Malabrigo Point Lighthouse

Faro de Punta Malabrigo was lit in 1896, one of the last of the Spanish lighthouses built to mark the approaches to Manila, and it survives more completely than most: a brick and stone keeper's house with a cylindrical tower rising from it, standing on a bluff over the rocky coast at Lobo with the Verde Island Passage opening out in front. It was declared a National Historical Landmark, and while the tower has had its lamp modernised the fabric of the complex - the courtyard, the arched galleries, the outbuildings - is largely original, if weathered. The setting is a good part of the appeal: an exposed headland with waves working the rocks below, fishing boats offshore and Mindoro visible across the passage on a clear day. The road out from Batangas City is slow and rough in stretches, which keeps the place quiet; it is usually visited alongside Lobo's beaches and the falls inland.

History

The lighthouse was part of Spain's plan, carried out from 1846 to 1896, to light the coasts of the archipelago with 55 lighthouses; the point's name, from mal abrigo, "bad shelter", reflects its rocks and currents. The engineer Guillermo Brockman, who also designed the lights on Capul and San Bernardino islands, drew it up in 1891, it was lit in 1896, automated in 1980, and marked by the National Historical Commission on 27 November 2006 (Wikipedia, Malabrigo Point Lighthouse).

What you'll find

• The cylindrical tower - the 1896 light above the keeper's house.
• The keeper's quarters - arched galleries and courtyard.
• The headland - rocky coast and the Verde Island Passage.
• The Mindoro view - the island across the water on clear days.

When to go

November to May for dry roads and clear views. Mornings for light on the tower; the site is fully exposed to sun.

Before you go

The road from Batangas City is rough and slow. The tower interior is not reliably open - access depends on whoever is on site. There are no facilities, so bring water.

Nearby

Lobo's beaches and Malabrigo's coastal barangays are close; Batangas City and the Verde Island dive coast are north.

Key facts