We escaped the bustling chaos of Manila for a weekend to visit the quiet Pundaquit Beach in Zambales province. The trip started off adventurously, the bus took us comfortably to the nearby town, from where only a tricycle could take us down the narrow, winding roads, straight to our beach accommodation.
In the afternoon, we sailed to a tiny, nearby island, whose shore seemed to have been torn from another world. The unusual, dark, black rocks dominated the landscape, creating a sharp contrast with the blue of the ocean.
In the evening, returning to the main beach, nature gifted us with the most amazing sunset I have ever seen. The sky exploded with orange, red and deep purple colors. However, this stunning colorful sky not only closed the day, but also provided a spectacular prelude to the approaching typhoon that was promised for the next day.
Luckily, only the edge of the storm hit us, but that was enough to make for a truly tropical experience. The next day, the trycicle trip back to the bus stop in teh city was an adventure because we getting completely soaked. Soaked to the skin, but full of memories, we boarded the bus to Manila.
Pundaquit Beach is located in the Zambales province of the Philippines and is famous for its unique, dark gray, sometimes almost black sand. This stretch of beach is not your typical white-sand tropical paradise, but it is this dramatic appearance and the view of the mountains behind it that makes it one of the most popular destinations for hikers and island explorers.
The unique color of the sand can be traced back to a natural disaster, the eruption of nearby Mount Pinatubo in 1991. When the volcano erupted, huge amounts of volcanic ash and debris (called lahars) poured into the surrounding rivers and areas. Rainfall and natural processes washed this grayish-black volcanic material towards the beach, where it mixed with the local sand over time, permanently discoloring it.
In practical terms, Pundaquit Beach is primarily a “gateway” to the more isolated bays and islands in the area. Boats depart from here to the famous Anawangin and Nagsasa bays, which also owe their unique pine-fringed landscape to volcanic ash. The beach itself is also popular with surfers, as the waves coming in from the open sea provide excellent terrain for the sport.
The view is especially stunning at sunset, when the dark sand reflects the orange and purple lights of the sky. It is important to note, however, that dark volcanic sand heats up much more in the sun than white, so walking barefoot on it during the day can be a real challenge.
