Welcome to 'Death Pool' in Cabongaoan, Pangasinan!

I had to sleep in the afternoon on a Saturday so I can wake up late at night for the early morning trip to Death Pool in Pangasinan. When the alarm rang at 11 pm, I managed to get up, prepare my things, had a quick midnight meal, took a shower, and after an hour I was already on the cab going to where we were meeting up in Ortigas, Pasig. I arrived a bit early, so I still have enough time to buy some snacks from a 24-hour convenience store. A little after 1am, we were asked to get on a van and in a few minutes we were all ready to go to Pangasinan.

I was told that Death Pool is near Cabongaoan. The van will take us to the resort, and once there, we can unpack our things, have some light breakfast, and in a few minutes the group can start the short but scenic walk to the famous Death Pool.

I did not realize that the trip will take more than 5 hours. I wanted to get a few more Zzzs inside the van; but, without a neck pillow, sleeping can be very uncomfortable. I tried to sit on my side, so I can rest my head comfortably on the back of the chair but moving around in a full and cramped van can be a challenge so a relaxing sleep while in transit did not at all happen.

Still, in spite of the uncomfortable seat, I was able to get a few minutes of REM sleep, and came out of it a bit more energized. I remember I sat next to a window, so I was amazed when I saw the sunrise from inside the van. It was fantastic. Check out the video below so you can see what I meant by a really cool sunrise.

At some point in the trip, I overheard the driver and our guide talking about directions. I realized that the GPS map that they were following was no longer working, and that the spot we were at had very poor network connection - or probably a dead spot. I wasn't sure, coz I was also too tired to listen to their conversation. I believe they finally figured out the direction because a little after 7pm, we arrived at the resort.

Once we arrived at Cabongaoan Beach, we unpacked our stuff and left them in one of the big huts. Since breakfast aren't really served at the location, we had no choice but to look for a carinderia, usually a small food stall that comes with a seating area for customers in the Philippines. Luckily we found one not far from the resort. We were served a hearty breakfast by a really charming lola . Surprisingly, we all enjoyed the meal, and it was not at all expensive. Plus, we were served coffee. Yehey!

We went back to our hut, quickly changed clothes, and started the short walk to Death Pool.

Not far from the beach resort is a huge natural rock formation that is made of limestone. Here you'll find what many now call as "Death Pool" which really is a misnomer, because the correct name is "Depth Pool". But hey, death pool adds more spunk to the place, don't you think? So, I'll start calling this place death pool and you cannot stop me. Bwahahaha!

Death Pool measures 20 feet in diameter and can reach as deep as 18 feet when the tide rises. This natural-rock-formation sea pool is located in Sitio Masangret which is part of Barangay Baruan, in the municipality of Agno, in Pangasinan. Now that can be quite confusing, because Cabongaon Beach where we walked from is actually part of Burgos which is a different municipality. Oh well, just trust me when I say that going to Death Pool is just a short walk from Cabongaoan Beach.

Some quick facts about:

1. You can visit Death Pool everyday. 
2. There is no entrance fee. 
3. The surrounding area is scenic, but the waters here are deep so they are not recommended for swimming.

"Take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints. Kill nothing but time." - 'anonymous', travel guide

That's it! Here are a few more photos to enjoy. Hope you get to visit this awesome place too soon.

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