The Rugged Beauty of Kapurpurawan Rock Formation

After a sweaty climb to the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, we proceeded with our tour via our rented tricycle. Still in the town of Burgos, we continued navigating Maharlika Highway until we reached Kapurpurawan Rock Formation. All throughout the ride, we kept seeing windmills everywhere—a sign that we were also nearing our next stop, Bangui.



 
The trip to Kapurpurawan Rock Formation was just as exciting as seeing this natural sculpture itself. It was a tiring but fascinating trek, for the sights we encountered before we reached the actual rock formation were almost as marvelous as it was.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Don’t miss any of these posts in the Ilocos 2014 series:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The entrance leads to a descending stone path—composed of what felt like almost 50 steps (or was it more?)—which ended in a dirt road canopied by foliage. It was like walking into a secret garden, except that snakes weren’t a distant possibility. After a short walk, we reached the end of this green tunnel and walked out into the ferocious sun.

From there, tourist guides are offering horseback rides (PhP100) to the rock formation, but Kat and I chose to walk—which turned out to be a good thing, since we saw a lot of interesting things along the way despite the unbelievable heat. For instance: a marsh-like body flanked by stone bridges; gigantic rocks; more shrubbery; a type of flower/plant omnipresent in Ilocos Norte; and again, a lot of windmills from a distance.

It was almost noon when we got there so just imagine how hot it was. Good thing there was a buko juice vendor along the walking track, or else I would’ve fainted or gotten heatstroke or something. After Cape Bojeador, I had to change into a new shirt because the heat in Ilocos was just CRAZY.

We got more excited as we neared the main attraction: the bird-shaped (or was it a ship? submarine?) blinding white structure, formed and changed over the years by oceanic and weather activities. It was amazing that these limestones were naturally sculpted—you’d think someone with skilled hands made it and transformed it into the rugged splendor that it was.


I couldn’t get photos of the rock from any other angle because a portion of the area had been sealed off to keep tourists from vandalizing the rocks. Thus, the conspicuously blue rope (which is a total eyesore in the photos, hahaha) and the sign board: No Enter, Danger. LOL!

The rock formations were indeed an incredible sight to behold, but truth be told, our timing wasn’t conducive to sightseeing because the sun was at its harshest. As a result, I never had the chance—and the enthusiasm—to do my signature dancesport pose on top of the rocks, so I just took some quick snapshots of my friend, Kat. Yes, I’m giving and martyr and “sacrificial” like that. LOL!

Kat amidst limestone formations
I miraculously have one pic, and it's not even a #selfie!
Rugged beauty.

Make sure you visit Kapurpurawan Rock Formation when you’re go to Ilocos Norte, but if you can, plan your itinerary such that this item would fall in the early morning or late afternoon.



How to Get There:

From Cape Bojeador, descend the winding road and get back to Maharlika Highway, North-bound. About 10km away, you will see a sign board on your left: the dirt road to Kapurpurawan Rock Formation. Take that road, and if you see windmills along the way, then you’re on the right track. It’s a 10-minute tricycle ride from the Burgos Lighthouse.

Fees:

As you reach the entrance you will be asked to pay a visiting fee: PhP5 for children (12 y/o and below) and PhP15 for adults. Differently abled persons can go in for free, and students/senior citizens must pay only PhP10.

Tip:

From the jump-off point, make sure you buy a bottle of water and an umbrella (if you don’t have any). The hike to Kapurpurawan takes about 10-15 minutes, but longer if you’re addicted to taking pictures every 3 seconds. Unless you’re a camel, pay heed to this tip.


If you like my posts and would love regular updates on travel photos, food finds, restaurant reviews, dance articles, and drunken tales, follow Pepe Samson on Facebook!

pepe samson

About Pepe Samson

This is a short description in the author block about the author. You edit it by entering text in the "Biographical Info" field in the user admin panel.
    Disqus Comment
    Facebook Comment

4 comments :

  1. Hi Tet! Thanks for the compliment and for dropping by!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good weather. Everything looked fantastic. My visit was on a bad weather so overcast ang sky and gloomy ang paligid.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yes, perfect sa photos! Muntik na ko himatayin sa init though. LOL

    ReplyDelete

Let me know what you think!