San Jose: The Beauty of the Mad Pacific

Camarines Norte is considered to be under the radar for tourists, but pre-pandemic, it has already captured the hearts of a lot of travel bloggers, particularly because of the famed Calaguas Group of Islands. My Mom is from this province, so when I was invited to go with her to spend a week in my Tita's beach house, I took the offer gladly. I was dying to explore my province once again.

We arrived late night in Camarines Norte after an 8-hour drive. It was my first time in my Tita's place. I was always told of this beach house and I imagined it to be old, traditional, antique. To my surprise, it turned out to be something more like a villa in Santorini. I knew that this trip was going to be different, and the excitement level just hit an all-time high. 

This is Casa Napundan, which my Tita built to house intrepid tourists and surfers. I will be sharing more about this place in my next entry, so stay tuned for that. 


It was a rainy April weekend and the rainy season was giving its last hurrah. The Pacific waves were madness. They were apocalyptic and the sound was angry. There was no surfing for me today. I sat at the porch overlooking the beach and grabbed a cup of coffee and just stared at this madness for an hour. I had the most peaceful and relaxing hour of my year so far.


I felt so energized. I probably absorbed the intensity of the waves and was pumped up to walk. I took a stroll down the boulevard as soon as the light rain faded. Casa Napundan is located in San Jose, which is a town adjacent to Daet, the capital of Camarines Norte. If Daet is bustling, San Jose is the opposite, making it an emerging area to reside in. Land here is increasing in value, as a beach boulevard is being constructed as well. I can just imagine this to be a more progressive area 5 years from now.


Towards the curb, I saw a lot of fishing boats and noticed an empty small fish stall by the road. It was already 10AM, so I figured the catch was already sold. I walked back to the house and started posting on social media. As soon as I clicked post, I realized that there wasn't any signal. Ah, the provincial coastal life. 






Location: Camarines Norte, Philippines

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