SIGHTSEEING
NATURE AREAS & BEACHES
Dinadiawan Beach
 Location: Along the Dicadi
Highway
Getting There: Take a private
vehicle from Baler town proper and use the Dicadi highway to
drive north.
Travel Time: Four hours
Dinadiawan Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Aurora,
with a fabulous view of the Pacific Ocean, the lush, diverse
forests of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range, and the rock formation
along the shoreline. And, Dinadiawan Beach is resort-free.
Dingalan Bay View Site
Location: Barangay Tanawan,
Dingalan
Getting There: From Cabanatuan,
Nueva Ecija, take a bus bound for Tanawan
Travel Time: Two hours and
10 minutes
"Tanawan," as the place is called, means "viewsite." Upon
approaching the border of Dingalan and Nueva Ecija, one passes
through an area sloping upwards. At its peak is Dingalan Bay
View Site. Undeveloped, except for a solitary nipa hut and
several electric poles, the area provides fantastic view of
the town and the blue bay, as well as the green mountains and
the igneous rock formations. Dingalan Bay is a total contrast
from the hot, dry and brown environment of Nueva Ecija. One
would be amazed by the almost sudden emergence of greenery
that overlooks Dingalan upon reaching the Bay View Site. Dingalan
Bay View Site is a perfect place for photography and picnicking.
Ditumabo Falls
 Location: Barangay Ditumabo,
San Luis
Getting There: Hire a jeep
or take a private vehicle from Baler town proper going to Bgy.
Ditumabo passing through Poblacion San Luis. From there, it
is a 4-km hike over rough terrain and river trail. It is advisable
to hire guides who are knowledgeable of the area.
Travel Time: Two hours and
15 minutes' drive and another 3-hour hike.
The crystal clear water of Ditumabo Falls gushes endlessly,
flowing and twisting among countless rocks and boulders. The
trek to the falls traverses several kilometers through the
river and over a few steep mountain trails surrounding the
falls on both banks. Occasionally, the trekker will unavoidably
come upon fallen or cut logs that serve as either natural bridges
or obstacles. Approximately 140 feet high, the falls are surrounded
by huge cliffs-an unforgettable sight for nature lovers!
Hillsite of Proposed Ermita Park
 Location: Barangay Zabali,
Baler
Getting There: Take a tricycle
from Baler town proper to the river outlet south of Sabang
Beach. From there, one can walk to the site.
Travel Time: Five minutes by
tricycle, approximately 35 minutes' walk to the foot of the
hill and 15 minutes' trek uphill.
This shrub-covered area provides an excellent view of the
town of Baler, Sabang Beach, Cemento and Dimadimalangat islet.
It is a short, steep trek from the foot of the hill, through
small trees and cogon grass, to the top. Hidden beneath a clump
of trees are the almost unrecognizable remains of a bell tower.
Owing to its excellent vantage point, the bell tower was formerly
used to warn people of Baler of raiding pirates. During sunny
days the place is swelteringly hot.
Paltic Falls [Inter-Pacific Forest Resource Corporation (IFRC)
Nursery & Falls]
Location: Paltic, Dingalan
Getting There: From the town
proper, it is possible to reach the site on foot or by any
private vehicle.
Travel Time: Approximately
15 minutes' drive.
The nursery is used to raise hardwood for replanting logged
areas. Trees such as narra, kamagong, mahogany, kapok, yantoc
and others are planted in small plastic bags and lined up underneath
larger trees that provide shade and moisture to the young trees.
Not far from this nursery is a stream that leads to two falls,
one about 15 feet high and the other about 20 feet high. The
falls, approximately 50 meters apart, form pools that are perfect
for swimming or relaxing after a poolside picnic.
Lamao Caves
Location: Paltic, Dingalan
Getting There: Take a boat
from the Dingalan fishing port located north of the town proper.
Travel Time: 35 minutes
A dozen caves along the seaside cliff of Paltic, Dingalan,
are constantly pounded by Pacific Ocean waves. A few mini-beaches
serve as docking points for bancas and during the calmer months
of April to June, one can maneuver a small banca inside the
caves. Aside from a small waterfall that trickles outside one
of the caves, the site would seem deceptively ordinary. A close
inspection inside one of the caves, however, reveals a delightful
natural waterfall gushing from an underground stream. Another
cave showers water, giving the impression of an indoor rainstorm.
The shore facing the cave steeply descends and is immediately
immersed in the deep sea. Rare marine life such as giant turtles
and some sharks patrol the area. Local fishermen have spotted
more interesting undersea life along the coral reefs a few
hundred meters southeast of the caves. The hills that encompass
the north and south of the cliff show well-groomed grassland
continually caressed by the sea breeze.
Lukso-Lukso Islets
 Location: Off the coast of
Barangay Zabali, Baler
Getting There: Take a tricycle
from Baler town proper to the river outlet south of Sabang
Beach. From there, hire a motorized banca which can take you
to the area.
Travel Time: Five minutes by
tricycle and 25 minutes by boat.
At least three islets comprise the rock formations known to
the locals as "Lukso-Lukso." One of these small islands
is connected to the mainland and at low tide you can see white
grainy sands, crushed corals and numerous seashells, some inhabited
by hermit crabs. This island formation is the southernmost
point and is accessible to vehicles coming from Baler. The
sea bottom and undersea reefs around these islets are reportedly
good areas for diving, and during calm months, snorkeling.
Motyong
 Location: Motyong, Casiguran
Getting There: From Baler town
proper, you can either hire a motorized banca and head north
or take a private vehicle and drive along the Dicadi highway,
passing through Dinadiawan and Dinalungan municipality.
Travel Time: Six hours
Motyong is a popular beach filled with fine white sand. There
are no resorts in this area. However, there are few private resthouses.
There is a private airstrip located nearby, however, and plans
are underway to make it into a full-sized airport, making Motyong
ideal for possible resort investment.
Pimentel Falls [National Irrigation Authority (NIA) Watershed]
 Location: San Luis
Getting There: From Baler town
proper take a private vehicle or hire a jeep to Poblacion San
Luis. From there, the NIA Watershed is just a few kilometers
away, easily accessible along the main road leading to Cabanatuan,
Nueva Ecija.
Travel Time: One hour and 15
minutes
The NIA watershed is a small dam built beside a picnic area
in San Luis. The water below the dam is clear, with a greenish
reflection of the vegetation surrounding the pond. The place
is a coconut plantation covered with short carabao grass and
some shrubbery, making the place ideal not only for swimming
but for picnicking as well.
Rocks of Dingalan
Location: Barangay Tanawan,
Dingalan
Getting There: From Cabanatuan,
Nueva Ecija, take a bus bound for Tanawan.
Travel Time: Two hours and
10 minutes
Large boulders of black igneous rock litter the mountainside
all the way from the borders of the province, despite the absence
of volcanoes in the area. Some local residents suggest that
the rocks must date back to prehistoric times, since they've
been there as long as the residents' ancestors could remember.
Sabang Beach
 Location: Barangay Sabang,
Baler
Getting There: Take a tricycle
from Baler town proper and ask to be taken to the site.
Travel Time: Approximately
5 minutes
Located on this long stretch of gray sand beach are several resorts
namely: Angara's Beach House, Bay's Inn Resort, MIA Surf and Sports
Resort and Baler Guesthouse and Restaurant, which, offer accommodations
near the beachfront and provide food, relaxation, and respite for swimmers
and surfers.
From March through June, the waves are relatively calm providing
a good beachfront for swimmers and an excellent challenge for
expert windsurfers. The months from October to February bring
in the large waves for beginner surfers to learn the basics
with relative safety from scratches, since most of the beach
is sandy- bottomed. Undertows, which are helpful to surfers
and dangerous for non-swimmers, do occur in certain areas.
The most popular surfing point is found right in front of
Bay's Inn, where beginners brave the moderate waves and regular
surfers practice.
Lindy's Point, found further north along Sabang Beach, is
a highly-prized secret spot among local surfers.
Sierra Madre Mountain
 Location: Parts of Aurora Province
Getting There: The best jump-off
point is Barangay Ditumabo.
Travel Time: Two hours' drive
to reach Barangay Ditumabo.
This mountain range covers a large part of the province of
Aurora. In fact, apart from the Aurora coastline, the mountain
range is where the flora and fauna of the province is concentrated.
Waterfalls, rivers and crystal-clear streams of varying sizes
are located within, if not adjacent to, the Sierra Madre Mountain
Range. Activities such as mountain climbing, photo safaris,
birdwatching, ecological studies, or simply picnicking could
be rolled into one by taking trails recommended by local nature
trekkers.
White Beach (Dingalan)
Location: Paltic, Dingalan
Getting There: Take a boat
from Dingalan town proper. One can also hike from the town
to the beach.
Travel Time: This two-kilometer
long beach has numerous shells and corals scattered along the
entire length of its southern half, which is approximately
one kilometer long. The shore is made up of coral reefs that
gradually slope into the sea, and a bit farther from the shore
is a sudden drop into the sea bottom. This area has a variety
of undersea flora and fauna for divers to observe. Brain corals,
sea urchins, hermit crabs and even an occasional lobster may
be seen in the reef site. The northern half of the beach is
of brownish white sand and is an excellent place for swimming.
The whole White Beach area is bordered on the landward side
by a long hillcrest with bushes and trees scattered from the
foot to the top of the hill. Off-shore coral reef formations
provide interesting spots for diving.
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