Pangasinan, Philippines is blessed with numerous summer
destinations scattered all over the province.
While we were doing our research on where to go next for our 2017 summer
getaway, we found out that the province not only has a number of nice beaches,
but several waterfalls as well. We had
four days to spend in Pangasinan and I suggested to the group that we visit one
of the waterfalls if it was possible.
However, due to certain circumstances, we had to make adjustments in our
itinerary.
One from our group recommended the Umbrella Rocks of Agno
because she has a coworker who’s a local of Agno. These rock formations at the mouth of
Balincaguin River are famous for their peculiar shapes, naturally carved out by
the elements over the ages. It is one of
the main attractions of the municipality along with the Abagatanen Beach (which
unfortunately for us, we did not get to visit).
All the rooms at Agno Umbrella Rocks were already booked when we tried
to make a reservation but we were so privileged to be allowed by Councilor
Charlie Dave Rosete, through the help of Mr. Clarence Narabal, to use the
Tourist Hall at the beach.
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| The Umbrella Rocks of Agno |
From Burgos town proper, it was less than an hour’s drive to get to the town
proper of Agno. We stopped by Agno
public market to replenish some of our supplies and also have a quick
snack. We were relieved when we saw the
signs pointing to the Umbrella Rocks that said we were only just 4 kilometers away
(compared to the 24 kilometers in Burgos).
The road going to the beach was a two-lane paved road except for the
last 400 meters which was a rough road, one vehicle wide. Vehicles can be parked at the open parking space just outside the beach
area.
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| Replenishing supplies before going to the beach |
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| The rough road part going to the beach is much shorter |
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| See? We're here already! |
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| Vehicles may be parked here (with minimal fee) |
The Umbrella Rocks beach is operated by the local
government of Agno. When we visited the place, the area was clean and the
locals who were looking after the beach were always there so there was also a
sense of security. The tourist hall
where we stayed was a newly constructed building that had one big space
inside. It had separate bathroom/toilet
for the ladies and the men. It had a
sink that served as our kitchen. Cottages
are available in the resort where you could stay overnight and there’s also a
lot of space where you could pitch tents.
After setting up our stuff in the tourist hall, we were
greeted by a surprise feast courtesy of Mr. Clarence because somebody in our
group was celebrating their wedding anniversary. The timing was just right because it was time
for lunch when we arrived at Agno. All
the food were yummy but one particular item that stood out for me was the
Alaminos longganisa. It was so tasty,
our group agreed that we pass by Alaminos market on our way home to buy some.
The beach had fine grayish black sand while the water was
clean and clear. The sand was hot in the
afternoon because of its color so the aqua shoes came in handy. In front of the tourist hall, the sea bottom
was rocky and had some big, sandy, shallow pits in several places that I found
useful the next day. The sandy part of
the sea was right in front of the cottages just a few steps away from the
tourist hall. Beyond the cottages were
the famous Umbrella Rocks.
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| The newly constructed Tourist Hall where we stayed |
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| A big space where the kids could play |
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| Also has a small pantry |
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| This view! |
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| There were only a few people even though it was the peak season |
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| Our grub for the day courtesy of Mr. Clarence! |
The kids spent the whole afternoon playing in the
water. Low tide was approaching that
time so the water was shallow and just right for the kids. It was a lot easier to monitor the kids at
Umbrella Rocks beach because there were only few people. We could very well see them from the tourist
hall. I believe this would be the same
case if we got the cottage because the beach was also just in in front. The kids could not get too far out into the
open sea because the rocky bottom was just next to the shallow sandy part of
the beach and it would be difficult to walk on the sharp rocks. As for the kids in the autism spectrum, an
adult companion at the beach would still be a must.
Mr. Clarence, who is a local of Agno, was so generous to
prepare our dinner that night. We had
our dinner outside the tourist hall, facing the night sea while exchanging
stories. The kids had the big space of
the tourist hall as their playground. After
dinner, we got to light a bonfire at the beach that made the kids excited. The sand was still warm from the heat it
absorbed during the day and I found it relaxing to bury my legs in them. The rest of the night was spent on stories
while the kids played inside the hall until everyone called it a day.
I woke up at 3am to have a good look at the milky way
again. This time I asked my wife to come
with me together with our niece. The
view was more spectacular this time because there were lesser lights at Agno
compared to Cabongaoan Beach. There was
also a place away from the tourist hall that was totally dark and that was
where we viewed the majestic night sky.
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| Having a few drinks |
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| Tide started to recede in the late afternoon |
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| Kids enjoyed playing in the big hall even during the late night |
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| Because it wouldn't be complete without a bonfire at the beach! |
Early morning, the tide was low and several fishermen had
already set out. We decided to try to
meet them after breakfast and maybe get to buy some fish. They seemed to be going to the direction of
where the umbrella rocks were so we had the kids change to their swimming
clothes and brought them with us. The
rock formations were just a few meters away from the tourist hall and getting
there was just a matter of walking a few steps along the sandy shore.
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| Early morning and the tide's still low |
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| Mother and child |
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| Sending their master off to a safe fishing trip |
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| Foraging during the morning low tide |
The beautiful rock formations provided a scenic view of the
Balincaguin river mouth. Underneath the
umbrella rocks was sandy shallow waters so it was a perfect place for the kids
to play. The rocks lived up to their
names as they provided the shade from the summer sun. There were shallow caves further towards the
river mouth and sadly, some people left their trash in them. A little further still just after the cave
was a large boulder that seem to be positioned precariously against a cliff (at
the bottom, it was standing on just a single point on another rock while at the
top it was leaning against the cliff).
Beyond that was a sign warning visitors not to go any further because
the waves would be too dangerous.
We were hoping we could get to where the fishermen would
beach their boats so we could buy some of their catch for the day. Unfortunately, we found out that the boats
went straight into the river and most probably straight to the town proper of Agno
to sell their catch there, so again there were no fresh catch for us at Agno.
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| Back to the beach |
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| Freeze! |
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| Clear waters! |
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| Selfie with the boys |
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| Fish watching |
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| Clear underwater |
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| Good to take underwater selfie! |
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| Run! |
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| There were friendly local kids swimming with us |
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| Just letting them play around |
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| 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney... |
Earlier that day before we went out to see the umbrella
rocks, I was watching some locals in makeshift rafts fishing at the rocky part
of the sea. When we went back to the
hall after swimming, one of those locals offered to sell his catch to us, two
octopuses. We gladly bought his catch
and cooked them adobo style to add to
our lunch menu.
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| For lunch we have... |
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| Doesn't look scary, eh? |
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| Curious kids |
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| Who wants? |
After having our lunch, we felt sad that we had to leave
Umbrella Rocks beach. On our way out of
Agno, we passed by the People’s Park to meet Councilor Charlie Rosete and Mr.
Clarence. The park of the quiet little
town of Agno was clean and seemed to be well maintained. We met our good hosts in one of the floating
huts along the Balincaguin river bank just off the People’s Park. According to Councilor, the floating huts
were just recently built to be used by the public free of charge. The floating huts was a very nice project of
the local government which complemented the clean and relaxed atmosphere of the
park. The river was surprisingly very
clean considering that it was right next to the town proper of Agno. We thanked the good Councilor Charlie and Mr.
Clarence for accommodating us and for their hospitality before saying goodbye.
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| Group photo before leaving |
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| And another... |
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| Four days driving and the car needs a serious bath! |
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| A photo with the municipality signage has become a trend recently |
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| And another... |
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| People's Park |
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| Floating huts along Balincaguin River |
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| The huts were just recent additions to the park. |
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| It allows a scenic and relaxing view of Balincaguin River |
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| Smile for the cam! |
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| The huts are quite spacious |
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| Group photo with our good hosts Councilor Charlie Dave Rosete and Mr. Clarence Narabal |
We were going to stop and rest for a while at a friend’s
hometown in Brgy. Tobuan, Labrador, Pangasinan before we head back home to
Manila. But first, on our way to
Labrador, we made our compulsory stop at Alaminos to buy some tasty Alaminos
longganisa to bring back home.
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| Going back to Alaminos... |
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| Almost there... |
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| To buy these tasty Alaminos longganisa |
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| Here's one being stuffed |
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| And they're ready to go |
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| These tasty yummy sausages from Alaminos! |
Brgy. Tobuan was having their Piyesta ng Dagat when we got there so there were a lot of people at
the beach. Our friend’s place was right
at Tobuan Beach. We did not get to swim
there because we made a stop there just to rest and let the Manila traffic
pass. Our bags were also already packed
for home. Besides, we had already been there
in one of our previous getaways and we could come back there any other time. After having our dinner, off we went to go
home.
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| Entering Tobuan Beach |
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| They're celebrating Piyesta ng Dagat ergo the many people |
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| Lots of kids too! |
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| Sun's almost out |
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| Catching different hues of the sunset |
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| Calling it a day. |
We left Agno with a mixed feeling that day. We were happy that we got to experience and
enjoy Umbrella Rocks Beach but we also felt sad because somehow, the time we
spent there wasn’t enough. We could have
stayed one more day and maybe experience Abagatanen Beach as well, but sadly,
we needed to get back to Manila. The
Umbrella Rocks Beach of Agno had a more relaxed and stress free feel. It was also kid friendly because of the
shallow waters and gentle waves.
Children in the autism spectrum would also enjoy the place because it
was calmer, considering that we went there in one of the long weekends of
summer. The gentle roar of the sea, wide
open space and pleasant view were just of the right amount not to overload the
senses of the autistic child. The local
government of Agno was doing a good job in running the place and like all the
other beautiful places we’ve been, we hope that it would stay that way. Agno has definitely made it to our “to go
back to” list.
Tips:
Travel means:
Private Vehicle: Going
to the Umbrella Rocks Beach from the town proper of Agno is relatively
easy. The road is already paved concrete
except for that last leg which is around 400 meters. Sedans will be able to maneuver this rough
road but extra care should be taken when getting off the concrete road and onto
the rough road. If not maneuvered
correctly, the underside of the vehicle could scrape against the edge of the
concrete road. SUV’s and pick-up trucks
will have no problem. The rough road is
only wide enough for one vehicle to fit but unlike the one at Cabongaoan, the distance
is only short so one vehicle could give way (preferably the one ascending
should be the one the give way because it would be difficult for the descending
vehicle to drive backwards and climb back up to the concrete road).
Like in Cabongaoan,
there are only a few petrol stations at Agno but it is much nearer to Alaminos
so just in case, you may top up at Agno enough to get you to Alaminos then fill
up at Alaminos for the rest of your journey back home (that is if you prefer
fuel from the Big 3, else you can make your tank full at Agno).
Public Transport: Based
on the website of Five Star Bus have a route from Manila going to
Agno. From Agno town proper, you can
take a tricycle to the Umbrella Rocks Beach (again, ask the driver to come back
for you and get the driver’s mobile number).
Kidsentials and advise for autism families:
- Aqua shoes are recommended for kids because during the
day, the sand can get hot. Also,
the rocky bottom in front on the tourist center is difficult to walk on
(the sea in front of the cottages is sandy).
- Although the waters are shallow, life vests for kids
may come in handy. It’s ok if
they’re not wearing any just make sure that you keep an eye on them. There aren't any lifeguards at the beach
so make sure somebody from your group can swim.
- If camping out in a tent, a good way to prepare your
special one is to set up your tent at home a few days before the big day. Have your kids have a sort of a
sleepover inside the tent. If you
only have one child, sleep in the tent with your special one. Show photos and videos of people
sleeping outdoors in the tent. The
key is to get them excited to use the tent so that when the big day comes,
they will feel at ease. You can
also watch the night sky with the kids before getting them to sleep. Also, an adult should be sleeping next
to the tent’s door in case one of the kids wakes up.
- This is a permanent must have in all adventures you go
to with the family: First aid kit
with some insect repellent.
Other general tips:
- There aren’t any stores at the beach so it’s best to
buy everything you need before proceeding to the beach. Although going to the town proper is
just a short 4-km drive, it’s more convenient to just have everything you
need with you.
- Like all the other lesser known beach we’ve been, don’t
expect to find premium resort facilities or restaurants here. This particular beach is being operated
by the local government but even though only basic facilities are there,
the place is very well maintained and clean. We can’t tell you about the cottages for
rent because we weren’t able to use them, but I think the basic stuff you
need are there. Just remember not
to expect for everything to be there, consider your visit as an outdoor
adventure.
- There are some locals (caretakers) who roam around even
during the wee hours of the night, making sure that things are in order
and peaceful.
- This should also be
considered as a “sticky” and we urge everyone to never forget and follow this
very simple rule: Clean up before you go
and bring your trash with you (or throw them in the proper bins if available).
Even if you paid a small fee, it is still a good practice to give respect
to the surroundings and the people living there. "Take nothing but
memories/photos, leave nothing but footprints".
