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DIY ANAWANGIN COVE TRAVEL GUIDE BLOG. This post contains the information you need to plan your next ZAMBALES trip including boat tour rates, camping rates, things to bring to, and things to do at the cove. We also included directions to PUNDAQUIT and sample ANAWANGIN COVE ITINERARY.

We’ve already established that while Metro Manila is lacking in natural scenery, it is surrounded by numerous scenic provinces that easily make up for it. Of all these destinations, our absolute favorite has always been the same for years: San Antonio, Zambales.

San Antonio has everything we adore about a destination: fantastic sights, accessibility, and a unique geology. Yes, its coast is fringed with stunning beaches like many other provinces in the country, but what sets them apart is its composition and history. The beaches here are not strewn with your ordinary fine sand but volcanic ash, straight from the gut of the mighty Mt. Pinatubo. All these factors combined make San Antonio an interesting weekend destination, to say the least.

The once sleepy fishing village of Pundaquit in particular was jerked awake by tourism. Many fishermen today double as boatmen taking tourists to the municipality’s cloistered beaches. And it all started with Anawangin Cove.

Anawangin Cove is just one of the many ash-filled nooks and crannies of San Antonio, but it’s the one that started the tourism wave in the area mainly because it’s the nearest and the most accessible.

Anawangin is not an island; it is part of mainland Luzon. However, it is tucked away behind the mountains that getting there by land requires hours of trekking over an almost bare landscape. The easiest way to reach it is by boat, and the closest major settlement is Brgy. Pundaquit.

Aside from Anawangin Cove, other destinations that can be easily accessed from Pundaquit are the following:

Nagsasa Cove

Silanguin Cove

Talisayin Cove

Camara Island

Capones Island

You can go straight to Anawangin from Pundaquit, but you can also go island-hopping (or beach-hopping). You just need to make an arrangement with a boatman while you’re in Pundaquit. And yes, you can visit all five on a day tour, provided that you arrive early! I’ve done that before!

Anawangin has no electricity and no mobile signal, which makes it ideal for an escape from the jolts of the city. That said, the truth is, it is no longer a best kept secret. The secret has long been out. Anawangin has been the go-to destination for sun-worshippers from the capital. I, for one, have been here several times. In summer, it can get really crowded and chaotic — some of the boatmen we meet call it Divisoria — but it’s all about the timing.

Speaking of timing…

HOW TO GET TO ANAWANGIN COVE

The first step is to get to Brgy. Pundaquit, which is the jump off point to Anawangin Cove and other San Antonio beaches.

MANILA TO ANAWANGIN COVE

Catch a Victory Liner bus bound to Iba or Santa Cruz, Zambales, and get off at San Antonio Public Market. Travel time: 4-5 hours. Fare is between P270 and P360, depending on which part of Manila you’re coming from.  Alternatively, you may also travel by bus to Olongapo City (P218 from Pasay; P207 from Cubao), and then board another bus to San Antonio (P58).

Take a tricycle to Pundaquit. Travel time: 20 minutes. Fare: P60 if you’re alone; P30 per person if you’re part of a group.

Rent a boat to Anawangin. Travel time: 20 minutes. Boat rates below.

If they’re charging you way over P300 for the bus ride to San Antonio, it could be because they think you’re getting off in Iba. Make sure it’s clear that you’re alighting in San Antonio.

Update: According to a commenter, the bus fare from Manila to San Antonio is now at P360. Tricycle to Pundaquit is P80 for 2 pax or P40 per person.