Bolinao is at the northern tip of the province of Pangasinan. I have traveled there twice in the past few months. Once at the end of December 2008 and again in March 2009.
The seascape along the South China Sea offers wonderful sunrises and especially sunsets. The sand is white, though coarse. There is a shallow area from the shore for about 100 meters which contains rocks and sea grass. This area presents some great tidal pools to explore during low tide. The locals take advantage of the low tides to collect shell fish. I found it very enjoyable to walk the tidal pools and to go out to the wave breaks at the end of the shallows.
Though the shallow area makes great exploration and scenery, it is not good for those wanting to swim. Your best bet for swimming is at the Patar Beach. This beach has more sand and less rock. There is a small admittance fee, less than 50php.
Accommodations vary from bamboo floored kubos to high end luxury resorts. There are also many areas offering places to pitch a tent.
In the photos you will see Puerto Del Sol and Treasures of Bolinao for the higher end facilities. The prices here start around 4-5,000php a night. The rooms are top notch. They also each have beautiful swimming pools. For sunsets, and closeness to Patar Beach, Treasures of Bolinao would be my recommendation. For a bit better service and facilities, I suggest Puerto Del Sol.
I stayed in a kubo at AMS Beach Resort during the week after Christmas 2008 for 800php. This is right beside the Puerto Del Sol. Maybe a bit rustic for some, but it is very clean and the owners are extremely friendly. I found it to be more than adequate for my simple tastes. They have no restauarant, so you are welcome to bring your own food, or you could simply walk a few meters over to Puerto Del Sol to eat there, or venture along to any of the other restaurants around.
Speaking of restaurants, when in Pangasinan you must try the region’s famous Bangus (milk fish). It is always fresh and delicious.
The trip to Bolinao is made for motorcycle enthusiasts. The roads are mostly straight and in good condition. Of course you have the usual nuances of driving in the Philippines (Buses, trikes, carabao, etc. etc.), but with a good sized bike you can easily get around most of these road blocks. With a motorcycle, I can suggest doing the “loop” on your travel there. Go up through Tarlac to Alaminos and over to Bolinao. On the way back, go down the western side of Pangasinan into Zambales and drop into Subic. From Subic you can get the expressway over to NLEX. Of course you will need a 400cc or larger bike to take advantage of the expressways. Plan about 4 – 5 hours from Manila, but if you leave early you should make much better time.
This is also an easy trip for a private car, and there are plenty of buses going to the area.
