Cape Santiago Lighthouse: Calatagán's heritage gem

Whenever my family goes on a trip, there is always a touch of history provided by my hubby Pepe. Whether we are inside a moving vehicle, walking in an old town, inside a Spanish-era church, or just about everywhere, he never fails to give us interesting historical background of the place we're visiting.

That's why our recent beach excursion to Calatagán, Batangas was not complete without visiting a historical site: the Spanish-era lighthouse of Cape Santiago! Family trips are really cool and great and awesome if you have a "Young Historian" husband. Naks! I'm your number one fan, my hubby Pepe! Don't you ever forget that! 😁

Actually, it was our second time to go there. The first time which was three years ago was not successful because nobody was around to guide us. We weren't even able to enter through the gate because it was locked with aroma vines! That's why we vowed to return!

Unsuccessful visit three years ago (April 30, 2013).

We reached Cape Santiago after a twenty-minute drive from Burot Beach. In Barrio Bagong Silang, we turned right to a small dirt road upon seeing a sign which leads to the lighthouse. The lighthouse is also visible from the highway. The dirt road goes through a forest of prickly aroma trees. It took us another five minutes to reach the lighthouse which stands on a hill a few meters from the beach. We had to park our ride and walk up the hill towards the gate leading to the the lighthouse.

We drove through a forest of prickly aroma trees. The place was a bit creepy, but then we saw a group of young people having a photography session.

From what my hubby Pepe had gathered, the lighthouse of Cape Santiago is the oldest structure in Calatagán that was built in on December 15, 1890 during the Spanish colonial period. It is made of brick and lime. The round structure is 51 ft in height and was modeled after medieval castles in Europe. Its original light source is gone and has since been replaced by an automatic light bulb donated by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, perhaps as payment for what the Imperial Japanese Army did to the town of Calatagán (they turned it into a garrison during World War II). But even that donation is no longer in use due to lack of funds.

Cousins Kate and Krystal are very excited to climb up the antique steel steps of the lighthouse!

The moment you step inside, you will start to feel the antique aura of the building. Me, I'm actually delighted whenever I see old structures or even walls. I especially got fond of its red-bricked structure, so just imagine my excitement! I have become like my hubby Pepe, by the way. I have learned to love heritage structures. Some of my profile pictures in my Facebook account show me with old walls and other heritage structures. I love touching them because they make me feel as if I have lived during the time they were constructed. The feeling is so electrifyingly classic. =)

The view from up here is breathtaking!

 I can't explain my excitement!

 La Familia Viajera on top of the Faro de Cabo Santiago!

Yeah! Now our relatives have first-hand experience on how it is to travel like La Familia Viajera!

Attention, heritage activists and advocates!

Zoomed from below!

What a romantic field to behold!

Endless Love! ❤️‍ ❤️‍ ❤️‍

I just love classic bricks!

Bougainvillea lovin'!

Classic view! 

Junífera Clarita with her Abuela Mommy!

A 112-year-old mango tree right below the lighthouse! It's so old its branches are already touching the ground!

Pictures here, pictures there, pictures everywhere! That is what you'll see me doing during our trips! And that's exactly what I was doing even while on our way to the top of the lighthouse (click here for more of our Cape Santiago Lighthouse photos)! The spiral steel stairway is very tall. Remember that the structure is 51 ft high, and there is not much ventilation on your way up. So if you plan to go up, bring a fan (abanico) along with you as well as bottled water. But when you reach the top of the lighthouse, you will forget all that climbing because of the awesome view! It's simply romantic, as if you're in a movie scene!

Always remember that when you're at the top of the lighthouse, you really, really have to be very careful moving about because the catwalk is very narrow. We also noticed a crack on the flooring, so try to restrain your excitement by not jumping. The government should allocate funds for this place because it is historic. Every piece of brick, the look and feel of it, it's historic. We are calling the attention of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and the Heritage Conservation Society to please help preserve the Cape Santiago Lighthouse. It may still be standing, but it still requires careful management. It is an important part of Calatagán's history. It is a pride of Batangas Province that should be promoted not only throughout the entire country but throughout the whole world.

❤YEYETTE❤

Burot Beach again and again!

Who would have thought that we would go back to faraway Burot Beach for a third time? Yes, you heard that right! Actually, the first time was just me and my hubby Pepe three years ago, on April 16, 2013.

The second time was a two weeks later, April 29, this time with the whole family (Junífera Clarita was not born yet). We even camped there through the night.

Then third was just this summer of 2016, last May 22. It was Junífera Clarita's first time. We also tagged along my immediate family members (mother side). It was also their first time in Burot. It was thrilling for their part because they have not visited a beach for such a long time! 

It was raining hard in many places for about a week or so, that's why prior to our Burot escapade, I was always praying that may it not rain on our planned visit to the beach. I prayed to all the angels and the saints, especially to Santa Clara de Asís, the saint you have to call if you do not want to rain on an important event in your life. I also asked Mama Mary's help, that they may all pray to Almighty GOD that it might not rain on our beach escapade, that may the sun shine completely so that my family would enjoy the last days of summer.

Thank GOD! On the day of our excusrion, He granted my prayers! I thank all the angels and the saints, especially Santa Clara de Asís and Mama Mary, for interceding. So now, you know what to do if you don't want to rain on your important events.

Flame trees on the dirt road to Burot. These trees start to bloom during summer.

It was my second time to have experienced this miracle. The first time was during my wedding with Pepe three years ago. It was raining for a week prior to our wedding. So off we went to the monastery of Santa Clara de Asís to offer some eggs (it's a Catholic tradition) and asked her to pray to GOD that it might not rain on our wedding day. And Thank GOD (and also thanks to Santa Clara de Asís' intercession) because it really did not rain on our wedding day! It drizzled for a few minutes, but there were lots of sunshine. The drizzle did not even damage my make-up, as if it never drizzled at all! I really believe in the power of prayers...

Going back to Burot Beach. We were enjoying the sands and the sea as if it was just the first week of April, LOL! We also hired a canoe to go to Burot Beach's sandbar near Pandac Island. It is quite popular among beachgoers because of its unique quality: it is shallow despite its distance from the shore! It's just knee-deep even during high tide! And the waters are so clear you could see the fine white sand on your feet. We all had fun swimming, especially the kids because it's something new to them! We found starfishes, small crabs, and even sea urchins! You can check out our fun sandbar video here!

 It's my third time here!

Summer pose!

My handsome nephew Allen and my pretty nieces Kate and Krishna! 

Mommy and her two gems: me and Kathleen!

From stolen moments...

...to fun moments!

#SunbathingPaMore

Lunchtime!

My sister Kathleen enjoying her first canoe ride!

Something rare: a six-armed starfish!

Handle starfishes with care. Our children do!

There are much bigger starfishes at the sandbar off Burot Beach.

Why do we keep on coming back to this place? Because of its white sands and its clear water plus the exciting beach recreation it offers to people of all ages. We also love the privacy. However, during our last visit last May 22, we saw more people than ever before. It's either Burot has become more popular than ever, or maybe because of the El Niño phenomenon. We didn't get to have much privacy unlike before. Back then, we could even take a selfie with no people behind us, even at the sandbar near Pandac Island. Check out my video with my hubby Pepe recorded during our first time in Burot. We were the only ones swimming there. Another thing me and my hubby had observed was the amount of trash left behind by irresponsible beach goers. You can also check out our first Burot photo album to see how clean the place was when only a few people knew the place. So please, if you plan to go to Burot Beach, please make sure that you bring plastic bags for your trash to keep the place clean and beautiful. Or the management could also install garbage bins and have people check their guests to maintain the cleanliness of the beach. I also noticed that the waters now have dried wood floating. They were obviously from the bonfire of campers. I do hope that guests who will use bonfire would clean dispose their leftover wood on a safe place, or maybe the management should implement their guidelines on cleanliness more strictly. The people administering Burot Beach now charge ₱65.00 per person, much higher than before. And now more people are visiting it. That means more money for them. With that amount of money, we expect a more cleaner Burot Beach.

Peace, everyone. Don't get mad. What I'm telling you is for the love of nature. so that all of us will get to experience the unspoiled beauty of Burot Beach for a long time. <3 =)

Aroma thorns. These plants are plentiful by the beach. So be very careful.

Selfie! Want more of our recent Burot Beach adventure? Then click here!

We Love Burot Beach!

All in all, my last visit there was more fun and enjoyable than the first two. I do hope that the people who are taking care of the place will be more strict in implementing rules on littering. Burot Beach will always have a great place to my heart. I once saw the beauty of it and I want to go back there and see the beauty of it again.

Till next time, Burot Beach!

❤YEYETTE❤

Our blog now has 1,000 likes on Facebook!

Our family travel blog's Facebook page now has 1,000 likes! Awesome! Thank you so much for sticking with us! Hope to have you in one of our travels! ¡Vamos a viajar!

¡Enaltecer la familia para la gloria más alta de Dios!

The soothing solemnity of Virgin Beach Resort

Aside from the usual "beat the heat" summer mantra, why do families really go to the beach? To have fun, of course! But there is one other reason you might have missed: hitting the beach is not all about swimming. It's to relax and unwind. However, most popular beach resorts today are crowded and humming with all sorts of fun activity. This is especially true during the summer season. Not that we're complaining, but various families, especially the moms and dads of the world, have various tastes when it comes to beach resorts. Many parents going to summer excursions are, more often than not, dead-tired and sore due to their humdrum routine in the city. We can't blame them to look for some quiet time in beaches.

We were very fortunate to have experienced this rare kind of solemnity in Virgin Beach Resort in Barrio Hugom, San Juan, Batangas.

Little Juanito welcomes you all to Virgin Beach Resort!

Virgin Beach Resort overlooking clean and serene Sigayan Bay.

Towards the northeast.

Towards the southwest.

Located in San Juan, Batangas, Virgin Beach Resort is one of the most well-known self-contained beach establishments in the province. Actually, San Juan became a popular tourist destination in Batangas mainly because of its top-rate white-sand beach located in five contiguous barrios: Hugom, Laíya Aplaya, Laíya Ibabao, Baluarte, and Imelda. Together, these five barrios share what is probably one of the country's longest, white-sand beaches which extend all the way to the Municipality of Lobô to the southwest. And despite the fact that this long coastline is shared by the above-mentioned five barrios, people still call it Laíya Beach probably because a large chunk of it belongs to both Laíya Aplaya and Laíya Ibabao. But Virgin Beach Resort is located in Hugom.

We visited the resort during Mómay's recently concluded 11th birthday last May 13. We left Pacita Commercial Complex in San Pedro Tunasán, La Laguna at half past midday via van (only ₱100 per person) and reached Lipâ, Batangas in only an hour because we used the Southern Tagálog Arterial Road. From Lipá City's old town proper, we rode a jeepney going to San Juan (fare: ₱58.00). Travel time from Lipá to San Juan was about an hour and a half. We had a brief lunch at a local Jollibee outlet before taking another jeepney near the public market which took vacationers to the municipality's famed beach resorts (fare: ₱50.00). The traffic-free trip from the town proper to Laíya Beach is more or less half an hour. The journey to the beach features a relaxing view of San Juan's pastoral scenes.

Upon checking in, we chose a bamboo cabana, a thatched-roof hut made of bamboo. It had two queen-sized beds, en suite private washroom, and a spacious veranda with a bamboo sofa overlooking the sea. A wind chime hanging above the sofa produces sweet timbres whenever sea breeze blows.

The place where we stayed overnight...

...fronts the sea. Thesmaller parasols are in front of us.

We were so thankful that this time around, the resort wasn't fully booked. You see, it's my family's second time in San Juan (personally, it was my fourth). Six summers ago, we went to Laíya Beach for an overnight fun (Juanito was then a month and a half old). The jeepney driver helped us in choosing a beach. He recommended Virgin Beach to us. Yeyette went inside the resort to inquire. Unfortunately, but they couldn't accommodate us anymore because all the cottages/rooms were already filled up (they call their cottages cabana, casita, and parasol). So we ended up at a "Class B" beach.

We still had fun nonetheless. However, Virgin Beach Resort lingered in our minds, especially to Yeyette's because she caught a glimpse of the place. Other than that, we heard from a friend who had been there how classy the beach looked, and that privacy was of utmost importance. And then we saw the witty flick "Here Comes The Bride" (not my idea) a year later wherein a significant part of the movie took place at the resort. We were mesmerized by the beauty. The movie was indeed the last straw. We promised ourselves to go back Virgin Beach one day.

And so came May 13, Mómay's birthday. It was a long overdue visit. Still worth all the wait! Here are some of our Day 1 photos (click here for more):

Crystal clear takes on a new meaning here!

This is Junífera Clarita's second time to swim in the beach!

It was a wavy Wednesday afternoon!

Our sumptuous dinner is served at the Pavilion.

The Pavilion at night. All meals here, both international and local cuisine, are served buffet style. But when the number of guests fall below 40 (like during our visit), plated full course meals are served instead. Such meals consist of an appetizer salad, soup, choice of main course with pasta or rice, dessert, and free flowing coffee during meal hours.

And here's Day 2 (click here for more):

"¡Despertaos!", Junífera Clarita seems to call out to her mamá, ate, and cuyas.

Batangueño sunrise.

Early morning swim, taken just a few minutes past six.

Yeyette enjoying the serenity of the sunrise.

Stolen shot, enjoying the summer heat!

Beach addict! =)

The beach and its surroundings are filled with several varieties of fruit-bearing trees and flowering plants, many of which are older than the resort itself. The "virgin" tag to this place is indeed apt.

The Pavilion's scenic view of the beach reminds me and Yeyette of our three-day vacation at Willy's Beach Club Hotel in Borácay five years ago. 

Breakfast time!

What we had for lunch.

Virgin Beach Resort truly exceeded our expectations! We had a virginal experience, so to speak. The waters are clean and clear as a mirror, the air all around is fresh because of forest mountains nearby. The staff is proactive and so courteous to the point of shyness. The food at the Pavilion is of hotel quality. And the best part of our two-day stay there? We had the beach all to ourselves! Because May 13 and 14 were weekdays (Wednesday and Thursday). That's probably one reason why the only souls we saw there were ours! Our kids had so much fun frolicking in the white sands of Laíya Beach!

Last but not the least, me and my wife experienced the peace and serenity that we were looking for in a beach. Virgin Beach Resort values not just fun but solemnity, to soothe the tired soul as one gazes to the pacific sky and sea. This place has since become my wife's favorite beach getaway. And our kids are raring to return. So don't be surprised to find us here again one day. ¡Hasta la vista!