Monstrous Waves at Bagasbas Beach

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

My vacation at Camarines Norte this summer would not be complete if we didn't visit the well known Bagasbas Public Beach. The beach is known not only because it is one of remaining undeveloped and public beaches but also because of it's monstrous waves which makes it a nice spot for water sport activities, especially surfing.

We woke up early in order to enjoy the beach without the scorching summer sun at our backs. Bagasbas beach is an open and public beach, so the are only a few nipa huts available to shed under. We arrived the beach at around 6:30AM, and the beach is already packed with people enjoying the morning sun.

After getting tired playing with the waves, We decided to build a nice sand castle, despite the color of the sand.

Even Joel enjoyed having taken his shadow with us in the picture. :)

There are just a few catch before you decide going there.

The catches are:

There are no hotels/inns and cottage along the beach line or around the area. You have to ask for the nearby house owners to let you in their house and shower after swimming in the beach.
The sand is gray. I have no qualms about gray sand, it's just that if you've been to a white sand beach, you'll find the gray sand, um how do I say this, dirty. (no offense on that one)
The waves are huge. Meaning, you need to swim with caution if you want to go to the deeper part of the sea, or else you'll drown if the wild waves catch you.
Since there are no cottages, you have to look out for your personal belongings. It is an open beach, so anyone can accidentally grab your things if you let it lay on the sand unattended.
There are no rules when swimming at the beach. It means you can wear anything you like (I've seen people who swam there in their long jeans for that matter) and anyone can swim on the beach (even dogs or other animals! I definitely seen a dog swimming with his owner)

The ONLY reason enough to sent you packing to go to Camarines Norte is that Bagasbas beach has the nicest waves I have seen so far (though I've seen the waves of Siargao on the television). If you really dig surfing, i guess you don't wanna miss the waves of Bagasbas to show off your surf tricks. The waves are comparable with the waves in California (as i have seen on some shows on TV).

I think if the area had been developed a bit, like put up some nice cottages and shower areas along the beach. With proper maintenance and some ground rules for using the beach, Bagasbas beach will be another must-see tourist spot here in our country. There's no need to go to California to catch some really nice waves or even fly to Siargao to experience nice waves for surfing. With just an 8 hour drive, you can experience surfing and showing off some moves (without the jellyfish sting) at Bagasbas Beach.