Hundred Islands

Filipinos know that when high tide, the total number of islands in the Philippines is less than one. That island being submerged by the tide is a part of the beautiful chain of islands in what is called the Hundred Islands National Park.

The Hundred Islands are ideal for their white-sand beaches and other natural features in the marine and inland parts. This is probably the best place for the term island-hopping due to its more than a hundred varied-size islands and islets, majority of which are not yet commercialized and as locals say ‘virgin’.

The waters in the park is perfectly calm and tropical, which is ideal to many activities.

What is the Hundred Islands National Park?

This is a natural park composed mainly of the 124 islands (less one if high tide) scattered in the Lingayen Gulf in Pangasinan. The park features the islands with their white-sand beaches and forested inlands, which includes among others eroded karst and lushes. The islands are scattered in less than 20 square kilometers.

Between these islands are the clear waterways ideal for swimming, diving, snorkeling. The town Anda is said to be the largest among the islands, and is often called its ‘mother island’. Only three among the hundred islands are commercially developed and are mostly accessible to tourist. Others are open to activities like swimming, boating, parachuting, jetskiing, jetlevs, and other forms of island-hopping.

Where can we find the Hundred Islands National Park?

The park is located in the Alaminos town of Pangasinan Province in the Ilocos Region. The province is north of Manila.

The islands are scattered in the Gulf of Lingayen, which is an arm of the open seas called the West Philippine Sea.

How did mother nature mold this wonder?

About two million years ago, the western shore of this region was a part of the open seas. The sea was rich in coral reef and other marine creatures. When the sea became low, the fully developed corals became solidified and became islands, hence the ‘mushroom-like’ appearance.