Cape Bolinao Lighthouse

The lighthouse at Punta Piedra was built in 1905 by American, British and Filipino engineers on the cliffs at the western tip of Bolinao, marking the entrance to the Lingayen Gulf and the shipping running down the Luzon coast. It is a white stone-and-brick tower of about thirty metres on a headland of raised coral rock, with the keeper's buildings beside it and the South China Sea filling the horizon - at 107 metres above the sea the second-highest light in the country after Cape Bojeador, kerosene-lit until the 1980s, and still an active aid to navigation. Visitors climb to the gallery when the stairs are open, and the view runs down the coast over Patar's yellow-sand beaches and out to the Hundred Islands direction. There is a small entry fee and vendors at the gate. It sits at the end of the Bolinao coast road, so it is normally the last stop after Patar Beach, the Enchanted Cave and Bolinao Falls.

The main sights

• The white tower - the 1905 light, about thirty metres tall, on the cliff.
• The coral headland - raised rock above the sea.
• The open horizon - South China Sea to the west.
• The keeper's buildings - the quarters beside the tower.

When to go

November to May for clear weather. Late afternoon for sunset from the headland, which is the reason most people time it that way.

What to expect

Climbing the tower is not always permitted - access to the stairs depends on the day and the keeper. The cliff edges are unfenced. Vendors and parking fees add to the small entry charge.

Nearby

Patar Beach, the Enchanted Cave and Bolinao Falls are along the same road; the Hundred Islands at Alaminos are an hour away.

Key facts