20.00) then look for boats going to Tinaga Island (PhP100.00 fare) or rent a boat to the island (PhP3,000.00 boat rental rate).

the nearest jump-off point to Calaguas Island is via the gold mine town of Paracale, where you can even drop by the rural white beach of Maculabo Island

Daily Boat schedule to Calaguas:

Paracale Port to Brgy. Mangcawayan: 1pm (be there early, Fare: PhP100.00)
Brgy. Mangcawayan to Paracale: 7am (fare: PhP100.00
One trip only, travel time is between 2 to 3 hours

Fees, Fares, Rates:

Beach Entrance Fee: Php 100/head (per day)
Cottage Rental: PhP300.00
Baranggay fee: PhP20.00

Calaguas Island can also be reach by a boat ride, about two hours, from Daet's Bagasbas Beach

Calaguas Island package tours are offered by tour operators and local travel agencies. there's no such thing as calaguas itinerary since all you do in the island is swim and do island hopping
There are hotels on Calaguas Island, resorts are not yet there too.

NOTE (updated May 2013):

Tutubi went back to Calaguas Island Mahabang Buhangin in 2012 and saw development being made there, a part of the white beach was bought, reportedly by Shangri-la resort (but unconfirmed). Foreign plants like a green grass was being planted right on the beach that will someday wreck havoc on Calaguas Island eco-system, being an exotic plant species to the island.

many recent blog posts on calaguas Island reports garbage left by backpackers and usual tourists alike, development of the area (which will someday make the beach exclusive to the future Calaguas Island Resort) and off-limits to the public.

Should Tutubi publish a requiem to Calaguas Island now?