Travel Guide: Capones Island
Four kilometers off Barangay Pundaquit, Zambales in the main island of Luzon, Philippines is the Capones Island or “Isla de Gran Capon” during the Spanish era. It is a two kilometer long bone-shaped island surrounded by white sand and rocky shores.
This island boasts of white sand beaches conducive for overnight camping, day picnic and swimming; turquoise water and rich marine life that is great for diving and snorkeling.
There are no commercial establishments on the island and the only structure there (aside from an unfinished building) is an old Spanish lighthouse (Faro de Punta Capones) that was built in 1890 to guide ships entering and leaving the bays of Manila and Subic, and to warn passing ships of the dangers of rocky shores around the island. The solar-powered lighthouse is Capones best kept secret, with its original brick house structure still in place, though ragged and neglected, but still draws a dramatic picture.
Close to Capones Island is the Camara Island, which is virtually two islands connected by a sandbar.
How to Get There:
By Land
To get there, one must go to Barangay Pundaquit or San Miguel in San Antionio, Zambales, where a boat to Capones Island can be rented for a standard rate of P700.00 (~$17) round trip. It is a 15 to 30 minutes boat ride from the shores of Pundaquit or San Miguel.
To go to Pundaquit, ride a bus bound to Iba or Sta. Cruz, Zambales. Victory Liner has regular scheduled trips to those destinations. Tell the driver to drop you off at San Antonio. If you are coming from their terminal in Sampaloc, it will cost you P220.00 (~$5.25), don’t forget to tell the cashier that you are up to San Antonio only, or they will charge you the full fare to its destination. Travel time is around 3 to 4 hours via NLEX.
From San Antonio, ride a tricycle to Barangay Pundaquit or San Miguel, standard rate is P20.00 (~$0.5), you may opt to add some tip since it is quite far.
By Air/Sea
By ferry, take a Mt. Samat Express (Contact No: 551-5290) ferry ride to Subic in CCP (~P250.00 – P300.00) or the Supercat from Mall of Asia (P300.00) . It is an hour ferry ride to Orion Bataan. From there catch a bus to Subic for another hour or less and then a bus to Iba, Zambales, passing to San Antonio.
By air, charter an aircraft to International Subic Airport, Castillejos Airstrip, or to Iba Local Airport and catch a ride to San Antonio.
Where to Stay:
Since there are no commercial establishments in this island, you may bring a tent or camping equipments (plus foods and drinking water) if you are planning to stay there overnight. Just tell the boatman your planned date and time of return to Pundaquit. Boat rate for overnight trip is highr at P1500.00 for aboat that can fit up to four persons.
Most tourists, however, camp in Anawangin or Nagsasa Cove or stay in Pundaquit where numerous hotels and restaurants can be found. You can have a room for as low as P1000.00/~$25 (or even lower). For Lakwatsero’s compilation of hotels in Barangay Pundaquit click here:
Activities:
- Trek to Capones Lighthouse: If you are coming from the east side of Capones Island, you have to trek for an hour or less, to a rocky shore, passing to an unfinished building and statue of Mama Mary. I suggest you have someone with you who knows the place since the trail up has no signage, (only stone guides) and you may get lost. But if you are coming from the other side of the island (near the stairs), the lighthouse is already visible so it is easier to reach the place passing through a field, this side of the island however has rocky shore and some huge waves making it impossible for bancas to dock.
- Camping: Just bring your own camping equipments, enough foods and water supply.
- Swimming, Snorkeling and Diving: Just bring your own equipments.
- Island Hopping: You can visit the nearby Camara Island, Nagsasa Cove, Silanguin Cove and Anawangin Cove.
- Aquatic Sports in Barangay Pundaquit: Jetskis are available for rent.
- Visit Pundaquit Falls: Walk along the beach southward towards the Pundaquit river. If your resort is too far north of the river, you can take your vehicle and get back to the main Pundaquit road and head southward until the road ends by the river. From the river, it is only a short walk by the seashore until you reach the end of the beach where there is a cliff and a smaller river (or a big stream, you might say). This small river comes from the falls, so, technically speaking, just follow the river upstream for about a hundred meters and you will end up at the foot of the falls. But remember, you may have to cut your own trail or walk along the shallow portions of the stream to get there. As you explore the falls, it gets more interesting as you climb from cascade to cascade. This falls is worth going to only during the wet season (or a little after the wet season) when there is plenty of fresh flowing water filling up the numerous “tubs” along the stream. Too little flowing water during the dry seasons makes this falls nearly stagnant, dirty and even stinky. (Source: waypoints.ph)
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btw.
1st or 2nd week of may ang plan..
thanks thanks thanks!!!!
hi lakwatsera..
isa kong batang gapo but i’ve never been to pundaquit.. (kahiya naman) hehe. at ngaun nsa manila n ko nagwwork.. pLan ko sna pumunta with my family.
Is it possible to visit the camara island, capones island, anawangin cove and nagsasa cove all in one day? pano kaya mgndang itenerary? tsk magkno kya aabutin sa island hop pag ngrent ng boat? we have to bring our own food and drinks ryt?? wla bang pwde pagbnlawan man lang?
Thanks & more Power!
we’re planning to go der by 2nd week of may..if i may ask,how much is the standard fare for a boat ride going to capones island.is it 900?tnx..hope ders no rain showers by 2nd week of may..=) xie xie..
hi lakwatsero.
i’m arranging a zambales get away for 12 pax. fri nyt we’ll leave mla (arrive madaling araw in zambales) and be back mon. hope u could help me:
1. if we will go to potipot and anawangin/ capones/ camara, dapat ba pundaquit muna on sat then early sun lipat ng candelaria(for potipot)?
2. would u know if meron malaking cottage sa nora’s to accomodate such big group? pasensya na, wala kc ko makita pix ng nora’s online.. and i trust ur judgement
btw, lakwatsera rin ako pero highest level ka. saludo ako!
Lakwatsero… We are planning to go to zambAles nextweek na kso undecided pko. I want to see anawangin kso sa crystal beach kami mag ccheckin panu kaya un? Me banca ba from there to anawangin? Kso lam ko its 11km na di ba maxado na un malayo??
Hi! Thanks for the tips! Ido-download ko po sana ung list mo ng accommodations in pundaquit pero nag-eerror sakin. can you please post some of them here?
yung mga beach po na may boats to anawangin and pwede magluto. thank you!!
hi..ask ko lang po sana.. saan ba mas ok mag beach and camp?sa san antonio(pundaquit) or san narciso?
saan mas maganda sand?and safer?
and aside from anawangin,meron paba campsites with in pundaquit?like ko sana mag tent lang pero takot pako sa anawangin or capones.. pls help.. thanks
is it ok to go there this december?
thanks!
Hi! We are planning to have our prenuptial pictorials at Anawangin and Capones. What itenerary could you suggest for a 2-day zambales tour? We are planning to rent a room at Pundaquit because our photographers would need to charge their camera batteries..
Are there other options to reach the Capones lighthouse aside from trekking? Thanks! 
thanks alot geron!!
i shall come there soon!
I am seaching for some idea to write in my blog… somehow come to your blog. best of luck. Eugene
hi lakwatsero.. i am a lakwatsero too, so i am planning to go to capones island.. i really want to see such a place.. when do you think will be the best time to go there? coz i want to see good sandlayouts.. i also want to see the sandbar in capones but they said that is visible during rainy season only..
we’ll be planning to go to capones isalnd this weekend
hirap pala mag plan esp kapag hindi maxado lakwatsero mga kasama mo
and i believe dapat naka sapatos tama ba? hindi ata pde ang naka slippers lng all through out?
dame ko natutunan sa site mo mr.lakwatsero. muah!
sama ako minsan sau
wow sobrang informative ni m.lakwatsero! hehehe. we’ve been there last holy week din e. pero unfortunately, di namin narating ang lighthouse kc wala kaming guide and wala po talaga treail. next week punta kami. this time kukuha na kami ng guide para maakyat ang lighthouse. gusto ko lang sana malaman,san ang part na maganda at safe mag overnight sa capones? un malapit na din paakyat ng lighthouse and camara island? thanks!
your blog is very helpful… thank God for kind soul like you
hi angel,
balak kasi namin ng friend kong mag potipot at anawangin (kasama na ang camara at capones) sa november. ano kayang mas convenient na unahin? syanga pala commute lang kami atsaka wala kaming tent so magoovernight lang kami sa pundaquit.
thanks in advance
thanks a lot!!
hi lakwatsero, thanks for the reply! am i correct to say that the important thing is that i must reach SBMA first? then after there madali na b? pasensya na im not familiar with the roads. my plan is NLEX-SCTEX supposedly to subic/SBMA then from there pnta na san anotnio zambales
hi lakwatsero, first of all great site, first time visiting your site as i was looking for information about going to anawangin cove. will regularly visit this site from now on,thanks!
would like to ask a favor though, do you have a map going to san antonio zambales particulary here in pundaquit where we are planning to stay. Also since open na SCTEX im assuming un travel time is significantly cut short tama b? hoping for your advice and cooments on how i can get there?
thanks thanks…your recommendations would be of great help..If we have things that need to clarify I’ll be leaving a comment again….