capones island

Been here for the second time this March. It's always a good side trip from Anawangin. The sand is white and water is clear. You can set a camp here (mid day can be really hot) but bring your own supplies. There's no entrance fee but there's also no facilities. The place is good for snorkeling. There are some. corals but they seemed to be destroyed by the boats' anchor :|A usual entry point is the Capones Lighthouse which they say is haunted. The view is really great from the top of the lighthouse. The main swimming area is a 5 minute boat ride from the lighthouse beach to the other side of the island.

This island has white fine sand, clear blue and turquoise water. I just love swimming and snorkeling here, you will be able to see some fish and you won't notice the time as you snorkel, water so clean and clear, it was so much fun. Picture perfect too.

It was New Year's Day, January 1st and the thrill to discover more islands and coves in San Antonio, Zambales is not yet over for us. We have spent 2 nights at Nagsasa Cove and as a side trip we went to Capones Island where the 19th century Capones Lighthouse stands.Our boatman tried to park his boat to the nearest entry way up the lighthouse but to no avail he was not able to due to the high tide and strong winds. He decided to try the other part of island and we're so happy when we were able to set out feet on the sand of Capones Island. It was really far from the lighthouse since the beach was located at the end of the island but still with wide smiles and burnt skin we started our trek. We left the boatman at the Navy detachment, an old unfinished building owned by the political Gordon family of Zambales <as per boatman>, it was supposed to be a resort casino but the government put a stop on the construction. On March 2004, the Philippine Coast Guard published that they have entered into agreement that it will be the base for National Marine Environmental Monitoring System but sadly up to this day they're still waiting for some feasibility studies and funding for the said complex <as per PCG website>.We continued on our trek and we have encountered some dangerous parts along the way. There are some parts on going up that you have to get a good grip of the thick ropes in order to climb the steep steps. One wrong turn and surely you will be thrown on the boulders below. I tell you, be extra cautious and careful if you have to climb this way.Sadly the 19th century Capones Lighthouse can now be called Capones Lighthouse Ruins. The solar powered light that used to guide international vessels is no longer working and the rest of the facilities were left deteriorating. My husband as a coastguardman was heartbrocken by what he saw. But he feels that there's still a lot of hope that someday someone from the government will take the big step forward to do something about the rehabilitation and manning of the charming lighthouse.After chatting with the Navy on-duty, we went back to the beach and more fun awaits us. The boatman told us that it is still early so we still have some free time to swim and take a peak of the marine life under. It could have been perfect if there are less sea grass on our way but it is still nice and we had our almost perfect outing in a secluded island of Capones.

I’ve been to Capones thrice already and the place still awes me. I’ll be going there again on January 2015. I toured the whole island. The best place to hang-out and view the sunset is at the top of the lighthouse. You will have a great view of the West Philippine Sea up there. When the tide is low, you can walk at least 20 meters away from shore and the water will only be at most waist-high. The water is clear too so you can see what's down under. Things to do there: snorkel, camp, bonfire and take lots of photographs. We usually pick trashes washed ashore (it’s a simple way of helping mother earth) before we start sightseeing.

The lighthouse and the breathtaking view of the West Philippine Sea says it all. Though the trek up the lighthouse is a challenge, the picturesque scene that will greet you is irreplaceable. It's like having the view of Batanes Islands, just perfect!

We visited at a time when the weather was a bit troublesome, causing waves to swell and the banca drivers were a bit reluctant to get close. We still got to visit Capones, but were not able to get to the side of the island where we could hike up to the lighthouse.At any rate, the island itself is beautiful, the water absolutely gorgeous deep blue color. There weren't much tourists when we visited (due to the weather), and so it was pretty quiet and perfect for strolling and taking pictures.Try to see as much of the island as you can. We walked much farther than people usually go and was rewarded with stunning views and we got to see some interesting rock formations.For first time visitors: there are no stores or facilities on the island, so make sure you take care of business and stock up on drinking water before you head to the island.

take a 45 minute boat ride and visit the light house or just relax on the island and swim and picnic. at the end of the day catch a boat back to the beach where you parked your car

After our tour in Anawangin and Nagsasa coves, I was so excited in going to this island. Because I have been hearing that this part of our trip is the best. I have been reading great reviews about the island and true to my expectations, this is yet the best among the 3 destinations. Things to doThe Lighthouse - visit the lighthouse, this is a must-see! With a little trek and a little swimming from the rocky part near the shore (you will have to get off your boat and swim to the shore then trek up the tower). If you are up for the adventure, this is for you. Snorkeling - what I enjoyed the most is snorkeling, it has very rich marine life underwater. It was very beautiful down under. I swam with some schools of little fishes, saw some Nemo's relatives, and even scared that I might touch the sea urchins, but don't worry they are always hiding behind the corals. And the corals, they were just stunning. This, I may say is the most "worth-it" part of our tour. The Shore I am saddened by the fact that the shore was really dirty, and there were no shade for us to hide under. The fishermen should take good care of them, they are the one's who benefit or make a living out of it anyway.

This place would bring you closer to nature. The beach is pristine white and the water is cool despite of the scorching heat of the sun. This place is not yet developed which is good however, there are no shade within the area. If you are too conscious about your skin having sunburn, then you might not enjoy this beach.The climb going to the lighthouse was also great. Such a wonderful experience. I am not someone who usually would want to seek adventure but I don't regret a thing climbing the top of the lighthouse. It definitely is tiring (and seems like a lot of people gets their footwear broken climbing the trail since there are lots of broken footwear alongside) but it is all worth it. After seeing the whole view of the beach atop the lighthouse, you will just be amazed at God's wonderful creation.Definitely, Capones Island is one marvelous creation of God.

It's my fourth lighthouse destination, from Bolinao to Laoag to Cagayan, though all of them are abandoned, what bothered me here is the abandoned surroundings, trashes all over. And i never climbed up the staircase because its shaky and rusty, it might collapse. climb at your own risk. But those who reached the top says its breathtaking up there but leg wracking! Yup, i agreed,the boatmen would not tell that it can be reached shortened instead of the 1hour trekking. Clueless at first and i sought for it and found it dangerous because the boat cannot dock as near as possible so one has to go with a rope around 20meters and if you are not a swimmer the waves will test your balancing skills and its deep down there, dont forget to wear life vest and as soon as you reach the shore, here comes the uneven rocks. The hurdle is not yet done, way up there is steeper and one would noticed a lot of damaged sleepers,shoes, step-ins scattered. Its terribly hot at 1pm.For the adventurous i think this is cool.

apart from the oohs and wows of other reviewers, i'd like to add some negative points about this spot.on the way to the lighthouse, the shore is littered with a lot of trash - some maybe due to some foolish local tourists who don't seem to care about keeping attractions clean and some maybe washed to the shore from afar. i just don't understand why the government can't help a bit by cleaning up the place from time to time.aside from this, i wonder why some boatmen would tell that they can't go near the shore of the stairs going to the lighthouse when one can see some boats already docked on the shore.it was a good thing one boat assistant was kind enough to say that it can be done.this place can easily get a 5-star from me if not for these drawbacks.

Capones Island is just superb! But I suggest you visit Capones Island early in the morning because there's no place to hide from the sun. During our island hopping, this was the second destination and that's like 1pm in May so it's really hot.The shore is full of stones, no sand, but you can still find a place immerse your tired body underwater. The famous lighthouse is a must-see, well if you want to conquer your fear of heights. It will get steeper on your way up. Mind you, the spiral staircase from the ground is shaky but it's still safe to pass through it. The ruins on the other hand is a great venue for shutter-bugs and professional photographers! I just can't describe how amazing it is! Take as much pictures as you want and don't forget to bring a great camera with you!

A MUST DO in Zambalas is ISLAND HOP! Which means stopping here at Capones Island. Is fairly easy to arrange a banca boat for the day through one of the resorts in the area. In one day you can stop at two islands and annawagin cove. Caponse Island was the best spot for wave jumping, exploring, and a BBQ fish lunch prepared by our boat crew (we provided the food, they did the cooking!) SARAP!

We went to this island after my friends snorkel on Camara Island. This island made me excited because I know that it has its own lighthouse of which I could climb upto the top. The lighthouse is very old. Though I became disappointed when the boatman told us that we need to swim from afar of which we didn't like because we were all tired already. Also, I wasn't able to swim because I forgot to bring my dry bag which means that my camera would get soaked if I did. The boatman then transferred us the other side of the island where we could hop-off without swimming. From there I forgot to go to the lighthouse as we were not informed that there's a way from where we were located (how lucky we were with our boatman). Overall, I would rate this island a 5 if the sand is fine and if there are signages (not the vandals we saw) that would lead us to the lighthouse.heads up: there's no restroom, the main shore to the lighthouse is very rocky, the other side of the island is full of trash by previous tourists, there's vandalism on some huge rocks.

Visited Capones Island as part of our adventurous Anawangin tour. As the boat neared the shore we were informed that we have to swim to the rocky shore! Seeing the big sharp rocks and the increasingly large waves, I doubted if I can swim to the shore, but I did, with my friends' help. After struggling to get a foothold among the razor-sharp rocks on the shore, one must now climb up a small cliff and from there, mercifully, was a flight of concrete steps. Along the way was an old brick drain (?), apparently of Spanish vintage. Looming beyond the trees on the hill was the old Spanish light house.On top of the steps one can get a breathtaking view of the surrounding seas - worth a picture or two!After that is a pathway through dense forest, and then one can see the gate of the old lighthouse complex. The wrought iron grilles and the brick construction are quite romantic to behold. The complex's roof rotted away a long time ago, but the walls are intact. We were led to the lighthouse itself, up an old iron spiral staircase that wobbled as we ascended it - freaky! At the top were more stairs - I was told that the lighthouse was increased in height during the American era, hence the extra stairs, and then finally made it to the topmost platform.The rotating light was intact but is no longer in use, having been replaced by a smaller light. The view over Capones island and the seas are simply stupendous from this height!Afterwards we left the island - by swimming against even bigger waves - then we boarded the boat which took us to a small stretch of beach with a dangerously steep slope. But we enjoyed swimming with our life vests on and played on the fine sand.