More Superb Sights in Cagayan: Anguib Beach and Crocodile Island

We went to Cagayan during the rainy season, but it did not stop us from going to Palaui Island. However, before even reaching our main destination, we decided to take a layover to some of the province’s notable beaches. There are actually quite a few, but some require longer travel time and extended time with our boatman such as Mapurao and Nangaramoan will add up on our transportation costs, both we cannot afford at that time. So we decided with two places that fit our budget and schedule.

From Tuguegarao, we needed to transfer to Santa Ana, the farthest point that is reachable by bus or van on the way to the island. We decided to take the earliest trip since we wanted to also arrive at Palaui Island before noon. Turns out, we still needed to wait for the van to be full, we were there by 5AM and we left Tugue a couple of minutes past 6AM. Good thing the four hour trip to Sta. Ana was smooth despite the fog on some areas of the province. After a quick lunch and buying some necessities at Sta. Ana Market, we boarded a tricycle that took us to San Vicente where the Tourism Visitors Office is located. Here, we needed to sign a log book and also meet our boatman who will take us to our planned destination. We opted to get in touch with a boatman prior to arriving at San Vicente just so we are sure we would get one. It was also nice to know that the local government of Sta. Ana has decided to impose standardized boat rates to be sure that it will be a fair rate for the boatmen and also avoid confusion for tourists.

As soon as we met our boatmen, one person from our group was told to meet with the Barangay Captain of San Vicente, as to why, we also didn’t know (more of this on a later post). After that we immediately went to Anguib Beach since we wanted to avoid the ruthless waves of Pacific Ocean as much as possible, which is why it is also recommended to start this trip as early as we can. A short 30-minute trip and we have reached Anguib Beach, passing along the way a charming mangrove forest that is only accessible during low-tide.

Most of the famous beaches here in the Philippines always get compared with Boracay, and of course, Anguib Beach is no exception. Some refer to it as the ‘Boracay of the North’, competing with Saud Beach of Pagudpud, but aside from having pristine turquoise waters and fine powdery sand, I do not see any reason why there is a need to compare it to Boracay. Anguib is so peaceful and almost deserted, except for the locals or caretakers that stay along the area. You wouldn’t hear any loud party music and you won’t see any trash or bottles of booze anywhere. You'll surely be getting your needed dose of tranquility here.

The view was really spectacular. You would see different shades of blue depending on which area of the cove you are. The hills in the backdrop was also something that added a unique touch to the scenery. My companions told me the place reminded them of Anawangin Cove in Zambales, maybe also because of the agoho and pine trees in the area. This would be a good side trip if you are planning to visit Palaui or Tuguegarao.

For those interested to camp out, we found out that some areas are private properties and some of the caretakers there required us to pay an “entrance fee” even though we were only planning to walk around the shoreline. Maybe because their area was cleaner? LOL Anyway, we decided to just hang around at the “public beach” and play with the local kids. There is a restroom that we can use anyway and the caretakers did not charge us anything for that. We also decided to stay in one of the small cottages in the public area so we didn’t really feel the need to rent or switch to the private part of the beach. However, one of our boatmen told me that there are plans to further commercialize Anguib Beach, putting up resorts and whatnot. What a bummer. We only stayed at this beach for half an hour since we planned to swim and stay longer at Punta Verde in Palaui Island so we hopped back to our boat to see more from our island-hopping expedition.

The trip to Crocodile Island got us so tensed, the humongous waves our guides have mentioned were no joke. Our boat was really shaking intensely, I am so glad got out safely. We decided to take only a short time at the island and proceed to Punta Verde immediately after.

“Mayroon bang crocodile dyan sa isla?” Tita said, they were actually quite hesitant to get off from the boat scared of the crocodile. We were informed that there were no live crocodiles there, but instead the rock formation prominently seen in this piece of land resembles the reptile’s head. The islet was originally named Manidad Island but tourists easily recall the area as Crocodile Island.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get to stay for long because we needed to transfer to Punta Verde right away so I only had a few minutes to sneak in a couple of pictures. The island would have been a good hideaway for a picnic lunch if the weather only cooperated. Anyway, we have more time to see what’s in store for us at Eastern Cagayan, more of this on my next post :)

How to reach Anguib Beach and Crocodile Island:
From Manila, you can take buses that head to Sta. Ana directly. Otherwise, head to Tuguegarao and then take a van to Sta. Ana. From there, take a tricycle to San Vicente port. Register at the Tourism Visitor’s Office where standardized rates for boat rentals are also posted. Rates to Anguib, Crocodile Island and Palaui Island (Punta Verde, Cape Engano) as of 2014 is 3,500 but you can choose to combine it with other places in Cagayan that are accessible by boat.