Sabang Beach Baler: Surf Now, Apocalypse Later

In eastern Luzon, from the months of November to February, surfers and afficionados from all over the Philippines (and some foreigners) pay homage to what is said to be the Cradle of Philippine Surfing—Sabang Beach in Baler, Aurora. Why the cradle? Ask Hollywood!

Sabang Beach is located a few meters away from Baler’s town center. Dotted with several resorts and homestays, it is unassuming and would rather look like just any other grey sand beach there is. However, it is not the sand and sun why people flock on Sabang. It’s the surf! The beach itself is facing the great Pacific Ocean, and waves here are ideal for surfing, especially those who haven’t experienced it yet.

The beach itself has a culture of surfing etched everywhere, and with such title it has, one would wonder why people still come here and learn how to surf. There are a lot of local surfing instructors here in Sabang Beach-locals who have completely immersed in the craft of this wave riding, and they are willing to teach you (depends if it is for free or for a fee), just have courage brought with you.

Enter Francis Ford Copolla, one of Hollywood’s renowned directors. It was here in Baler where they shot the surfing and beach scenes of the movie “Apocalypse Now” in the 1970s. Along with fireworks of napalm (in the movie of course), glitz, and props, the crew has left the legacy of surfboards and surfing to the locals when they left.

It’s summer today, but when I went there, it was Christmas. It may be cold but the Pacific wasn’t pacified at all. Best time to surf is during amihan season.

The first time I visited Sabang Beach, it was at the height of amihan’s fury, the northeastern monsoon. Waves were pounding the beach with roaring sound, along with the cold winds of the north and rain that made tropical eastern Luzon look like somewhere in Scotland—and since amihan was furious that Christmas, surfing conditions were great (disclaimer though, I’m no expert in the craft)…but darn! Temperatures dropped like they’re dead gorgeous! Hey! We just passed 21 December 2012 by that time then! Apocalypse is NOT now!

According to locals, and even the weatherman from PAGASA Baler, there are times in summer and even during habagat season (June-September) that Baler Bay would be as still as a pond. So better get your gears to Baler when amihan is on the mood na rumampa. So do expect cloudy skies, frigid strong winds, and light rain on your best surfing day ever!

I haven’t tried to surf then. First, because I was scared. Second, it was cold…brrrr…Yeah, I know what your thinking of…I’m a chicken. Haha! There’s a next time, no! I might have the courage to invade the beach and surf.

Although our Christmas outing with my family was short, we had a great Christmas eve in Sabang Beach (while amihan was all furious).

How to Get to Sabang Beach

When we went there, we brought our family vehicle. However, I’ve managed to take some notes on how to get to Sabang Beach in Baler, Aurora Province

1. Take a bus from Manila bound for Baler. Genesis Bus Transport serve Aurora from its Cubao Terminal in the morning. The trip would take at least six hours along the expressway, in the plains of Nueva Ecija, and to the towering Sierra Madre. A round trip ticket would cost you more or less PhP800 (round-trip).
2. By the time you reach Baler, take a tricycle bound for Sabang Beach from the terminal (which is near the Public Market) OR you can even just walk from it if you’re on tight budget or you just simply want to see historic Baler.

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