I could understand why they have not included Kapurpurawan on the list of scenic spots along Ilocos Norte's tourism highway before. It was remotely impossible then, plus who would want to hike a three-kilometer stony hill and marshland with an oddly-shaped white rock? But not all folks in Burgos think that way. They believe there's beauty in it so they enticed and guided a few brave souls. These men were spellbound! They spread the word with images to boot. Finally, Ilocos Norte's hidden spectacle is revealed and is now a spectacular natural wonder that everyone wants to see!
I and my friend Rona checked it out for ourselves last January and whoa! My oh my, the place is indeed ruggedly breathtaking! The roughness of the wetland and the whiteness (real meaning of kapurpurawan) of the Noah's Ark rock formation at the end are actually what make Kapurpurawan a unique and stunningly picturesque place. I am not a professional photographer, I only had a simple Canon Powershot AS3100 digital camera, but everywhere I stare it was frame after frame of postcard-perfect images. Here are proofs - raw, no photoshop, just as they were taken:
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The 3-kilometer detour road from the highway may be bumpy but you won't complain, your mind would be on what's awaiting for you at the end. Ahhh, the sight of the sea was teasing us further! We couldn't wait to see the real thing! This road was bumpier before so travellers tread this on foot.
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And how can you be fazed with the rough road when it is surrounded with verdant hills on both sides?!
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Our guide Mang Ruben Caliwcaliw stopped his tryke at a jump off point. Still no sign whatsoever of the famous white rock. All I could see were a cliff, rocky shore, and big waves. I kept on asking the people around, "Saan po yung white rock?" (Where is the white rock?)
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He is one of the guides in Kapurpurawan. Some of them are barangay officials. They are paid by their local government to escort the tourists in safely reaching the stony spot while providing them with bits of info as well. They require all guests to log.
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Jump shot, self-shot, and of course "back shot". This one though is actually a candid shot taken by Mang Ruben while we were freshening up. Somehow it turned out candidly gorgeous! The sombreros by the way were lent to us by him as he explained that they served two purposes - protection and aesthetics. He was right all along! |
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From the jump off point, you will have to descend around sixty flights of concrete stairs. |
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The stairs led to a very narrow passageway. The sign reads: "Mangrove should be protected" |
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The passageway led to the mangrove, but still no sign of the white rock.
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Then we reached the other side of the hill and the minute we stepped foot on it, there it was - the much talked-about white rock formation!!! From this spot however, it seemed so small and near, and shaped like a bird. I felt a bit disappointed. But our guide said this was just the threshold of a 600-meter hike to the real thing and we ain't seen nothing yet!
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The hike wasn't easy but it wasn't bad as well. Clear waters
streaming all around were a refreshing contrast to the rocky marshland.
Pools of cool fresh sea water dot the place and render it magically beautiful!
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Some parts were slippery, our guide would often caution us.
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The water is so clear, I bet it would surely satiate any vagabond's thirst.
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What an awesome view!!! These alluring streams made the journey to the rock ruggedly pleasurable! And I admire the Ilocanos for keeping the place one of, if not the cleanest and most scenic wetlands in the country!
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The water was so inviting, we gave in and waded in it for a while |
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This part of the marsh resembles the moon's craters with patches of greens. Even so, the view is still enchanting.
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On second thought, they were like corals. Hmm, the place could have been below sea level before. |
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Who would have thought that the endless bashing of big waves and strong winds could form such an awesome horizon?!!
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Looks like a hardened marshland or a volcanic lava
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Mini natural rock formations abound at the foot of the main rock.
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This part mirrors both the craters of the moon and the sea bed foam.
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The "craters" up close.
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A tiny pool of sea water in one of the craters. Sides are green with algae but the water is pure.
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This is a mini naturally carved cliff made of limestone.
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At last, at the end of that 600-meter hike, we reached the foot of the Kapurpurawan White Rock Formation! It's worth every step, the spectacle is a heavenly sculpture of Noah's Ark by nature!
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It was as if God had parked Noah's Ark on top of that rock and it had been covered in white sand for thousands of years! Some see it resembling a Sphinx, others say it's a dragon's head. All I know is that it's simply amazing!
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Kapurpurawan's Noah's Ark is phenomenally beautiful! No wonder it became one of Ilocos' natural treasures! I call it the "Gemstone" of the North!
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Posing right beneath the Kapurpurawan Noah's Ark is an ecstatic experience!
Ooops! The winds there are strong, it could make you stumble down the rocky beds.
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The view beneath the Ark. It's a mystery how it had stood there for millions of years!
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This is the other limstone formation just beside the Ark. |
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A closer look at the chalk-white limestones as described by famous blogger Ironwulf!
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We couldn't resist sitting on the natural snow-like abyss of the other rock formation. The guides though strictly prohibit vandalism and doing a jump shot in any spot there as the whole place infinitely changes.
This shot of Rona passing by and appreciating nature's work of art always leave me speechless! |
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The view from the formation is so unbelievably breathtaking!!!! A picture of nature at work - eternally colliding and collaborating to create spectacular horizons!
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Another spectacular view! At this angle, you could see how the wind, sea and sun solidified the gray sand and molded it into these awesome formations.
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Gray sand hardened for millions of years!
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Undeniably, nothing is more photographic than nature itself!
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There is serenity amidst the ruggedness. All you could hear are the strong winds pushing the waves to the rocky shore.
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We left the place just as the next batch of visitors took their turn occupying the chalky plateau for themselves. |
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As we head back to the jump off point, i noticed the algae growing on the rocks. Local folks gather these "gamet" that thrive in the area and sell them. They call them the "Black Gold" of their region. |
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And going up the stairs, I just loved seeing the plants on the hills swayed by the wind.
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