The province of Mauban, Quezon is known to be the haven of NPAs as heard on the national news. Despite this, the place offers a perfect hideaway for nature lovers and adventurers coming from the Metro.
Cagbalete Island is a tropical island beach in Mauban, Quezon. To get there, it is advisable to be at the Jac Liner Kamias QC terminal at 3am. The Manila - Lucena route has an earlier trip schedule (http://www.jacliner.com/schedules.html ) compared to Manila –Mauban route so the preferred option is to ride the Lucena-bound bus. The road trip will take around 4 hours; wifi are available on board for the convenience of the tourists. Upon arrival to Lucena terminal at 8am, travellers are suggested to take the non-airconditioned bus headed to Mauban; estimated time of arrival is 9:30 am.
The bus stop is located near the Mauban public market and the port, and it will only take around 4 minutes of walk. Two (2) huge public boats, which can carry around 100 passengers, are available daily, with a 2x a day trip schedule (i.e. 10am and 4pm). Thus, it is advisable to be early to catch the trip. Otherwise, you will have to hire a private small boat which might be costly. On this suggested itinerary, tourists will have an ample time to buy some stuff and food at the Mauban market. All groceries must be purchased at the Mauban mainland since the sari-sari stores at the barrio of Cagbalete are almost an hour away from the resorts.
Upon reaching Cagbalete Island, there are two (2) options to go to the resorts: (1) 45 minutes of trekking or (2) 30 minutes of boat ride to reach the other side of the island. If the weather is fine and if you are not a good swimmer, it is advisable to hike, since most boats are too small without available life vests. There are areas with howling waves which are really nerve wracking since the Cagbalete coast is fronting the Pacific ocean. Famous resorts within the island are Villa Cleofas, Pansacola Beach Resort and MV Sto. Nino. Our destination is the MV Sto. Nino resort which is the farthest among the three. With this, just get ready to choose your own ride of adventure.
MV Sto Nino Resort in Cagbalete is a peaceful and relaxing place with a tunnel of lake connecting the sea; scraps of wood and other debris can be found on the shoreline. Similar to Zambales, several pine trees and other types of flora are present in the area. The breeze is really ideal for the wanderlust travellers. It is usually lowtide in the whole afternoon so the ambiance is like a “desert” with neighboring mountains.
The resort house is huge; it is an ideal place for team building and barkada nightouts. Electricity is only available from 6pm to 6am and the means of cooking in the island is through charcoal. The caretakers at MV Sto. Nino are accommodating. You can request their assistance if you want to cook or to grill some food. At any rate, you may bring cooked food to save time.
Should you decide to hike back to the barrio where the docking area is situated, departure time should be at 11:30 am onwards. It is high tide in the morning and the path along the side of the island for trekking was covered by the sea. Since it is on the beat of summerheat, umbrella is a must-have during the trekking. Expect the route to be muddy and slimy since the paved roads are only found at the barrio. From there, you may meet and greet the locals of Cagbalete and observe their way of life.
Truly, Cagbalete Adventure is a perfect weekend getaway. For more Cagbalete info, you may also visit Katie's post on Cagbalete
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