Capones Island: Faro de Punta Capones

by lakwatserong tatay

The light from the Faro de Punta Capones or known as Capones Island Lighthouse, has been used for more than a century to search for and guide ships to into Subic and Manila Bays. The west coast of Manila has regular runs of shipping heading to and from the Philippines Northern neighbors.

The lighthouse is perched 53 mtrs above sea level. The actual lighthouse tower is 19.8 mtrs high and has a tower shape of square brick building. It's construction made of brick masonry. It has first-order lenses when it was first lit on August 1, 1890.

entrance to Capones Lighthouse grounds...

Capones Island is known because of its bone shaped like, off the coast of San Antonio, Zambales, hides a lonely sentinel of the sea from Northern Coast that for years, decades and even century survived the wars, earthquakes and countless typhoons but still standing and serving its purpose - one of the Spanish-era lighthouses of the Philippines in Northern Coast - the Faro de Punta Capones.

The historic lighthouse of San Antonio, Zambales

One of the few remaining old Spanish lighthouses in our country, one of the 4 lighthouses built in Spanish era in Northern Coast. Here are some of the lighthouses that can be found in Northern coast of our country as follows Faro de Punta Patar of Bolinao, Pangasinan, Faro de Cabo Bojeador of Burgos, Ilocos Norte and Faro de Cabo Engaño of Palaui Island, Santa Ana, Cagayan.

it's historic remains.....

Set in the grassy hill of the island, the original lamp and lantern room were replaced with modern solar-powered lighthouse light is Capones best kept secret, with its original red brick keeper's house structure still standing. Although the keeper's house is now ragged and neglected, it draws a dramatic picture of the place, it's empty and dilapidated rooms, halls, metal stairs, discolored tiled floors, broken windows and doors reflects its glorious past...Here are some of photos that could make you back on past....

now entering......

broken & dilapidated wood window...

broken rooms and doors....

the metal staircase.....

As you will enter the deteriorating building, you will hike up to the shakey metal staircase...and you may view one of this site....like as you can see below...here are some of my photos i could share to you when you up in Capones Lighthouse.....

the scenery that awaits you!!!!!

photo opps muna....^_^

Modern Solar-Powered Lighthouse Light

Once your on top of the lighthouse, this breath taking views will get you fascinated. But before you could get to this best sceneries, you must walk on a trail by following the stone guides from the eastern side of the island for approximately an hour of trekking on a rocky shore, passing to an unfinished building and status of Mama Mary. It would be best for first timers to have a local guide as the trail has no signage. From the other side of the island, (wester side) where the lighthouse is already visible, it is easier to reach the site although this side has sharp edges rocks and some of the angriest waves you would see, making i impossible for boats to dock most of the time (this part is not really recommended by  the boatman to dock due to humogous waves always occurs)....

the majestic view up in the lighthouse....

the deteriorating building....

my self portrait shot on top of lighthouse....

After an hour of grueling trek to the hill of this island and few minutes of photo sessions of the lighthouse and the experience to be up of a lighthouse. We all tripper got back to the grounds of this lighthouse, were a wishing wells is located, but im not pretty sure if this well is can used as a potable water but im pretty sure that it can used as a wishing well because as i've seen it, it does have coins that maybe the tourist and visitors throw it into and had some wish that could maybe come true....^_^.

a wishing well on lighthouse's ground....

Here is one of my last shots for Faro de Punta Capones..........

Faro de Punta Capones

Here is one of the trippers photo souvenir while at Capones Lighthouse's ground......all of us were resting by this time.....^_^.

trippers photo opps in the lighthouses ground....

L.T. x-plored Capones Lighthouse....

Of course, i wont miss my self portrait shot with Capones Island Lighthouse.
At last, after several months, im already done with my Weekend Getaway with DCPI Trippers. It was really a nice experience to be back in Anawangin and having also the chance to visit and trek the Capones Island and Capones Lighthouse and having also the glimpse of Camara Island was really a rewarding experience.
I do hope by my next visit i would see the sandbar of Camara and visit some of the other coves of San Antonio.....^_^...
See you in my next stories......

This story is part of: Weekend Getaway to San Antonio, Zambales