Blue clear waters, white sand, privacy and serenity, and a cave; there are a lot of beaches in the Philippines that have these traits and features but finding them all in one single place is pretty rare. Most white beaches are already commercialized making it pretty hard to find a place that’s not crowded especially when you’re looking for an escape from the all the routines and redundancy of the city.

So let us take you to a place where all the elements I mentioned intertwine with each other giving birth to this tiny paradise just outside Manila…

Kwebang Lampas is an under-developed and privately owned beach situated in the heart of Pagbilao, Quezon. Depending on the traffic on South Luzon Expressway the travel time is between three hours to four hours from the central Manila area if you’re on a private car and about half an hour more commuting. The way to the place is a little confusing so it’s recommended to plot the course and bring a road map before heading there. We started asking the townsfolk about the ‘power plant’ when we arrived at Pagbilao proper since Kwebang Lampas is near it.


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Upon reaching Pagbilao, we eventually came across a junction with a huge modern sign on it (see image below). Turn right on the junction and keep following the concrete road to reach the power plant. We passed through Quipot Bridge which brought us to Brgy. Ilayang Polo at Pagbilao Grande Island. Then a bit more drive, and the road lead us to Sityo Capalos where the main entrance to the power plant is located. The power plant is a little far so do not think that you might be lost because you’ll see the plant’s chimney (see image below) which is pretty high so you won’t miss it.



There are two routes to the beach when you arrive at the power plant. First is through the plant itself when you are granted permission by the security which you can ask at the gate. The other one is the longer route and the path we took. We asked for direction to ‘Kwebang Lampas’ from the locals in the area and pointed us further down the road. Then, we came across a guard’s house which asked us to sign a logbook. This was the indication that we have entered a private area and probably owned by the Lu Kang’s themselves. Asphalts have ended and the road has turned into a rough and dirt path, cows and goats roam the area and vast plains, lakes and mountains are all you can see beside the plant. We kept following the dirt trail until we stumble upon a tiny settlement at the edge of the lake.



We took a little break here and parked our car, the next trail is too narrow for any vehicle so we gathered our things and continued on foot. A few meters of walk and you’ll see the other gate of the power plant; this is where the two routes merge into one again. The trail widens again and cars can pass through for approximately another 500m which means less walking if we took the first route. But more trekking and exercise is more fun anyway. :)

The outfall ends eventually and the next path becomes inaccessible for all vehicles. Rock formations sandy shores starts to show and meld with the greens.



There’s a shorter way adjacent the huge rocks along the shores but the water is too high for us to take that route so we turned left and took another trail in the woods. Be careful of the thorny branches of the trees here.



After this short trail you would see a clearing on top of a grassy mound, continue walking on the most obvious path. The next trail is a stony path that stretches for quite a distance then you will encounter a swamp. Here, you will see the entrance to the beach; a steel locked gate. You would need to knock and yell a bit to call on the attention of the caretaker and pay the entrance fee upfront.



When the gate opened, I found myself underneath the numerous canopies of coconut trees that only gave way to a few streaks of sunlight. As I stood there, my ears were searching for the sound of waves…assuming we’re already really close to the sea; I didn’t hear any. So I started to walk deeper to survey the area. Finally, I saw some huts that look like beach cottages, the trees thinned, and the sole of my feet began to feel sands filling my sandals, and the bluish clear waters of the sea finally met my eye.



The sea was so peaceful that day; no wonder I didn’t hear the sounds of rolling waves. And even though the sun was hidden, the sea still glistens underneath the cloudy sky.



Several huts lay across the shore that can be rented for Php200.00 to Php400.00 depending on size. White sand and fine green grass meld into each other creating a nice contrast of colors and texture across the beach. There were also a few wild flowers that can be seen not far from the cottages; they were colorful enough that my ‘GF’ took a few minutes to appreciate all of them. We also encountered a blue starfish on the shore, I admit this was the first starfish that I saw really close so it was pretty exciting. We were tempted to take it home but we decided otherwise and brought it back to the sea. Kwebang Lampas is bounded by hills at both ends almost forming cove. The hill on the right side (facing the sea) is where the cave is located. It opens at about four meters wide and stretches for a few meters until it opens again to the vast sea. The floor is full of different sized stones and a number of jellyfish roams in the area. There were huge rocks near the caves that you can traverse to reach it when the tide is high.







There are many shells of different sizes and colors that can be picked up on the shore which is what most of our companions on this trip did. This and the some coarse white sand near the grass area are indications that the beach isn’t older than most white sand beaches here in the Philippines but the if you aren’t fond of crowded beach then you’ll like ‘Kwebang Lampas’ better. There’s only one other group that’s using the beach besides us and it was a holiday; it’s probably the long trek and the fact that it’s not commercial that not many people go to this place even if they know about the beach already. But those long treks are so worth it once you behold the beauty and tranquility of this tiny virgin paradise.

We stayed on the beach for five hours but it felt like we did an overnight…Literally. When we we’re heading for the next beach to visit and we we’re talking with each other, we were talking about ‘yesterday’s event’ which was actually the same day! We enjoyed so much that we actually thought that we spent a whole day at ‘Kwebang Lampas’.

Verdict:

If you don’t mind trekking a bit and lack of power and potable water in the area, this place is definitely worth another visit!

Rates:
Php35.00 per head upon entrance
Cottages @ Php200.00 – Php400.00

Notes:
No Potable water
No Restaurants in the area, so remember to bring foods.