Jagnaya Beach

Here is another paradise that I did not know of, until I saw it and was in it!

This thing called 'work' just incidentally or accidentally brought me to Jagnaya at a time I was far from dreaming of being in fantastic a white sandy beach! My 'travel' this time was only all about electricity!

Anyway, for the first-timer, Brgy. Jagnaya is not easy to find. It sits by the Pacific Coast, probably more than 5kms from town center. Actually, it is just 3kms from the national highway where you turn left at Brgy. Bagtong - BUT, there are no big visible directional signage yet hehehe! Don't worry, coming soon!

Once you "correctly" made that left turn, just follow the road until you reach this T-intersection...

That arrow inside the waiting shed points and says "to Brgy Alog". You're not going there, so turn left!

Do not rely on finding that arrow though. What if people were standing or sitting in that waiting shed? Well, no worries, and I even hope you'd get lost going to the right. Why? Because that little road is only about 500 meters to the center of Alog (and nowhere else), AND, you may happily find that there too, is a fantastic strip of white sandy beach! But we're going to Jagnaya, aren't we? So for now, turn left!

But wait wait! Tsismis muna...
Did you know? (no, you did not!) From Brgy. Alog, if you walk on the beach onwards to the right, you will reach the southernmost point of Salcedo in its boundary with Mercedes? AND that, the same area is also the shortest known land distance between the Leyte Gulf and the Pacific Ocean? Their waters do not meet there at all, but its only about 300 or so meters. Ano ngayon? Wala lang, just saying hehe!

Anyway, let's turn left na nga to Jagnaya! I have nothing more to say but awed silence, so let the rest of this 'story' be just my photo album with some of my lengthy descriptions! Okay fine? So, let's go na!

As you follow the road leftwards, you'll see amazing foliage and rocky cliffs on the left side...

I think most of these are karst formations (there could be caves or other interesting things in there)!

This hilly limestone range runs the entire length on the eastern part of Salcedo, from this part of Alog, all the way up north to Jagnaya, Asgad, San Roque even Matarinao - which is interestingly peninsular.

Oops teka, why does this seem like becoming a geography lesson?! Perdona mi!

Anyway, just follow this narrow but mostly concrete road where foliage even encroach the pavement!

I said "mostly concrete", didn't I? But... when you see the coast, who cares about concrete or lapak!

Look! It's a beach down there! My dughan started pumping fast. Yes, my heart was jumping crazy!

I told myself "electricity, mamaya ka na"... and I loudly declared "STOP"! The startled driver obliged!

Why stop here when the central area of the barrio is still way up ahead? Well, I saw that fence, and my travels educated me, that when a place is fenced-off, either there is something special in there, or it is being tended to with proper care, or both! And there's a path to the left, probably owners or caretakers!

Of course I saw this ('wag nyo na pagdiskitahan ang grammar!). My alert driver took care of the "pay"!

I entered the "gate"... Looking to the left, I said "wow, a long beach devoid of commercial structures"...

Then I looked to the right and saw no human beings... just nature at its best, as if calling me...

I inched a few steps down... OMG the wave sounds were getting louder, like music to my ears...

More steps down... OMG the sand was finely soft...

Now on the beach, I needed to remove my shoes, so I did and placed them on that rock. Convenient!

Savoring the breeze, listening to the waves... I was about to "camp" on this spot!

Just look how inviting it is... to frolic in the sand and the sea...

I looked to the left again... I told my self I could actually walk here all the way to the barangay proper!

I looked to the right and almost screamed "OMG what is that"! So, sugod ang My Royal Highness!

Oh, there is some development after all! So your 10-peso entrance is not just to enter the fence!

Look, they fenced off part of the cliff's base. I stayed away hehe! Bangin it nagtatarag pa. Kulba!

And there's even this table in/under the cove-like cave-like formations... NICE!

The view out to sea! That manong lagas is a fisherman. There's even a torch light on his forehead!

They have this cooking area in one of the limestone crevices. Fantastic!

The beach area even extends to beyond and around this limestone cliff. But I did not go there. Afraid!

I am better just looking at, roaming at, or exploring the open spaces like this... hehe!

Hey, first time I saw hundreds (maybe thousands?) of little hermit crabs in and around this driftwood!

The smaller cliffs look easy to climb. Oh, suddenly there's already a manang who pitched a tent. Wow!

I liked this: a slab of limestone rock as table, surrounded by driftwood serving as benches. Coolness!

Last look. My shoes gone from the rock! Ah, driver took them, he even gave me beach sandals earlier!

That's why I like this driver. Often, di ko/nya alam kung tsuper ba sya o alila hehe! Such a blessing! He even buys water, snacks (+Coke) before our every trip without being asked. Even pays entrance fees!

Here he said he paid a hundred -- for the P10 entrance and two of those shell necklaces (P10@)..

The gatekeepers (husband-and-wife oldies) make those necklaces (leis) out of shells picked from the beach. Driver 'bought' two as souvenirs - but I know the real reason: he just wanted the couple to earn some cash for the day, which was what I would have done too, kung di nya ako inunahan :D

Anyway, parking on this beach is anywhere at the sides of the narrow road, but, if and when visitors flock to this beach, soon hopefully, then the earlier you are, the nearer to the entrance you can park!

So, that's another one added to my list of beaches that I'd like to come back to!

Meantime, I proceeded down to the barrio, and start working on my... well... work hehe (shhh)!

NB: in a much much later conversation, the mayor kept referring to this beach as Yolanda Beach. Ah eh, I called it Jagnaya Beach because it was/is in Brgy. Jagnaya! So okay, Yolanda kung Yolanda! 😉

Now now... at the central barangay area, as I suspected, the stretch of beach continues from where I just left as described above, even beyond! Oh my oh my Oh My Gino-o ko, whatta big wide paradise..!

The arrow points to where I just came from (story above)! Well, I said I could walk coming here, right?!

But here, because there were already built infrastructure, Yolanda had been too brutal...

The sea has eaten away considerable parts of their streets. Even the underside of that church is now hollow. And the empty space beside the church to where I stood (downward arrow) was a playground.

Most of the soil (sand) were washed away, and this area of the barangay now slopes down to the sea.

The street terminates here which should have been some meters forward - now part of the shoreline!

Otherwise, other than that, looking front and out to sea... this is still a wonderful paradise...

Ayaw talaga paawat 'no?! Well, Yolanda is over and done, this is still a beautiful beach like no other!

Hint: this is the barangay's "central area", a public domain, so no fences and/or "entrance pay" hehe!

Jagnaya I'll be back! Okay na, let's go!

Hep hep hep! Let's go, not home yet, but forward...

Yes THERE IS MORE! But that's my next story. Abangan...