Potipot Island

Earlier this year, my cousin and I went to Potipot Island. It’s our second time to be here, but our first time to spend overnight on the island.

We left Parañaque late in the morning. After several hours of driving over 260 kilometers of well-paved roads, we reached Uacon, Candelaria. Several beach resorts dot the shore in Uacon, the gateway to Potipot Island.

A ride to Potipot and back on an outrigger boat with a maximum of six passengers costs P400. Entrance fee at the island is P100 for day trip and P300 for overnight. Before heading to the island, make sure you bring all the things you need: food, water, booze, first aid kit and whatnot. Don’t expect to find any eatery on the island.

After finding a boat to bring us to the island, we left the vehicle at Sun Bloom Resort.

The island is located less than a kilometer off the coast of Uacon. Five minutes later we were getting off the boat in Potipot. We informed the boatman to pick us up at 1 p.m. the next day.

At Potipot, we immediately searched for a spot to pitch our tent. We found a nice spot under a tree with a table and bench nearby. We thought we’d be the only group on the island that night, but there were two other groups: one camped it out, while the other stayed in one of the cottages.

On the island are a number of cottages, picnic tables and bathrooms. A Jetmatic pump provides water for washing, rinsing and flushing the toilet. Electricity is inexistent on the island but signal is strong for mobile phones.

Right before sunset, I explored a small portion of the island and managed to take some shots of the sunset.

We hit the water for some good swimming before having dinner and spent the rest of the night lounging by the beach and listening to Reggae music.

The next morning I woke up right before sunrise. There were clouds over the mountains of Zambales; it partly obscured the sunrise.

Sunrise

Potipot is roughly one kilometer in circumference. One can have a leisurely walk around the island in half an hour.

I explored the island by myself while my cousin was still sound asleep. The powdery white sand and crystalline waters is simply stunning. I saw some soft corals exposed by the receding tide. 

Beyond the open field towards the west is a dead tree lying on the sandy shore. It’s a popular spot for picture taking. 

Although Potipot is surrounded with white sand, the east side is more ideal for swimming as it is less rocky than the west side.

I came back to our campsite to cook our breakfast. Thereafter, my cousin woke up and joined me for our morning meal. We had a simple breakfast but it was made special by the nice view of the beach, the cool breeze and the pleasant sunny weather.

Right after breakfast, we plunged into turquoise sea. Too bad we forgot to bring any of our snorkeling gears. It would have been more fun.

Once I hit the water, it’s always hard for me to get out. I had to force myself out of the water so we could start packing our stuffs away.

With all our stuffs now ready, we decided to stroll the island while waiting for the boat to pick us up. The boat was already waiting for us when we got back. It’s time for us to go.

Someday, I will see this paradise again.