☰Alaminos

Alaminos is not a destination for food, but the seafood near Lucap Wharf is genuinely good — pulled from the gulf that morning and cooked simply. Stick to the restaurants near the wharf for the freshest fish; the city centre options are mostly fast food chains and local canteens.

Alaminos city itself is small enough to walk, but most visitors will need to reach Lucap Wharf, which is about 3 kilometres from the city centre. Tricycles — the ubiquitous Philippine motorbike-and-sidecar combination — run this route constantly and charge a few pesos per person for a shared ride, or a slightly higher fixed rate for a private hire. Agree the price before you get in.

Inside the Hundred Islands National Park, everything moves by bangka outrigger boat. You hire a boat at Lucap Wharf for the day; the boatman waits while you explore each island and moves you on at your request. Rates are set by the park authority and listed at the wharf office — there is a basic package covering three islands and additional fees per extra island visited. Kayak hire is available at the wharf for those who want more independence, though paddling between islands in open water requires some confidence.

There is no public transport to speak of within the city beyond tricycles and jeepneys; both are cheap and plentiful for short trips.

Alaminos has no airport. The practical approach from Manila is by bus.

From Manila: Several bus companies — including Five Star Bus, Victory Liner and Dagupan Bus — run direct air-conditioned coaches from Manila's Cubao or Pasay terminals to Alaminos. The journey takes five to six hours and covers around 250 kilometres north along the NLEX toll road and through Pangasinan. Buses depart frequently through the morning and into the early evening. There is no need to book in advance except during peak holidays.

From Dagupan: Dagupan is the main transport hub of Pangasinan, about 75 kilometres east of Alaminos. From Dagupan there are frequent minibuses and jeepneys to Alaminos, taking roughly two hours. If you are arriving by train — the PNR runs a service to Dagupan — this is your connection.

From Baguio: Jeepneys and vans run between Baguio and Alaminos in around three hours, passing through the hills of Benguet before descending into the Pangasinan lowlands. This makes a logical first stop if you are travelling south from the Cordillera.

From Alaminos city centre to Lucap Wharf, take a tricycle — the fare is minimal and the ride takes under ten minutes.

The Hundred Islands are the reason to come to Alaminos, and island-hopping from Lucap Wharf is the main event. Beyond the national park, there is little to detain most visitors in the city itself, but the cathedral and the seafood market near the wharf are worth a brief look.

Alaminos and the Hundred Islands are best visited during the dry season, which runs from November through April. The sea is calm, visibility is good for snorkelling, and the risk of typhoons is low. March and April are the busiest months — Philippine school holidays bring large domestic crowds to the park, and Lucap Wharf can be overwhelmed on weekends.

The wet season (May to October) brings afternoon rain squalls and occasionally rough seas in the gulf. Boat trips are sometimes cancelled when swells are high, and visibility underwater drops after heavy rain. That said, the islands are genuinely beautiful in the low season, crowds are thin, and rates at the few guesthouses near the wharf drop considerably. If you come outside school holidays in the wet season, you may have entire islands to yourself.

Alaminos holds its city fiesta in March in honour of its patron saint, Saint Joseph. The celebrations are modest by Luzon standards — a procession, a fair near the cathedral, and a lot of noise in the evenings — but they add some colour if you happen to be there.