The Lovely Mercedes

Camarines Norte will always have a place in my heart being the first province we  went to when I started this so called love affair with traveling  three years ago. Often associated with Calaguas,  some other beaches in Camarines Norte are often underestimated as a tourist spot. We were fortunate enough (actually napasabit lang) to visit some of the beaches of Mercedes Islands composed of  Canimog,  Quinapagihan,  Caringo, Malasugui ,Canton and Apuao Grande Island. From Bagasbas we rode a trike going to the town proper of Daet and had some Jollibee for breakfast. Since we were told that  there are no store in our target destination, we purchased  food supplies for lunch.  We then boarded a multicab bound to Mangcamagong beach, the jump-off of our Mercedes Island tour.   

Mangcamagong Beach

Getting to to Mangcamagong beach wasn’t  actually I may call as a joy ride as the well paved main road turned into a rough but  passable road for half an hour.  It was a lovely sandy beach and  it seems we’re the only visitor at that time. You could see some of the Mercedes islands from the beach.  Boarding a small boat our first stop is Malasugui island. 

Malasugui island

After 15 minutes of cruising the waters of San Miguel Bay we reached the small island of Malasugui.  We were then greeted by the inhabitants of the island and after a few chit chats we  hike the entire island. So what exactly did we find in this isolated island? Aside from the unspoiled beach and some driftwoods, the island is mostly made up of rocks.. There’s no chance you won’t enjoy swimming here anytime soon.  We stayed there for an hour  before  heading to the highlight of our Mercedes exploration, the Apuao Grande Island.

rock formation

Apuao Grande was once home to a high-end resort during the 80’s but then due to lack of marketing push, maintenance and raging typhoon over the years  it has become an abandoned resort instead.  It’s white sand beach, turquoise water,serene ambience and agoho pine trees are definitely an attraction for those who seek comfort from the overcrowded beach in the country.

Apuao Pequeña

Apuao Grande's sandbar

Once you’re there you’ll notice a neighboring island called Apuao Pequeña, which is connected to Apuao Grande by the white sand bar. This only holds true during the low tide season  We didn’t bring any picnic blankets so we rented a small cottage for our lunch. With a backdrop of white sand beach a we definitely enjoy our stay in Apuao compare to that of Malasugui. 

Agoho trees

Next to Apuao is Canimog island, which is known  for its  scenic landscapes and  lighthouse. Since the island is near the Pacific Ocean, the waves as expected were a bit rough thus preventing us to forgo on the said lighthouse.  Not to waste the time our boatman decided to takes us to a part where the waves are a bit small and calmer and still get the same results. We were able land on  Canimog shore but it’ll take up a lot of time just to reach the lighthouse. The group just decided to go back to Daet via Mercedes port.

Canimog Island

Last snapshot before heading home

We passed by some of the other islands  like Quinapagihan,  Caringo and Canton but not until our motorized boat died  in the middle of the sea. The  boat propeller seems to hit some rocks because we navigated to the shallow parts of the sea. Since I don’t know how to swim, I got a little nervous that time. And just like the sun setting giving us a glimpse of hope, our dependable boatman finally got our boat working in no time. Fish ports may not be the first on thing on your mind when you think of safe haven but I’d take this any given day rather than being stuck in the middle of the sea.

Safe and sound at the Mercedes port
Photo Credits: Red