The small cove of Anawangin can be found near the town of Pundaquit in Zambales. It boasts of a pine tree covered beach with sand primarily composed of ash fall from the Pinatubo eruption. It is a quiet and peaceful piece of Philippine coastline...  except it seems during summer weekends.

The last time I visited Anawangin cove was 2 years ago. It wasn't summer vacation season then and Anawangin was just starting to become popular  destination to non trekkers on the internet.

Once the instructions on how to get there had become widespread online, the "off-the-beaten-track" aspect of the beach understandably disappeared.

Despite the crowds, the vibrant charm of Anawangin cove was still present. Don't mind the tent city that usually grows around the communal bathing and toilet areas. You can still enjoy the attractions of the place.

The pine trees are still there and the crystal clear waters of the cove still crashes it's waves on the grayish white sand of the beach.

You can hike the hills surrounding the cove (although be sure to have lots of water and sun block ready, the sun will toast you quickly and the warm wind will sap your energy faster than the hike itself).

I also found a nice snorkeling spot at one end of the cove. The rocks there offer various small fishes a place to congregate and feed. Nothing as spectacular as the big coral reefs, but it will still give you the feeling of swimming in an aquarium. It is always nice to see fish in their actual habitat swimming around and very much alive. Bring some old bread and crumble it in your hand. Scatter it around and watch the fish swarm around the crumbs in a feeding frenzy.

The stream that flows out into the cove is still there, though the waters aren't as clear or the depth as enjoyable, but the landscape was as photogenic as ever.

I look forward to visiting Anawangin again but definitely not during the summer season. The relaxing peace and quiet of the cove takes it's own vacation when the crowd of human vacationers arrive..

The group that organized the trip, Discovery Bug Travel ( FB page ) had all the essentials covered. They are composed of veteran trekkers and know their stuff well.

Our Infamous itinerary included a visit to the Capones Island Lighthouse. We were also suppose to visit the Camara Island but it had gotten late and the waves weren't too friendly on the approach to the beach. I'll post details of our visit to the lighthouse next.

Take care in your travels.

Update: This is a link to old photos from 2008 Anawangin visit.