Season's greetings!

Discovering Putipot by Rheyda Hinlo and Medel Silvosa

Discovering Putipot
By Rheyda Hinlo and Medel Silvosa
Pinoycentric.com

Our quest for Putipot began when we started looking for a beach that was nice enough and near enough Manila for a weekend getaway. We also wanted it to fit our budget of P2,000 per person for the whole weekend and preferably somewhere we haven’t been to before. We were not just looking for any beach: we wanted one that was clean and uncluttered, preferably with white sand and clear water so we can check out the marine life.

We veered off from the usual choices such as Puerto Galera and the beaches of Batangas because we’ve been there a number of times. Pagudpud in Ilocos was far and the fare to and from Manila would already cost a sizeable portion of our budget.

Fortunately, a friend of ours suggested we go to an island off the coast of Zambales called Putipot. He asked, “Do you watch the local version of Marimar? Well, even if you don’t watch it, they shot the beach scenes in Putipot.” That got me curious. Well, if the TV crew thought it was a good place to shoot the teledrama, it was probably worth a weekend to check it out.

Google the words “Putipot + island + Zambales” and you get at least 442 hits. The Website ClicktheCity tells you all you need to know on how to get to the island. It’s good to read all the comments as it gives you the best tips on what route to take, what to bring, and how much things cost.

Read more

my Potipot experience

A small island located off the coast of Barangay Uacon, Candelaria, Zambales, Potipot is fast gaining popularity among the beach loving crowd. Back when I was a little girl, we always loved looking at the little white sanded island whenever we're swimming or just hanging out at the beach. Ironically, though I've known the existence of that island for most of my lifetime, it was only in 2005 that I was able to visit the island.

I had invited my friends to spend a few days at home, and with my parents and my sister, we went to Potipot. It was exciting for me, being my first visit. It was like finally meeting someone you admired from afar for so long, haha.

Potipot island is very small. We were able to go around it in 30 to 40 minutes. Some parts of the shore were hard to cross, sometimes climbing over a fallen tree or having to wade out into the water. Still, it's a lovely spot to spend the day in and just get in touch with nature. The water was brilliantly blue, the sand pristine and white. We spent an hour or so just relaxing, chatting with the fishermen who made the island their rest stop.

Please note that there are no structures (except ones that were abandoned) and electricity in the island, so you have to bring your own food, tents if you want to stay overnight, flashlights, etc. Oh, and please bring back to the mainland your trash to be disposed of properly. It would help in keeping the island clean.