Calatagan is a municipality in Batangas. The place is popular for its white sand beaches and  several beach resorts which include the art-filled guest house called ‘Banak House Calatagan’ and the Ronco Beach Resort.  These are just some of the well-known tourist destination that offers relaxation and tranquility.

It’s amazing how Calatagan has constantly evolved into a great tourist destination. It has all the elements that a tourist wants in their perfect beach getaway: shallow waters, rich biodiversity and a fascinating terrain. Cape Santiago is just one of the havens that a tourist would love. Aside from the alluring white sand beach, it houses a lighthouse that served many mariners for more than one century.

The lighthouse was built on December 15, 1890 and is well known over the Philippines as Punta de Santiago. It was named after Don Santiago Zobel, the landowner who personally donated the one-hectare property for the establishment of the lighthouse.

Punta de Santiago imposes a fifty-one feet tall white and red brick tower that monitors the Verde Island Passage. The lighthouse was built by Magin Pers and Guillermo Brockman; they are also the one who built the cape Bojeador Lighthouse in Ilocos Norte.

For over one century, the lighthouse has survived natural calamities like typhoon and earthquakes. It has also withstood the occupying forces of Spain, America and Japan; surviving many wars. Until today, anyone who visits the lighthouse can catch a glimpse of the scars that were left behind from the wars that it witness.

Seafarers are really grateful to have this structure in Calatagan, because it serves as a guide to the vessels from Manila that heads to the southern part of Visayas. It also guides vessels that head toward Manila, from the San Bernardino Passage.

The one hundred twenty year old lighthouse has been really a great help to mariner and also serves a great tourist attraction in Calatagan.

How to get there:

From Manila, you can take a bus or van near EDSA-Taft. Make sure to ride in a van and a bus that directly goes to Calatagan, you need to pay around P200. It will be a three to four hour ride going to Calatagan. Drop off at the town center, and from there take a tricycle that will take you to the lighthouse (the tricycle fare is around P150 to P200).