| Page Views: 5,420 Last Visit to Bolinao: 2008 | Monina's Hundr... erm... Bolinao Page by monina_c - last update: May 21, 2009 |
An Unexpected Pleasure | Little corner of paradise |
When this trip to Pangasinan was in the planning stage, I thought that we will be dropping by Bolinao and then go on to Hundred Islands to island hop, swim and snorkel the whole weekend. NOPE! That didn't happen!
We spent the whole weekend in Bolinao, Pangasinan, a small town on the western-most tip of the Province. It's got the South China Sea on one side, Lingayen Gulf on the other and the Kakiputan Channel cutting across to separate Santiago Island from the mainland.
As a defense to boredom (that's what I feared) I brought along some books to while away the down time. Hehehe! I never did get a chance to finish even one chapter the whole weekend! Well, of course, it didn't hurt that we had the insider knowledge of our hosts, Aline and Allan born and bred in Bolinao, going for us, thus, very little time was wasted in organizing ourselves and getting around the town. |
| Historic, century-old Cape Bolinao Lighthouse |
|  | Ahem! A Little Bolinao History Lesson From the Official Pangasinan website:
Originally, Bolinao was a settlement composed of a little over a hundred families under Captain Pedro Lombi, established in 1575 at a point called Binabalian, on the northern coast of Santiago Island. The rampant attacks and raids of Moro pirates urged Capitan Lombi to transfer the town-site to the mainland and accordingly, with the aid of Fr. Geronimo de Casro, he finally founded the town in 1596 near Libsong where a clear spring of about two meters in diameter kept lumping.
By this spring grew a "boli-bolinao" tree of the molave family with luxuriant foliage from which was derived the present name of the town. Under this tree the affairs of the town were administered while stone walls were piled nearby as corner-stone of the Roman Catholic Church which was finally completed in 1609, thirteen years after the transfer of the town site. |
| | So much to do, so little time There was so much to do and so much to see in this small coastal town.
> Island hopping? Check!
> Swimming and Snorkelling? Check!
> Caving? Check!
> Food trip? Check! Check! Check! :D
MUST DO ON THE NEXT TRIP TO BOLINAO:
> Take a dip in the Enchanted Cave
> Balingasay River cruise
(Side note: B. R. is recognized by an international body as one of the cleanest rivers in Luzon)
> Check out the other lighthouse
> Visit the Bolinao Museum
> Watch a boat race
The best part of the whole trip was getting to know your travel companions better. We found out things that we never knew about members of the group and blew away the misconceptions we harbored about each other. I highly recommend a road trip to really get to know people that you deal with! |
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| Pros: | "Beautiful" | | Cons: | "Beautiful" |
monina_c's Bolinao Travel Tips
| Overview | Things to Do
Tips: 5 - Photos: 11 | | | | Restaurants | Hotels & Accommodations | | | | Nightlife | Off The Beaten Path
Tips: 2 - Photos: 3 | | | | Tourist Traps | Warnings Or Dangers | | | | Transportation | Local Customs | | | | Packing Lists | Shopping
Tips: 1 - Photos: 3 | | | | Sports Travel | General Tips |
 monina_c's Bolinao Travelogues | | | |
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 Comments for monina_c about Bolinao | | | | |
RobKSA Sun Sep 27, 2009 08:04 UTC
Thanks for the bday greets monins, regards! | TheTravelSlut Wed Jul 29, 2009 17:26 UTC
Great tips and pics... :-) Ann, The TravelSlut | dancinbudgie Tue Jun 2, 2009 10:13 UTC
Hi Monina! Love your opening pic here...will come back to see more! Tracey | goutammitra Thu Apr 17, 2008 09:11 UTC
Excellent page and the place. Our gain!!! A smilling Monina! How far is this place from Manila? |
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