In Photos: Beach Bliss in Bauang

THIS Holy Week, a surge of Filipinos from Metro Manila took advantage of the long holiday to visit tourist destinations. As we all know, we are now enabled to travel, most especially locally. But sometimes, good is bad like just what happened to San Juan in La Union, the surfing capital in northern Philippines. All those trash left by the visitors by the seashore after they had fun. How horrendous.

Bad-mannered tourists, however, are not solely to be blamed. The people of San Juan and its local government must also also be held responsible for the protection of their natural resources is as important as tourist arrivals.

In the meantime, let’s allow San Juan to recover and visit another beach town in La Union: Bauang. If you’re the laidback beach lover—the kind who’s content bumming around instead of trying out water activities like surfing—then Bauang is really for you this summer.

Bauang, just like many coastal towns in the archipelagic Philippines, still relies on fishing as a source of livelihood

My friend and I discovered Bauang by chance in February. After surfing in San Juan, we wanted to just relax in the waters, which definitely was not possible with the big waves. So we researched and asked locals. Bauang was suggested to us. And off we went being the carefree traveling duo that we were.

Here’s eight hours of beach bliss in Baung:

Leaving San Juan at 12 high noon, we arrived at Bauang via San Fernando at 1pm.
The sun was way up so we decided to just nap at the first available cottage we spotted.
After which, we did what you see in the photos.

Soon after, I realized that the charming community where at was that of fisherfolks. But thanks to tourism, fishermen like Kuya Butch get the chance to earn extra. Their fishing boats also serve as touring vessels. He then suggests for his fellow Pinoys to visit during Holy Week when the entire fishing village sails to depict the 14 Stations of the Cross.

Another fisherman preparing for the night’s upcoming catch.

Everything was golden as we waited patiently for the sun to break from the clouds.

And it did disappoint casting crimson hues to the sea while kayaking tourists get first-row views!

Here’s us basking in the summer glow.

(TEXT AND PHOTOS ©EUDENVALDEZ)

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