Pagbilao a progressive town in the province of Quezon situated between Lucena (the capital of the province) and Quezon National Forest Park (a scenic forest reserve near the town of Atimonan). It is easily accessible by private and public transport being strategically located along the national highway.
Boats for island-hopping are available at Pagbilao Wharf near the bridge in Sitio Kalawit Barangay Pinagbayanan.
Our first day in Quezon was spent at the quaint town of Padre Burgos frolicking on its beautiful beaches, bouldering on its rock formations and feasting on fresh seafood at Tamarind Tree Resort. Although we spent most of the day traveling to get here, we were able to maximize our time exploring the place. It revealed picturesque seascapes that are yet to be discovered and are mostly known to backpackers and adventurers only.
PATAYAN ISLAND
Patayan Island is around 30-40 minutes from the wharf. It was our first stop during our island-hopping.
After checking out from the resort, I had a last glimpse of the gorgeous scenery and wondered whether the nearby town of Pagbilao (our next destination) would be equally scenic if not more. Good thing the place was only around 20-30 minute drive from Padre Burgos proper so we were able to make up lot of time in organizing an impromptu itinerary and finding a boat for our island-hopping in the area.
A privately-owned beach house available for public to rent.
Kwebang Lampas is one of the most noteworthy places to visit in the area so we based our itinerary on how to get there and made the rest of the destinations a side-trip. The beach could either be reached by land or by boat. The land route however, still requires around an hour’s walk after commuting to the jump-off point. After getting some tips from one of the locals on how to get around the area, we headed to the tricycle terminal at Barangay Pinagbayanan and decided to access the beach by boat ride. The terminal is located in a vacant area just after crossing the bridge in Sitio Kalawit where many boats are docked at Pagbilao Wharf locally known as Daungan.
Pagbilao Power Station is located at Ibabang , Polo Grande Island and is a good landmark in finding Kwebang Lampas.
From here I was able to haggle for the boat rental from Php1500 to Php1000 which would take us to Patayan Island, Kwebang Lampas, and Biliran Sand Bar in Bantigue. You can also park for free near the terminal if you have brought your own transport. The boat we rented was the smallest one available and was actually good for 20 persons. I thought it was a good bargain considering the boat ride to Kwebang Lampas is around an hour and a half. We paid Php800 for our island-hopping at Padre Burgos and it was only 10-15 minute travel to get to the beaches.
We started our journey cruising down a river surrounded with thick patches of mangroves before we finally sailed into the sweeping waters of Pagbilao Bay. It was more out of curiosity that we visited a small island called Patayan – a Tagalog word which literally means “killing”. It was on our way to Pagbilao Grande Island so I thought we could visit one of its shores. It was already high tide when we docked in front of a private beach house so most of its shoreline was submerged already underwater. It was pointless then to go to “Tulay Buhangin”, a sandbar in the northwest end of the island, as it was underwater already.
KWEBANG LAMPAS
Surprisingly, a caretaker came out of the fenced beach house and let us in. The place is open for public to rent. We were almost tempted to stay there for the night since we didn’t have a place to stay yet in Pagbilao. Unfortunately the caretaker still needed to get the key from the owner who lives at Barangay Bantigue for us to see the room. The good thing about this island is its privacy and you can have the whole island to yourself with a cozy beach house. Its shoreline however, is pebbly and filled with broken shells and coral. You would also have to arrange with your boat man a time to be picked up from the island the next day.
There is nothing much to do on the island so after awhile, we set off to the island of Pagbilao Grande to visit the famed beach of Kwebang Lampas. On the way to the island, we passed by a huge cargo ship unloading some coal at Pagbilao Power Plant which is also the landmark if you take the land route to the beach. As we turned the corner past the power plant, we were greeted by beautiful rock formations. And after another turn a beautiful cove revealed itself, a loud gasp of “wow” was all I could utter. If Borawan Beach was Charlie’s paradise, Kwebang Lampas was my kind of beach. It boasts white sand, clear emerald water, palm- trees, native huts and a small cave that can be explored easily.
BANTIGUE
Carlos Beach at Barangay Bantigue. Entrance fee is Php20 and table rental is Php50.
A nice fishpond behind the picnic area of Carlo's Beach
For a change, I actually wanted to stay longer here but we still needed to go to Bantigue and to find a place to stay for the night. After a few hours of swimming, exploring the cave and a lot of picture taking, we were off to Bantigue. We didn’t really have anything in mind to visit there but I just got curious about the long stretch of shores and colorful houses (which we thought were strips of resorts) that we saw in the distance while were on our way to Kwebang Lampas. It was also at the tip of the map bordering Pagbilao Bay so I thought there might be some nice beaches there or probably waterfalls.
SILANGANG NAYON
Silangang Nayon Park and Restaurant also offers accomodation in Pagbilao.
Unfortunately the waves that day were a bit rough so we just headed back to the wharf and traveled to Barangay Bantigue by land. We didn’t expect to find such an extensive posh resort in this seemingly remote location – unfortunately it was exclusive for members only. The Pueblo por la Playa occupies almost half of the coast line along Barangay Bantigue. It wasn’t a strip of resorts and hotels after all, so we drove further, all the way to the end of the road looking for a place to stay. At the end of the road, we discovered a small coastal village, Silangang Nayon (a cozy park and restaurant) and Carlo’s Beach (a small picnic area in front of a well- maintained beach with a nice fishpond in the backdrop).
PUEBLO POR PLAYA
Man-made beach at the exclusive resort Pueblo por Playa.
In the end we drove all the way back to Padre Burgos to find accommodation at Villa Anita where we spent a relaxing and comfortable night.
HOW TO GET TO PAGBILAO QUEZON
By Public Transport
Ride a bus en route to Lucena ( Buendia, Kamias or Cubao) and get off at Lucena Grand Central Terminal. From the terminal there are vans and jeepneys en route to Pagbilao. All buses en route to Bicol will also pass the town of Pagbilao.
By Private Transport
From Manila take SLEX to its end at Calamba and follow the signs towards Batangas.You will see a fork road on the right a short distance after passing the entrance to the STAR expressway. The right fork goes to Lipa City and the left goes to San Pablo – take the left fork towards San Pablo.
You will pass the town of Alaminos and then San Pablo. Take the diversion road of San Pablo towards Tiaong. Just before Tiaong there is a left turn onto a road that goes through Candelaria and Sariaya. After Sariaya you turn right towards Lucena City and take a left turn onto the Lucena Diversion Rd a few km outside the city. Once the diversion road rejoins the main highway, it’s only a short distance to Pagbilao town. If in doubt, just follow the signs to Bicol.
(This is part of our 2 nights adventure at Padre Burgos and Pagbilao Quezon in 2010.)
Day 1: We checked-in at Tamarind Tree Resort in Padre Burgos around noontime and arranged an impromptu beach-hopping at Padre Burgos late in the afternoon. We were fetched by our boatman around 3pm. We first visited Dampalitan Beach and explored the rocky beach from its other end. We dropped by at Lipata Beach and mingled with the locals before heading to Borawan Beach.
Day 2: We drove back to Pagbilao and went to the wharf to arrange another impromptu island-hopping in Pagbilao. We haggled with some boatmen and found one who agreed to take us to Patayan Island and Kwebang Lampas and back to the wharf for 1000 pesos. After returning to Pagbilao town, we drove all the way to the end of Barangay Bantigue and visited the coastal village at the tip of the mainland. We also dropped by at Silangang Nayon and Pueblo Por Playa. Silangang Nayon was fully-booked while Pueblo Por Playa is a member-only resort so we drove all the way back to Padre Burgos to look for Villa Anita Butterfly Garden and Resort to stay for the night.
breathtaking sight. Perfect place to go this summer.
the kwebang lampas and the puting buhangin beach are simply awesome places. in fact, i have taken just few shots of the place and just enjoyed the beach and the cave. great documentary and awesome shots you have in here
Thanks Madam and Oman
hi Claire,
I saw your pics in Pagbilao, Very Nice!!! My group is planning a trip to Pagbilao and i was just wondering what resort can you recommend for a group of 25 to 30 people that includes kids? Maybe you can provide us a contact number as well:)
Hi James, I only know about Silangang Nayon and the private club there. You might want to book in advance though because Silangang Nayon has few rooms only. Just check out my Pagbilao blog for more info.
hi, just want to ask how far is tamarind tree resort from silangang nayon?
how many minutes is the travel time?
thanks!
Hi Donna, Tamarind Resort is Padre Burgos while Silangang Nayon is in Pagbilao so I would guess around 30-40 minutes…
so nice!!!!!
Hi! I just want to ask if you were able to get the contact number of the beach house? Thanks
sorry, we didn’t go to her house in Bantigue anymore.
hi ms.claire!
im eve miranda..i have a friend na nirecommend etong site mu..i loved it kasi mahilig din kme mag-out of town..im interested dun sa quezon trip mu..kung may puntahan ba ko dun,,alin sa mga un??para kasing dame mu island na pinuntahan..eh we only have 2 days[sat&sun]hehe..im from san pedro laguna..
nga pla fan mu na ako sa fb..hehe
hoping to hear from you,,thanks..
Hi eve, actually you can do all of them in two days. On our first day in padre burgos, we started our island hopping around 3pm already. They are very near each other, maybe you can do all of them then chill on one beach that you like. You can even go to puting buhangin already on the same day even if it’s in Pagbilao. But it depends if you’re in the mood for island hopping or chill lang. I would say you spend more time in puting buhangin, it’s a beautiful place. You can do all the beaches in one day if you start early yun nga lang you don’t get to enjoy the place, anyway hope mag enjoy kayo sa trip nyo, thanks, keep on exploring
ay talaga..thanks ah..ask ko na din:
1.how much kaya estimated budget per person kung lhat ng un puntahan namen?
2. tska san ung best resort pwedeng mag stay?
senxa sa abala ah.lubusin ko na pagtatanong..hehe
thanks ng madame..
It really depends on the number of person in your group. The more the cheaper, you get to split the expenses on boat rental and accommodation. But maybe you can have rough estimate of the expenses based on the details i provided on boat rental and hotel rates. About the resort, it depends also if you will be commuting or you have your own transport. Less hassle if your resort is near the jump-off point for the island hopping. It also depends on how much is your budget for the resort.
Hi Claire,
I read from one of your posts that there was a private beach house for rent in Puting Buhangin
but you did not stay there because there was no key.. Did you happen to get the contact number
of the owner or the caretaker? You see we’ve already been to Padre Burgos and had our Borawan
island hopping last month, now we’re planning another Quezon escapade but im having difficulty
finding a place to stay.. i saw the beach house and it looks great.. hope you can help me…
please send me an email…
thanks so much!
hi ang ganda ng lugar nyo maybe one of this day makapunta kaming mag pamilya san b mas mgadang site dyan??
Maganda po sa Puting Buhangin ang ang beach tapos pwede kayo mag stay sa Silangang Nayon.
Hi Rosemarie, sorry that beach house is in patayan island not in puting buhangin and unfortunately we weren’t able to get the key. Maybe on your way to Puting Buhangin you can tell your boatman to drop you there and reserve the place and spend your time in Puting Buhangin after. There is no accommodation in puting buhangin. In pagbilao you may stay at silangang nayon and also rent your boat from there. There aren’t many places to stay in that area. We drove back to Padre Burgos after our island hopping in Pagbilao. You might want book ahead though at silangang nayon since they have few rooms only. If you will bring your own car, another option is to stay at Tamarind resort or Villa Anita in Padre Burgos. I have an entry about them in my blog.
elow.. help naman!! me and my husband planing to visit quezon on holyweeks…4days en 3 nyts po kme dun..pupuntahan nanin ang .lucban, tayabas,pagbilao.and tiaong.. san po kame pdeng makahanap ng affordable na pede nming mapag tulugan?
kailangn ko po mga answer nyo.. para mag ka idea po kme..1st time po namin…
Hi Joy,I listed a few places to stay in Padre Burgos including the resort where we checked in after exploring the beach in Pagbilao ( there aren’t many choices at Pagbilao). I haven’t tried staying overnight at Tiaong/Lucban/Tayabas though. But we usually just turn up and ask the the locals for affordable choices of accommodation whenever we visit a new destination.
thank you po,,,
Hi Claire,
Good day!!! gustong gusto ko ung blogs mo… nagka-idea kami ng friends ko sa magiging itinerary namin next week end. So mas maganda pala na mauna kami mag island hopping sa Pagbilao then stay kami sa Villa Anita then mag island hopping kami sa Padre Burgos the next day.
Thanks Claire for sharing your experiences. Add na kita sa FB ko.
More power.
Thank you Irah, Have fun in your trip. Keep on traveling
hi claire,
just a question about your pagbilao/padre burgos island-hopping – are there good snorkeling places in the area? not necessarily spectacular as those in anilao/galera but one that is good enough?
thanks,
tony
ps – really nice informative blog here… keep it up…
Thanks Anthony
These places are not really known for fantastic coral formations but you can try Puting Buhangin in Pagbilao. Swimming further from the shore will reveal some nice corals as well as in Dampalitan Beach. I would highly recommend though the different islands in Burdeos, Quezon for snorkeling, probably the best for me in Quezon Province.
ask ko lang po kung may marerecommend kang resort na pwedeng magovernight at baka meron na din videoke…hehehe
Hi Juine, in Pagbilao area, you can stay at Silangang Nayon Park and Restaurant. I’m not sure though if they have videoke. In Padre Burgos, you can stay either at Villa Anita or The Tamarind Tree Resort.
Thanks Ms. Claire.
One more question pa po, curious ako about Carlos Beach, pwede ko po malaman how to go there? Thanks in advance
Hi Juine, I have to warn you though, it’s a coastal village with a few place for picnic. Just follow the road to Silangang Nayon and from there continue until the end of the road. It’s at the tip of Pagbilao.
hi Claire!
thank you for the reviews about your trip to Quezon Province. all of them were very informative.
just got a few questions for you though. should we decide to go to Quezon and end up in Padre Burgos, which of the resorts would you recommend, Tamarind Tree or Villa Anita? aside from the lodgings, will we be able to visit Kuwebang Lampas if we’re in Padre Burgos?
your immediate response is appreciated. thank you very much again!
Hmmm, for good deal about accommodation, I would choose Villa Anita especially if you have your own transport anyway. It’s about 10 minutes from the town proper of Padre Burgos. The Tamarind Tree Resort is near the jump-off point for island-hopping though. It’s up to you. Yes you will be able to visit Kwebang Lampas from Padre Burgos. Some of my readers who commented opted to visit all the islands in Padre Burgos and Pagbilao in one day. We did it in two days because there was really no info available online at that time on how to do it both and we wanted to really enjoy each beach and not just hop from one beach to another. It’s really up to you if you’re keen on seeing many islands or just chill on a few beaches. If you ask me, I would spend most of my time at Puting Buhanging. This is the best beach in the area. But if you’re coming from Padre Burgos and go there then go back again to Padre Burgos to stay for the night, it’s quite out of the way. Just leave some comments here again if you have more questions.
Anyway, hope you all have fun in your trip. Pls come back and share your experience there. Ingat po! Cheers!
so Claire if i’m not mistaken then, Kuwebang Lampas is in Puting Buhangin?
Yep in the same place, Puting Buhangin is the beach and the cave there is called Kwebang Lampas.
Hello claire,
First of all congratulations for having such a blast in travelling off the beaten path. I appreciate all the info you post on your blog and indeed its very informative. Great shots too!! I must say.
I’ve been to a couple of places already in quezon ,been in Cagbalete and in Padre Burgos (Borawan and Dampalitan) which i should say are perfect place for communing with nature. if its ok to post… For people planning to go there, you can get in touch with Tita Ria (cell phone number: 09178662423 owner of Vista Playa Restaurant). They could arrange a food package for your group and also there is an available private beach house (they call it “White House” ) nearby that she could reserve for your convinience or if you opt to camp they do offer the back of the restaurant for campers for a minimum fee with Water supply and CR they can also arrange the boat ride for your island hopping needs). Regarding Tamarind Tree they dont allow smoking and alcohol inside the resort and Villa Anita is not a Beach front property abaout 10 mins away from the shore.
Im on the process of planning another team building activity and thinking of going back to quezon for it. I just wonder Carlos Beach in Brgy Bantigue, is the beach good for swimming and are there accommodations available in the resort itself? and also about the private beach house is the shore also good for swimming if ever? can they only be accessed by boat?
Thanks a lot. Hope to hear from you soon.
Hi Leo, thanks for sharing this info to the readers. Carlos Beach is just good for picnic and an alternative for camping. It’s actually part of the coastal village and isn’t good for swimming during lowtide.It is also quite rocky. The private beach in Patayan Island does’t really offer meals but perhaps you could bring your own food and cook it yourself. The beach in front of it is ok. It has pebbly shores. I wasn’t really able to go around it so I’m not sure if the other shores are better. Carlos Beach can’t be accessed at lowtide and easier by land along Barangay Bantigue.
Hi Claire,
Thanks for your informative blogs. I’ve been to Puting Buhangin last weekends (May 22-23 ’10). The private beach at Patayan Island is owned also by the Silangang Nayon.
Hi Leo,
Who is Tita RIa?What place are you referring to contact her?Is it Cagbalete o Padre Burgos?
Thanks Ginapie for the info
Thank you very much for giving us some savvy information on this topic. I have found a good variety of reliable information about travel tips and some poor suggestions. Do you have any more savvy ideas or places on the Web that I can find more detailed suggestions? This would be quite appreciated! So, keep up the good work!
Hi! We went to Kwebang lampas yesterday. Thanks to you!
I’d like to share the route we took. We’re from antipolo so we took the backdoor way to laguna.
Here’s the list of towns we pass through
- antipolo
- Teresa
- morong junction
- pillilia junction
- bugarin zigzag road ascending
- mabitac zigzag road descending
- famy junction
- Lumban
- pagsanjan church
- cavinti junction
- lusiana
- lucban you will by kamay ni hesus
- tayabas basilica
- lucena diversion crossing- turn left going to Bicol
- pagbilao
Thank you for sharing this nfo Leena.
my friends and I was there this holy week and i must say that the place is pure awesomeness and very laid back. The only problem we had was the attitude of the care taker, which is so harsh. Did he act the same way with you guys? also, there were quite a lot of “miscellaneous fees” or maybe ’cause it was just a holiday. We weren’t very happy with the locals though, it seems like sinamantala nila ung dami ng tao. The beach itself though was great.
Hi Denise, the caretaker wasn’t accommodating during our visit as well but it didn’t bother us much because after paying her the entrance fee, she left us alone enjoying the beach.
Hi claire just wanna ask if from manila ano mauuna town. pagbilao or padre burgos? we are planning to go first in putingt buhangin, before we check in villa anita. thanx for the info in advance. Godbless
I think it’s Pagbilao first.
Vista Playa is under new management with better service. For more inquiries about Beach Activities, Boat Rentals, etc., kindly contact direct: 63.906.2423945. Please be adviced that We will not be responsible or liable to any accidents/ injuries if not directly in contact with VISTA PLAYA MANAGEMENT.
hi claire,
do you happen to keep the cellphone number of the bangkero you rented in paagbilao?
thanks!
I’m not sure, but I think i posted it on one of my Pagbilao articles. Anyway, there are many boats at Pagbilao Wharf and if you go there directly, you can haggle with the price that suits you.
magkano po pamasahe sa boat?reps po pls
1000 pesos round trip yung singil sa amin dati, baka nagtaas na ngayon.
Hi Clare,
Just want to ask, how long drive from alabang to pagbilao? How many resorts in pagbilao that along the beach area?
Thanks!
Hmmm, roughly 3-4 hours, I only know about Silangang Nayon but the beach there is not really good for swimming. There aren’t many choices of accommodation there, that’s why camping is popular. There is another resort at the nearby town of Padre Burgos, Tamarind Tree Resort.
Oooh, I thought the resorts are front beach..
So there are few resorts in pagbilao?
Aside in pagbilao where place or resorts we can stay in quezon that are front beach and can accomodate us to island hopping to puting buhangin and borawan island?
We are group 0f 15 and planning to stay day tour only and island hopping.
Thanks again!
Tamarind Tree Resort in Padre Burgos is the only beach front resort I know aside from Silangang Nayon. If you’re gonna do island-hopping the whole day, i think it’s alright not to stay at beach front resort. By the time you get back, it’s late already.
hi ms.clare im nina from cabuyao laguna.. pls help me how to go there coz im planning to come 3rd wik of march.. ms.clare im interested in this resort.. i think very relaxing places.. i hope we see there.. i leave my contact pls txt me po 4 the budget (09078094982)… tnx ms.clare.
godbless po..
Hi Ninna, kindly check out the articles about Pagbilao. I posted detailed information on getting to Pagbilao.
hi. just wanna ask if overnight staying is really not allowed?
thanks Ü
and magkano po magagastos per person kung manggagaling ng Laguna
Hi Anne, as of my last inquiry, it wasn’t allowed. Kindly check my post/comments for estimate of expenses.
grabe naman ang kwebwng lampas kumikita ng walang kaayos ayos ang beach ang mga cottage lahat sira sira ang daan walang ay os ang hirap bago makarating halos wala ka ng mapaliguang sa beach halos mapuno ng mga paupahang bangka ang bilihin sobrang mahal talo pa seven eleven eto matindi ang sama ng ugali ng tindahan
grabe ang ugali ng may ari ng tindahan sa kwebang lampas ang dameng binabayaran pag pasok mo pa lng magbabayad kana para sa bako bakong daan bayad sa bangka bayad sa entrance ng beach 50 n 100 para makita mo ang sira sirang cottage at sandamakmak na bangka animoy pantalan para syo aling masungit na may ari daw sya ng beach wag nyon pagkakitaan ng dilat ang mga mag aa outing na mamayan ayusin nyo yang beach nyo lalo na ang ugali ng magtitinda dyan pinangangalandakan na kanya ang beach resort e para naman squater ka sa loob puro bulok ang cottage makalat na paligiran mahiya ka aling magtitinda sayang ang ganda ng beach bka singilin ka ng kalikasan pag nagalit si amang dagat