El Puerto Marina at Lingayen
The province of Pangasinan in the Philippines is a popular destination for a great number of tourists because of its beautiful beaches. The famous Hundred Islands National Park in Lucap, Alaminos, Pangasinan and the white sand beaches of some municipalities in the Western part of the province such as Anda, Dasol and Bolinao are a great hang-out places during the summer. There is no better time to spend the summer in the Philippines than to indulge one's self to the heat of the sun and brave the seductive waves for a night swimming. No wonder this province is a well-known tourists destination for those who wish to escape the hustle-bustles of city life and pamper one's self for a short vacation during the holidays. The province is just five-hour drive from Manila, the capital of the country.
But the beauty of the province does not end with its splendid beaches. If you want to explore the province further, it is time to discover and enjoy its equally recommendable resorts which are more often situated proximate to beaches or mountains. There are beach or mountain resorts in the province of Pangasinan.
When my loved ones and I snatched a long weekend vacation, we decided to spend it in Lingayen. Lingayen, being the capital of Pangasinan is the seat of the provincial government. It is also where you can find the famous Lingayen Gulf, which undoubtedly is among the most visited beaches in the province.
A few decades ago, Lingayen is like a sleeping town. There is not much of interesting things to do. It lagged behind the other municipalities of the province. I know much of of it as I have studied in high school and college in this town. But during the time of its three-term governor, Gov. Amado Espino, the town begins to gradually improve and develop. Lingayen now is a first class municipality with beautiful and properly maintained beaches and the city centre itself beginning to attract businesses.
Lingayen has more than one hundred thousand people (more than 100, 000). The word Lingayen, etymologically is from the Pangasinan language which literally means "to look back." While Lingayen is well-known for its amazing beach paved with the newly-developed baywalk, it is also home to a famous resort which has been featured several times already in the Philippine national television travel-related programs. I am referring to El Puerto Marina.
El Puerto Marina Beach Resort and Vacation Club is nestled in the arms of Lingayen Gulf. It is situated at Don Martin, Domingo St., Pangapisan North, Lingayen, Pangasinan.
Desirous to spend the long weekend with a positive energy and a recharged and renewed vitality before going back to work, we set out in our journey going to Lingayen, Pangasinan. When stopped over at the Ephiphany of Our Lord Parish (the Spanish-era old Roman Catholic Church in Lingayen) to flag down a tricycle which will bring us to the El Puerto Marina resort. It was a fifteen minute drive from the town centre. We passed by the Pangasinan National High School and the Pangasinan School of Arts and Trades. A few meters away from these schools are the famous Pangapisan bagoong establishments which are popular for their quality fish sauce, fish paste, salt and other fish products.
Inspired by rustic design and accentuated by tropical vacation houses, the El Puerto Marina, which has been operating for several years already, is a perfect choice for a quick weekend escapades. It has a water-themed park which is almost a few meters away from the beach. Immediately near the beach are the sprawling tropical huts where guests can enjoy the company of the blue serene waters during the day and its waving waters during the night. Indeed, it is a hidden paradise waiting to be explored and discovered. This is the El Puerto Marina Resort and Vacation Club.
The Location
Situated in a very idyllic coastal village, the El Puerto Marina Resort is exuding with overflowing relaxation and tranquility.
This amazing hang-out is said to be owned by a certain family in Lingayen. It is situated away from the town centre and can be reached by any vehicle. If you want to take a short ride going to the resort at a cheap price, you may flag down a tricycle in the town centre to fetch you to the resort for thirty to fifty pesos (Php30.00-Php50.00, which is approximately US$1). You just ask the driver to bring you to El Puerto Marina and after around ten to fifteen minutes, you can now start enjoying the day in the resort.
During the time we went to the resort, we were a group of five people and filled all the available seats of the tricycle. We paid around fifty five pesos (Php 55.00, around US $1.5). The driver was chatty and entertaining and even offered to fetch us going back to the centre. He left us his cellphone number so that we can contact him on our way back to the town centre.
The Rooms Where We Stayed
By the time we reached the resort, the sky begun to pale and the sunny atmosphere was replaced by a teary-eyed sky. The dark clouds in the south began to cluster and warned of a light drizzle. I was immediately impressed when we got to the place. We were warmly welcomed by the security guard and courteously led us to the reception area. Two of their staff guided us to our room and were amazed with the stunning beauty, styles and designs that we have seen as we enter the room.
The rooms are undeniably cozy and comfortable, well-equipped and well-ventilated. No doubt the room where we were billeted exudes with positive vibes and energy ideal for recharging and rejuvenating. The rates charged with the rooms are affordable and within your personal budget. For more information about room rates, you can visit this site: http://elpuertomarina.com/accommodation/.
The good thing about the room is that it makes you feel at home. It has that rural "probinsya" feels: rustic and idyllic.
The Food
The resort likewise operates a restaurant. It has a spacious pavilion where important family or personal occasions like birthday, wedding and the like can be conducted. The resort's restaurant on the basis of our personal experiences, is a great plus of the resort. It offers delicious and mouth-watering dishes. They have freshly caught fishes from the sea which go directly to the chef's kitchen. Both local and foreign dishes are likewise prepared for lunch and dinner. Filipino and continental dishes are carefully and meticulously prepared for their guests. We really enjoyed the lunch and dinner prepared for us. It gave us a gastronomic satisfaction to the fullest.
The Staff Service
The staff members of the resort are quite accommodating and approachable. Most of them I guess are hired by the owners locally in the area and this I think is one of their contributions in the immediate community where the resort is located: generation of employment. Generally, the staff are amiable and friendly. They always offer warm welcome and render courteous and prompt service to their customers. You can feel the cordiality and the sincerity of their staff in helping you out should you request them. For this, I give them two warm thumbs up with an eye wink!
The Water-Themed Park
The water-themed park is definitely the punctuating highlight of the resort. Its indisputably marvelous water pool seduces young and old alike to go for a swim and enjoy riding the waves in the pool.
The water park maintains pools for kiddies and for adults. It is being supervised by lifeguards who occasionally roam around to check everybody's safety. Hence, safety is assured since it is given utmost priority by the management.
There are several slides where one can enjoy the splash and smash in the water. Just beside the pools are rustic tropical huts where family and friends alike can place their personal and food stuff, enjoy chatting and storytelling and share food. It is such a perfect place for family picnic!
If you are up to the challenge, then take the bucket challenge! It is nice to try one.
There are sunbeds near the pools, which is perfect for enjoying the heat of the sun in an early morning swim.
The Sand and the Beach
What more can put a good day's end than walking in the sands watching the sunset as it gradually hides behind the mountains. At around 6:15 in the afternoon, the beach and the sand are like elements which combined to create an incidental masterpiece. The sand is not as refined that of the sand in Bolinao or Boracay nor is it powdery white in colour as other tropical beaches, but it is refined and comfortable enough for brisk beach walking or jogging. It gives a comforting effect to the feet strolling along the coast. Personally, walking along the beach after a tiresome day has thereapeutic effect to me.
As the sun set and hid itself in the horizon, the sky in the western horizon looked like a canvass where a motley of colours were spread and craftily put in place. Red, orange, purple, yellow were all racing in brightness. It was a masterpiece in itself!
We were walking with full calmness and serenity, with the waters of the beach playfully bouncing around our feet, when we have seen a group of fisher folks pulliing out their nets and were preparing to dislodge their catch. The net was teeming with fish and the old fisher folks were all smiles at their bounty. We asked if we could buy a kilo or two of their catch for our night's grill and barbecue. They gave us an affirmation with smile and immediately asked us for a plastic bag where we can put our fresh catch from the sea. We paid around two hundred pesos (Php 200.00) which is approximately two dollars (US$ 4). They gave us extra or more fishes than we have bought.
I asked my brother-in-law to clean the fish and prepare it for tonight's barbecue and grill extravaganza. We spent the next forty five (45) minutes watching the fisher folks vanished from our sight as they walk towards the nearby community. Life could be laidback here: so relax and breezy.
Bonfire During the Night
There is one good stuff that beach goers should try: having bonfire and barbecue near the beach during the night.
Our bonfire experience is such a wonderful experience. We got some woods and lighter and few liters of kerosene to ignite the woods. After five minutes, we have our light and warmth as the cold breeze kisses our cheeks. The waves are friendly; the sea whispered in our ears like it was sharing a twice-told tale. We only heard the singing of some insects along the woods and were being serenaded by the cracklings of the fire.
To break the monotony, we played games and had some light drinks. We started our barbecue grill. Our fresh produce from the sea were grilled in fire after ten (10) minutes and we were ready for another gastronomic battle: this time seafoods. We had shrimps, squids, tilapia, milkfish and mussels. My brother-in-law concocted a hot and spicy sauce for our dips.
The drunkard's spirit slowly crawled in me after the last shot of the whiskey as I watched the fire on our piles of wood slowly dying out. We decided to go back to our rooms and called it a day.
Spending the holiday or the weekend at El Puerto Marina Resort is like having a communion with nature and an incidental immersion with the local folkways. If full relaxation is what you ask for, you can just sit along the beach and watch life goes by, feast your eyes on the virgin beauty of nature. You can observe the coastal people's way of life, talk to them and meet them in flesh. We shared some pleasantries with local fishers in the area and they were enthusiastic enough to share their tuba, a local drink made of palm.
The next day we were greeted by the glorious warmth of the day. It was a beautiful sunny day. We were to check out at around ten in the morning. We were to leave behind great moments and precious memories of the long weekend. It was magic over-all; El Puerto Marina captured our hearts and imaginations. I knew that we will keep on coming back in this magnificent place.
How to book your stay
The summer time is the peak part of the year. If you are interested to book your vacation in this amazing place, you can check this site out: http://elpuertomarina.com/accommodation/.
