Coming from a refreshing swim in Puting Buhangin and a visit from Kwebang Lampas, our boatman, Mang Urong brought us next to Dampalitan Beach for around a thirty-minute ride. We brought all our stuff because he will fetch another group from Borawan. But as soon as we were approaching the island, the sky became cloudy.

This article is the continuation of our beach escapade in Padre Burgos, Pagbilao, Quezon. Read my story here: Quezon Wonder-Part 1: Puting Buhangin and Kwebang Lampas

BORAWAN BEACH

Just like Puting Buhangin, the sand of Dampalitan Beach was creamy white though not that fine, the water was also clean and clear. The long stretch had verdant pine trees lined up on the beachfront. Tents were pitched everywhere. It was a summer crowd again.

Fortunately, we got a long picnic table under the shade of pine trees facing the aqua blue water. Near us were nipa huts of various sizes, all of which were occupied by people busy cooking food for their lunch. The caretaker approached us and collected the table and entrance fees. Again, Shen was free of charge since she is below 4 feet tall.

It was nearing noontime and everyone was starving. We feasted our packed lunch with these viands: adobong pork, fried eggplant with bagoong, hot dog, tocino, and meatloaf. We had bananas and watermelon for our dessert. Heavy meal indeed. Pao, Miko, and Pol were assigned to clean the table after we eat.

By then, the stifling atmosphere and the activities we had by morning lulled us to sleep. So instead of wading on the water, one by one took refuge in a hammock for a short nap. My mother is in the lead. Haha!

After regaining energy, we munched halo-halo (P20) which we bought from a nearby little hut. A little later, they all immersed in the water. I was left on the table to safeguard our belongings.

I didn’t swim when they told me there was a jellyfish. Maybe the netted area which I noticed before we hop out from the boat served as protection from these creatures. Mama went back after a refreshing dip and so it’s my time to explore the back area of the island. Thanks to the shade of pine trees for I don’t need an umbrella in strolling around.

The island offers a peaceful retreat. If we could have the place all by ourselves I’m sure that would be a wonderful escape from the busy city life. But facing a beach with a fiesta crowd, the best thing to do is join them and have fun!

By one p.m. we headed to our final stop. To Borawan Beach.

Rates:

Entrance Fees:  P30 – Day Tour / P150 – Overnight
Tent: P300
Picnic Table – P300
Open Nipa Hut – P700 – Day Tour / P 500 – Overnight P500
Big Nipa Hut – P1,000 – Day Tour / Night Tour
P40 – 5-gallon mineral water

BORAWAN BEACH

Borawan Beach as Mang Urong told us is the Boracay and Palawan of Quezon. The glow in his eyes, the smile on his face, and the way he prided Quezon’s beautiful islands amused me so much.

Borawan Beach is ten minutes away from Dampalitan Beach. It is the most visited beach along Lipata Island and is famous because of its clear water and big rock formations. Among the three islands, Borawan has the highest entrance rate (P80). Hmmm… let us see why it is so…

What captivated us from afar were the towering rock formations which are almost comparable to Coron in Palawan. We hopped out from the boat carrying our SLR bag only. The sand was light beige not as fine as the two islands but the water was also clear. The shoreline was small. We will not stay long so we did not rent a cottage anymore; instead, we just occupied a little space near the docking area.

No collector approaches us for the entrance fee. We can’t wait anymore so we hastily explored the whole stretch. There were lots of big rocks on the island. The old and small nipa huts which I saw on the internet were replaced by new and lovely nipa hut cottages.

There was a small canteen which sells coffee (P17), halo halo (P30), and souvenir items like t-shirts and short pants. Since there was no keychain I picked beach stones and kept them in my pocket. That was my souvenir in our Quezon beach getaway.

I was static looking up at the towering rock formations. How I wish I was a mountaineer braving a climb to such kind of enormous rocks. There were nice shower and comfort rooms with a minimal fee of P20. We passed by a volleyball area (P40/per hour) and headed at the end of the small stretch. There’s nothing much to see in that area so we went back to our small and quiet place.

Now I know the reason why Borawan Beach had the highest entrance fee. It has better amenities compared to Dampalitan Beach and Puting Buhangin. But I’ve noticed there were only a few tents pitched in the area and is not crowded with people.

Good points on this island: It was clean, no hanging clothes near the cottages, no big noise, with convenient use of comfort rooms and best of all, its short distance to the mainland.

We spent the two hours basking under the sun. But a moment later, we felt a sudden pinch on our skin and found out it was a sting from a jellyfish.

Seeing a big one we headed back to the beachfront and spent few more minutes in picture-taking. It was then the collector approached us for the payment of the entrance fee. I thought our stay was for free. Haha!

By 3:30 pm, we went back to Oreto Beach Resort to rinse. We had a slight discomfort in using their comfort room. It has no running water so we used a pail to fill the water drum. We put our clean clothes in a monoblock chair outside the comfort room because there was no hook on the walls. Just the same, we were thankful to the resort for we washed away those sands from our now dark-skinned bodies (P20/head).

We paid P100 for the parking fee. By 5:00 pm we headed back to Manila. Travel time took us six hours due to traffic in Sariaya, Lucena, and Calamba.

Contact Numbers:

Tamarind Tree Hotel – 09218383745
Mang Urong – +639206874107
Beverly – 09062423945
Nino – 09476142289
Irma Saniel (former staff of Vista Playa) -09186048601 – she arranges tour packages

In Getting There:

Through Public Transportation:

Ride a bus bound to Lucena and alight at Grand Terminal (Jac Liner in Buendia or Kamuning). Then take a mini-bus bound to Unisan and alight at Brgy. Maraot in Padre Burgos. The jump-off point is either at the back of Coastal Grills (former Vista Playa Restaurant) or Oreto Beach Resort.

Through Private Transportation:

Coming from Manila, take SLEX and exit through Santo Tomas. You will pass by these towns: San Pablo City, Tiaong, Candelaria, Sariaya, and Lucena City. From Lucena City proper, take the Lucena Diversion Road road going to Pagbilao. There is a fork leading to Bicol on the left and the right to Padre Burgos. The arch “Welcome to Bondoc Peninsula,” is your gateway to Padre Burgos. It may take you 15 to 20 minutes to reach town proper and few more minutes you will be heading to Barangay Maraot where you will find the jump-off point.