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

A Glimpse of Camara Island

by lakwatserong tatay

The Camara islands known and called sometimes as Camera Islands lie a few kilometers from the shores of Pundaquit, Zambales. The Camara islands are 2kms offshore and counterpart to this islands is Capones Island which is a 3 kms father (5.2 kms offshore). Camara island is known for white beach, speckeled with colorful crushed coral, clear turquoise waters held us spell-bound, and a high rock cliffs beckon rappellers.

The Camara Island

Camara island is the closest and most accessible island from the Pundaquit shores because within 20 minutes away from any nearby resorts depending on the ocean currents, that is usually smoother when it is summertime. This island appears like a giant rock in the middle of the sea that has huge rock formation.

One part  of the shoreline of Camara Island

Here are some of my shots why is this island famous from rappellers enthusiast and i do hope by the next time i'll be back on this place i could try to rappel into this rock cliffs.....^_^.

Rock formation along it's shores

The rock cliff of Camara Island

According to Kuya Joven, there are two Camara islands. Most of the visitors make a quick stop at the bigger island and just pass at the smaller one, what we did we did not passed by on the bigger part of Camara island due to it wavy sea condition when we visited this island.

Some of the rock boulders in Camara

This rock formation below is one of my favorite, because it is the best spot to see the vastness of the ocean and waves smashing the island. You can't see any tree on here because it's not their place to be. Since trees are unavailable to give shade under the sunlight, here are the big rocks that could accomodate them...^_^.

My favorite rock boulder in Camara Island

The island has a great view of the open ocean. It has two sides separated by a white sandbar that visible during lowtide and disappears during high tide. It not maybe perfect for swimming due to big waves that smashing on this island but it could be perfect for snorkeling. For me, the white sand is not fine enough to match the perfection of the aquamarine water as you can see below, but rough rock boudlers and pebbles are very evident in the island.

Our boat ride going back to Pundaquit...

The sands of Camara Island

Here are some of our photo opps while staying in Camara Island....^_^

Trippers @ rockies....^_^

The silhoutte shots....^_^

my solo silhoutte shot...

My co-trippers (Barbie & Elnie) photo opps with Kuya Joven....^_^.

Our boatman...Kuya Joven

Here are some tips while cruising this bay:

Prepare for the rough waters...according to Kuya Joven, waters surrounding Capones island in particular is known to be rough. It is relatively calm only on early morning up to near noontime. It is advised that trippers make take boat ride on the early morning and headback noon time at the latest. If your afraid to experience the rough open seas, or you and your group could go to Camara island instead of venturing on further to Capones island. The waters to Camara islands will be a bit less rough. The fishing boats that are for rents tends to allow their boats to go dangerously near full load which makes the boats dangerous on rough seas, but as of now most of the rented small and big boats have their own life jackets for the safety of their trippers and visitors, so please do cooperate when the boatman ask to wear life jackets....^_^.

Seashore of Camara Island....

This is one thing that i've missed out to find out, were the white beaches moves around....it move around throughout the year. Half of the year they are on one particular side of the island then on the other half, it moves to the other side, so do not be surprised if the beaches on some of the pictures on internet are no longer when you visit Capones. Go to Capones during rainy season (June to Sept) and you will see the white beaches on the North side. Otherwise, you will find the beaches on the South side. For Camara island, near the end of the rainy season and you will get to enjoy a wonderful sandbar linking the two Camara islands, this sandbar literally moves away, not just sink or due to tides of the water but literally crawls away, pushed by changin currents during the other months of the year....^_^.

One last shot.....bye...Camara Island

From this island, you may not want to miss the picturesque contour of Pundaquit and mountains that surround it. This would be a rare moment to see a scenery like this, so rare that i had to stare at it for more than a couple of minutes taking pictures before i realized that we were near the Pundaquit shores....hehehehe..^_^.

Up ahead the Pundaquit Beach....

Landscape shot of Mt. Pundaquit



Pundaquit shores....

Below is one of my souvenir shot on Camara's shore, i do really hope i could see this island again and maybe next time i could experience the "invisible sandbar" of Camara Islands....

Lakwatserong Tatay x-plored Camara Island

Now it's time to say good bye to those islands and cove, Anawangin, Capones and Camara.....but definitely i'll be back......watch out for my other post all about the "Capones Lighthouse"....^_^.

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

Beacheneering in Capones Island

Trek to Capones Island Lighthouse
by lakwatserong tatay

After our overnight experience in Anawangin cove, it's time to go home, but before we do that, of course the trippers will not missed to visit the two famous island sidetrips for Anawangin. The Capones Island and Camara Island.
All of the trippers get up early even though some of us were bit drunk due to last night drinking sessions and socials, get to know each other daw....^_^.

The trippers is ready...go.go...Capones....

Capones Island, this island also has white sand and green clear waters which one of the hidden beauties of the Province of Zambales. This island is also known for an old lighthouse built during the Spanish era which will bring you back in time for sure. Getting to this Island is a bit tiring experience but one of as kind adventure, popular to be sidetrips for Anawangin or Nagsasa Cove adventure. Located exactly as part of Brgy. Pundaquit in San Antonio, Zambales. From the shore of Pundaquit, it's a 15 minutes boat ride before reaching the island's beachfront.

Capones Island

This place is legendary for its lighthouse built during the Spanish era around the year of 1890 by filipino hands. It rises high over the cliffs like a cinematic picture right from the movies and lures people to marvel both at the structure and the enchanting panorama of the sea and the sky.

Capones Island's shore....

some of it's rocky part...

Capones Island is quite larger island that has cliffs and rocky shores on one part and a white sandy beach shores on the other. But as a second timer on this island, i was still sheered by its beauty, its shores and the turquoise waters surrounding this island.

The other side of Capones Island...

The Sand of Capones Island...

This island always make me believe that our country posseses the best island and beaches you can find worldwide, it is really impressive how our nature sculpt it and make it as a lovely destinations. The island's raw and rustic simplicity is a sight that most of the tourists visit.

Lakwatserong Tatay's chillax time...^_^

After huggling around, few of us go swimming on its shores, we decided to start our trek to Capones lighthouse. This is the time most of my trippers deciding whether to hike or not due to a very sunny condition, but as we started walking to very hot sand of Capones, 2 of the trippers decided to stay along the shores and be the guard of our valuable things....hehehehe...^_^.

The trippers...takot sa araw mode....^_^

The very hot walk along the shoreline up to the other side of Capones rocky side....^_^

Start of our trek to Capones Lighthouse

The rocky side of the island....

The hill that dividing white sand and rocky side of Capones.....by this time it was really hot....^_^.

rock climbing...hehehehe....

The view from top of the hill, there was also supposed to be a resort, but based from the naval officer we've talked to. Until now it is pending and they even know when the construction will proceed...thanks to the people who opposes to build a resort on this island...and sad to say that's always been a problem on our country.....now this officer used this unfinished building as there based on guarding this island...hooray...^_^.

The other side of this island....

The unfinished resort on this island...

This trek adventure is not as usual as i'am climbing mountain, this time it has a purpose, you may see and visit one of the architectural and historical monument on our country.

Their guide....Lakwatserong Tatay...^_^

One of the picturestique rock formation along it's shore

The rocky part of Capones Island

After few minutes of walking under the sun and rocky shores of Capones Island, this is the start of the actual trek...hehehe...it will almost a 30 minutes hike up to this hill, so be sure to bring enough drinking water, because the heat can turn up too and it's best if you have plenty of provisions to replenish your thirst.

Start of the uphill trek....^_^

Here are some of our photo opps while hiking up into this trail that leads to Capones Lighthouse....^_^.

The trail....

konti nalang...smile...^_^

this is one stiff part of the climb...^_^

After walking for more than 1 hour including the photo opportunities and stop over for few minutes of rest, our group reach the entrance of lighthouse area...

Now entering.....

It's one of a kind experience being on top of a lighthouse, even though im a second timer on this island, this is my first time to see this historic lighthouse, being excited and very delightful to see this historic spot, i've created individual post all about Capones lighthouse.

The Capones Lighthouse

Here are some of my shots while in Capones Lighthouse.....

The light that can be seen at night...

The views below it's lighthouse...

The majestic view can be seen up in Capones Lighthouse

We ended our halfday of adventure of Capones Island and its lighthouse truly remarkable and memorable...and here are some of our group pictures while we get wet and wild at Capones Island.

The male trippers

The lady trippers....

Of course, i wont miss my opportunity to have a photo opps with the majestic and historic lighthouse of Zambales, The Capones Lighthouse...^_^.

L.T. x-plored this place....^_^

It was almost 3 in the afternoon when we left Capones, only 4 of us trippers, proceed to our next island sidetrip, the Camara Island.

bye-bye.....Capones Island......

And we sail again....it was a bit bumpy ride when we arrived at Camara Island.....

Now heading to Camara Island....^_^

Watch out for my last two post for our Weekend Getaway in Zambales, after our island escapade and trekking experience in Capones, we now proceeding on Camara Island....and my post all about Capones, "Faro de Islote de Capon Grande"., that is considered to be one of the most historic lighthouses of the Northern Coast.

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