Revisiting Bagasbas, my first beach

Saw the sea this Holy Week, and it was lovelier than usual.

Boracay forever skewed my beach standards in 2004, but it was in the early 80s in Bagasbas, a sleepy beach in my dad’s hometown, Daet, when I first learned about the sea and its beauty.

Last Tuesday, my family took the long drive to Bicol (8 hours from Manila!) for Holy Week with our relatives, and on one quiet and VERY HOT afternoon, the kids (i.e. my brothers, cousins and I–yes we are still the young ones! The parents, titos, titas and lolas are happy to be “the young once”) went to Bagasbas, hoping the winds from the Pacific wouldn’t fail us!

Bagasbas beach is a long stretch of fine black sand in Daet, capital of Camarines Norte, Bicol. It’s popular these days as a beginner surfer’s beach, but for me it’s where I learned about the sea, waves and undertow, and salty water…

I remember my dad telling me it was 7km long when I was a kid, but asked again the other day, he said the main stretch is probably 3-4km, haha. To save face, he added that maybe if everything’s connected via bridge, the coastline will reach about 7km.

We went back that night for beers and buttered chicken at Leo’s. The moon wasn’t full but it was still radiant.

Felt like I was visiting an old friend. It was nice to come home to this place.

Some tips from semi-local me:

• Bagasbas is about 3km from the town center of Daet, capital of Camarines Norte in Bicol.   You can take a tricylce, kalesa, or bike from the Sentro.   Imagine biking to the beach from your house early in the morning! Fantastic!
• Although it is being primed for surfing, the current in Bagasbas is really strong and has been known to take lives.  Be 1000% on your guard if you do decide to swim.  Better careful than sorry.
• Seair launched twice-weekly flights to Daet (via the Bagasbas airport) in 2008, but I checked their website just now–seems the flights have been discontinued.  You can call SEAIR to make sure:  +63 2 8490100 / 84901999
• The Seair page on general travel tips and hotel recommendations in Daet gives a good overview of what to expect and is comprehensive enough.
• A missed beachfront restaurant that has been a staple for as long as I can remember is Leo’s.  Their buttered chicken is THE BEST!!!
• A new beachfront hotel looks promising– Catherine’s. Right beside the airport, it has a pool and uses container vans for rooms (a la CWC).
• The most recommended hotel of the moment (according to my relatives who live in Daet) in the town center is Prime Suites, next to the Central Plaza.  New rooms, good rates.
• Jollibee Daet is open 24 hours–yahooo!
• DO NOT MISS: buttered pandesal in Times bakery near the town plaza.