I ♥ Enchanted Cave, Bolinao Pangasinan 03/05/2011


I am not a fan of cave exploring. It is dark, wet, dirty, crawling with creatures, dangerous and is not safe for equipment. There is something inside the cave that is very mysterious. The eerie silence and droplets of water from stalactites makes me think something unknown is lurking inside. But whenever my itchy feet tells me to be a bit adventurous I will always try something new, that’s what I just did in Bolinao, Pangasinan.
I thought that we were just going to Bolinao to enjoy the beach but to my surprise Bolinao is also famous for its caves. A friend is celebrating her birthday and asked us to celebrate with her in Patar Bolinao Pangasinan. We had a great time on our first day partying on the resort hotel we rented and visiting the caves of Bolinao will be our next itinerary. 

We rented a van so going to different places wouldn’t be a hassle.  Our first stop after eating breakfast is Enchanted Cave. It is just a 20 minute ride from our hotel. It is the largest cave among the three caves in Patar so it was a great choice. Before you enter the cave you will be welcome by a beautiful garden with fossilized giant clams and coral reefs. We paid 40 pesos each and a parking fee. I was a little nervous while we have to go through a small opening down to the enclave but I’m relieved because it is adequately lit.

Inside you’ll feel the humidity despite the pool of crystal clear water that will welcome you. I really feel uncomfortable because there is something unusual inside the cave. Swimming in the pool is allowed, but caretakers/staff are alert to remind tourists of the restricted area. Although a lot of tourists are enjoying the water, the ropes and lifeguards around makes me think that some accidents happened here in the past. They said that the cave is connected to an underground river.  We swim and took some photos and after 30 minutes of water dipping we packed up and went to our next cave.
The next cave we visited was WonderFul Cave and Cindy’s cave. We also paid an entrance fee for both caves. There is nothing special here just like Enchanted Cave, both caves were too commercialized. The pathways were already cemented and you’ll notice that it’s not well maintained. There were litters along the way and the structures were deteriorating. The place needs a lot of repair. I find it very funny to see that they place a shower in the middle of the pool. We just dip and took some photos and headed to our next destination which is the Bolinao LightHouse.
Visiting the caves of Bolinao never changes my impression of cave exploration. Maybe I’m not the type of person who wanted to know what’s going to be like if I explore something that is unknown. I don’t know if I’m claustrophobic or something but I still enjoyed my visit here because I’m with my friends and I think that’s the most important of all.














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Location: Patar, Bolinao, Pilipinas

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