Calaguas Island, Camarines Norte: 7 Things You Might Want to Consider Before Going to Calaguas

Getting to Calaguas Island is no walk in the park. Unlike the ever famous Boracay Island which in my opinion is the most accessible world class beach getaway, Calaguas requires a lot of spending in time and effort to experience its raw beauty, untouched by domination of commercialsm.

awesome powdery white sand

Calagaus deserves to be in the top list of beautiful beaches in the world. Talk about pristine water and fine white sand, one can definitely enjoy the immaculate beauty of Calaguas in its own fashion and style - pure and natural :D

Here are the things you might want to consider before taking the best buhay isla you could ever have:

1. Travel time. Major consideration if you're planning to hit Calaguas is your ability to bear the nearly 12 hour transit.  Land and boat transfers could bore you big time that's why huge amount of patience requires here.

another 2 hour boat ride going to the island from 10 hour long drive 

I thought the 2 day stint wasn't enough to explore this awesome island, like in our case. I would definitely recommend a 3 day off. The journey going to and from Calaguas would really consume A LOT of your time. There are also nearby islands and beaches like Bagasbas that you might want visit which are just a boat ride away.

2. Accommodation. Nope. No hotels or guest houses here. Your home for the next 2-3 days will be a tent or nippa hut. So say goodbye from the comfort of air-conditioned resorts. This ain't Boracay, baby. This is Calaguas.

installed tent

sleeping beauty, sheena. sorry shee! peace. ha ha

3. Basic Utilities. Okay. I'll make this one straight. Not everything in Calaguas is convenient. Poso (water pump) is your primary source of fresh or tabang water for bathing, call of nature and all that. Timba (pale) and tabo (dipper), if you're the type who disposes daily, will be your best friends.

humble bathroom/disposal area

eto ang buhay isla :D

But worry not. There's no need for you to do all the "pumping" to produce water. There are locals who would do it for you if you wish. Just give me them considerable amount of tip for the service. By the way, a small pale of water costed us Php25.00. The bigger ones were Php40.00

There are also little sari-sari stores that sell various products like food, drinks, toiletries, etc. I got my Php25 large halo-halo here. Sarap!

4. Weather condition. Schedule your trip before rainy season strikes. You wouldn't want to be trapped in the island. Besides, I'm pretty sure boatmen wouldn't allow you to travel since it would be too risky if weather's kind of demented.

new age Ms. Minchin ;p

5. Medicine. Biyahilo type? Well, the 2 hour boat ride would be a nightmare for you then. There were episodes of flashy water current on our way to the island.  Wanna take the risk? Then drink anti-dizziness (or anti-vomit) medicine before you embark the boat for a happy no-dizzy you journey.

6. No celphone signal. NONE. So forget about posting real time in FB, Twitter or Instagram. Turn-off your phones and save the batteries. Pagdating sa Vinzons (mainland), saka kayo posts ng mag-posts! ;p

walang signal kahit sa tuktok :D

7. Getting a tour organizer. Although DIY (do-it-youself) style to reach Calaguas is pretty much doable, my take on this is to get a tour organizer that will prepare all your needs to get to the island- from land and boat transfers, food, tents, potable, water, etc. All the things that you need to survive Calaguas, they provide.

Our experience with Biyahe Lokal was very impressive. It's cheap and best of all FOOD WAS YUMMY! :D

So there you have it. I hope you learn something from here. Good luck on your trip. Stay safe and God bless. And enjoy Calaguas Island!

Live. Love. Laugh.
-Weekend Biyahera