But…first things first, someone must know how to go to Patar Beach of Bolinao, Pangasinan from Manila so anyone can visit and bath in her waters. Here are the directions.

How to go from Manila to Patar Beach of Bolinao, Pangasinan?

1. Ride a train from LRT-1 Gil Puyat Station and get off at LRT-1 EDSA Station.
2. After getting of at LRT-1 EDSA Station, walk to a footbridge that leads to the opposite side of the Metro Point Mall in Taft Avenue, Pasay City, reaching a building of SOGO Hotel in Pasay Rotonda.
3. From building of SOGO Hotel in Pasay Rotonda, walk along the Taft Avenue road toward a big intersection of Taft Avenue and Aurora Boulevard and turn right.
4. After you have turned right to follow the length of Aurora Boulevard of Pasay City, find the Five Star Bus Terminal on the opposite side of the road and cross it.
5. When you reached Five Star Bus Terminal, ride a Five Star bus with the signboard “BOLINAO”.
6. The trip will take approximately 5 to 6 hours and the endpoint of the trip is the Five Star Bus Terminal in Bolinao, Pangasinan.
7. Get off at Five Star Bus Terminal in Bolinao, Pangasinan and look for a tricycle on its premises that will lead you to Patar Beach.
8. The cost of hiring a tricycle (as of January 25, 2026) that goes to Patar Beach is P 400.00 per trip (not per head), depending on negotiations with the driver and passengers.

Reaching Bolinao Pangasinan: Going to Patar Beach

The tricycle was whisking toward the intended destination. The roads were asphalted and pretty wide for a tricycle, so the driver can speed up without worrying other motorists running to the other direction. Since the tricycle is a low – slung vehicle that it could kiss the asphalt at the wrong move, the sense of speed was amplified. But it is the same speed that was enjoyable because as the distance toward Patar Beach, Bolinao, Pangasinan becomes lesser, the more unique the place nearer to the place becomes. The roads, which can be considered provincial roads due to its less – maintained state and slightly – bumpy ride, were pretty straight and we could actually see some cows in green pastures beside the road with trees reminiscent of ones that were found in our province like coconuts and nem trees, evoking nostalgia of living in the province many years ago. While traversing some quiet barangays, we could see the sea at their low tides ands people harvesting something, perhaps sea urchins which can easily be picked by anyone. The private resorts were dotting along the provincial roads, signifying that tourism in the western part of Bolinao, Pangasinan is booming. The barangays along the roads evokes simplicity, with their people walking beside, children playing and their small sari – sari stores opened for thirsty passengers, The weather becomes much nicer as the trip continued and it was already 8:30 AM of January 25, 2026, which felt that we are now closer to our next destination. The roads were surprisingly straight and with few corners and sometimes we could see the blue sea beside the road. When we reached a few kilometers away from Patar Beach, the road becomes nicer and now almost resembled a national road with their standard dashed line markings on the middle of the road. I could hear the sound of the tricycle becoming more aggressive and noisy that I could barely hear the driver where while we were talking. Few minutes later I then noticed that the tricycle now is slowing down to a place that looked like it will welcome tourists. So the tricycle driver drove in that place and asks me to pay for the parking fee of P40.00, which I did. Then the tricycle parked its way inside the premises and realizing that have now reached Patar Beach, Bolinao, Pangasinan at almost 9:00 AM, almost an hour of journey from the town proper. I now kept looking around inside and observed this new place.

Reaching Bolinao, Pangasinan: Walking in Patar Beach

I was now finally walking in Patar Beach. Heading immediately to her sands beside the sea, it felt cold and when we take a step, the sand loved to bury our feet, which was nice. Strolling a few strides more, the desire to go to the sea become more intense and walking on sands becomes slightly difficult because of how much sand there is. The sand itself is thick and rich and some children would love to make sand castles out of it and adults like to bury themselves in cold sand. Now sitting on her whitey sand after a long journey, we can’t help but to admire how beautiful this world there is. We have been dealing with small pictures where everything matters that it took a big chunk of our lives and our youth that when we were now in a uniquely nice environment, we could say…oooh…what a life worth living. Seeing the transparentness of the sea near the sands I decided to slowly stroll for more while hearing the splashing of waves and admire her brilliance which is, I believe, a God -given gift. There were many yellow boats parked along the shoreline of the beach with many cottages filled with tourists of all ages. The weather becomes much nicer that it sometimes feel that summer is now here even though it has not because the dry weather in the Philippines would start sometime in March 2026 or April 2026 and it is still at the end of January 2026. There are also some empty cottages that is ready to be used, inviting us to pay P 1 000.00 for the rent and could be used for a day.

While strolling along the cottages filled with tourists, we could actually see how lively Patar Beach is. Bustling with stores that sells beach clothes, viands, snacks, ice creams, ice drops, sun blocks, Bolinao, Pangasinan – themed T- shirts and everything we need to enjoy the seas of Bolinao, Pangasinan, it was a sight to behold. As a tourist, I spent something there and bought a souvenir, a t – shirt with Bolinao, Pangasinan design. The place is clean and well – maintained and sometimes a sweeper comes to clean the place. As the day becomes longer, the blueness of the sky intensified and noticed how wide Patar Beach really is. Bringing along my umbrella to protect us from the summer January heat, I decided to walk to the opposite side of the beach. The sea becomes bluer the farther my eyes goes farther, and the children were happily bathing beside the sea, not minding the strong sun baking their skin. Its tempting to eat ice cream at this summer heat but fortunately, we have bought along delicious “tupig” to feast on it. Until today, I could still imagine myself imagining the beauty of Patar Beach, her blue skies her transparent seas, her joyful inhabitants, her innocent children, the sweet “tupig” I’ve brought along and the experience of going there that I’d love to come back again when the right time comes and it would be an improvement from the first time I visited Bolinao, Pangasinan. I can’t wait to get back again soon. And then I decided to go straight to the sea and feel her waters.

Reaching Bolinao, Pangasinan: Waddling in Patar Beach

Slowly dipping our feet into the clear waters of Bolinao, Pangasinan, her watery coldness have touched our skin waddling through the shiny waves as I walked beside it. My shorts have reached the waters and it was cold and fun. It was also a windy so the smell of the sea pierced us with caress and now excited to dip the whole body with seawater any minute now. It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to jump to the sea and bathe there and it is always a pleasant experience to feel the full force of the sunny nature and her winds, her smell and her temperature. Then I proceeded to go further from the shore. The sea become deeper but her allure just increased. Even at the chest – deep waters, you can still see the sea floor dotted with small sea grasses standing proudly with the waves, the very fine sands that flies to the water current it is facing, and the smooth stones and boulders that you could stand on for fun. Fortunately, there are no spiky sea urchins nearby so we can enjoy bathing in the sea for hours if you are not afraid of painful sunburns. After a few minutes of standing in the sea, we now happily diving to the bottom, witnessing the classic feeling of accidentally tasting the salty sea waters and your chest rubbing to sea floor. It is always a treat to swim and enjoy flapping our arms around, feeling the water wrapping around our bodies. As I swimmed toward the other directions, some people are also enjoying the freshness of the sea and would go farther out, but they are being stopped by the whistles of the lifeguards. Practicing our ill – honed strokes on the deep parts of the beach, I was able to move slightly toward other people enjoying themselves and sometimes having a small talk with them. It was only sometime in 9:30 AM of January 25, 2026 yet but it feels like hours. Repeatedly flailing our arms for fun and sometimes putting slippers on our hands to extra boost in water speed, swimming in the actual West Philippine Sea was a blast.

After many minutes of swimming in Patar Beach, I retreated toward the shore for a rest. I couldn’t swim for longer because I might get hit with a sunburn and sunburnt skins are not comfortable to touch. I slowly walked to some stores where they sell some snacks and I found a “careinderia” that sold a wide variety of dishes. Eating squash – based viand and some rice, the tummy was filled for more energy while soaked in water. After that, I immediately run to a store and started looking for sunblocks. I bought one for P 50.00 and immediately applied to the face, which I now looked like a ghost in white T – shirt. That’s fine, because sun is really getting strong at that time and I kept applying it on the face even if I hadn’t go back to the sea again. Few minutes later, we’ve jumped to the sea again now with adequate protection, diving toward the bottom of the sea with the sunblock on and wearing it off, the applying it again to the face and arms when emerging from the rather shallow dive. That enhanced our confidence in swimming in waters for slightly longer.

After many minutes of bathing in the beach, I decided to stop and now change clothes. We are now happily satisfied with the experience of swimming in the esteemed “Boracay” of the North that’s its now time to enjoy her remaining beauty and just stroll along the shores of Patar Beach. Sitting in the empty cottages to gain some shade staring into the blue – lined horizon of the sea. Having gained this new experience of going to a unique place, we could now appreciate the beauty and learning to take things slow. This might not fundamentally change us as a person, but the experience of it might help us approach life in another way, being more thoughtful to another person, and having the courage to take another things slowly and with tact. We won’t be able discern what might the effects would be, but I’m sure that it will come out as positive. We won’t be able to know what we will be doing at this moment, but we know what paths to take, and it will sometimes come out as positive. The future might be vague, the present might be sunny or sometimes we might just be coasting along, but I’m sure we will emerge as contented ones.

The tricycle driver who bought me to Patar Beach was with me all the time waiting for me. I told him that we can now exit Patar Beach and can go to another destination, which he agreed. Slowly packing my things up and bringing my bulky blue umbrella which is often getting blown away by the beach winds, we slowly go the parking area to looked for the tricycle. Feeling the water for one last time before walking away and observing how brilliant it is, maybe on the next chance, we might find this place again. While walking toward the parking space, I stared at almost everything, the stores that housed Bolinao, Pangasinan T- shirts and other souvenirs, the big, hand – drawn official symbol of Bolinao, Pangasinan that nicely fits to her attractions and secrets, the attractive people of the town, the children selling ice creams and ice drops, the hunky fishermen who doubles as guides in water adventures, their yellow boats, the wide, blue sea and her wide blue skies, the sunblock I’ve bought, zero signal of DITO sim card and the idea that we’ve really swim in the West Philippines Sea. I’m gonna miss them all, I’m gonna miss them all. But it won’t be the last time, I’m sure.