Anawangin Cove - Zambales

Located several kilometers away from the town proper of Pundaquit, San Antonio in the province of Zambales, Anawangin Cove is one  (if not the most) of the tourist destinations of the province.

Anawangin Cove

Anawangin Cove Details

Anawangin Cove is known for its out-of-this-country like feels. Visitors of this cove would surely be awed with the unusual view of the forest of pine trees serving as the backdrop to the fine secluded beach instead of the typical coconut. The cove also has a river that adds drama to its already picturesque pine forest. The best part of it all is that this cove has little man-made structures.

Anawangin Cove - San Antonio, Zambales

Heading to Anawangin Cove by boat

Gotta love the view here in Anawangin Cove.

The place has numerous huts to rent if you don't want to get burnt by the sun

Well... that was my impression when I first visited Anawangin Cove way back in 2007. Sadly, some things do change negatively... Typhoon Emong and Pepeng in 2009 devastated a huge part of Zambales including Anawangin Cove. From there, the cove deteriorated little by little. More huts were constructed, then came the fence that separates the beach from the pine tree forest, and finally the shanty stores. 

 

You may choose to explore the different areas of Anawangin Cove

You may also pitch using your own tent

...or you can rent a tent here too.

Rent a cottage anyone?

Enjoy camping and being surrounded by pine trees

Gotta love the view from the campsite. 

I managed to return a decade later, and what I saw saddened me. The once free-to-roam cove was reduced to a fenced community of pay-as-you enter establishments complete with shanty food stores and hut and floater rentals. You can check out the rates below...

Anawangin Cove rates:

Going to the river and the pine tree forest area (regardless if it is dry) would cost you P50 and camp in the cove grounds would cost you P100. I have nothing against giving locals a chance to earn from tourism but looking at it, this was not planned well by whoever planned it. Anawangin Cove was stripped of its natural beauty and was reduced to a money-making plot of land. 

Also, keep in mind that to reach Anawangin Cove, one has to rent a banca. The rates are posted below.

Small banca - P1500/pax maximum of 4

Big banca - P300/pax minimum of 10

Bring some of these souvenirs home.

Check out the customized souvenirs

Race with your friends going back to the resort

The Backpack Adventures visits Anawangin Cove

Why visit Anawangin Cove?

Overall, I would not be surprised if one day a convenience store (or a resort) would suddenly be constructed in the cove. With that sarcastic remark, I do hope the local tourism office would make a step to reduce if not remove the man-made establishments in Anawangin Cove and return it to their pristine form. Then I suggest that this place be declared a protected area to preserve it. Regardless, you should still come to visit Anawangin Cove while it still retains most of its "natural" beauty. A few more years would probably strip it of that especially that it's now becoming more and more commercialized.

Getting to Anawangin Cove:

From Manila, ride a Victory Liner bus to Iba, Zambales. Tell the conductor to drop you off in San Antonio. From there, transfer to a tricycle and tell the driver to bring you to your chosen resort in Pundaquit. From the resort, rent a banca to bring you to Anawangin Cove.

Small banca - P1500/pax maximum of 4

Big banca - P300/pax minimum of 10

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