Balingasay River – Bolinao, Pangasinan

Balingasay River, a multi-awarded river and dubbed as the cleanest and greenest river in Region 1 is becoming more popular and one of the top tourist destinations in Bolinao Pangasinan. The Balingasay River won twice the Gawad Pangulo sa Kapaligiran Award for inland bodies of water and recipient of the highly prestigious Wetlands Conservation Award in 1994.

It is one of the ecotourism sites promoting by the Local Government Unit of Bolinao. Their main goal is to show the beauty of the Balingasay river, to support conservation efforts, to observe wildlife and enjoy water resources while still conserving the integrity of nature. The river has approximately 15 hectares of century-old mangroves approximately 30 hectares of nipa and mangrove palms, wild ferns, migratory birds, and other wild species.

Explore Balingasay river by hiring a boat (motorized banca) for a mangrove expedition by boat. Tourists also en route to Bolinao Falls (another famous Bolinao attraction) since Bolinao Falls is accessible through the Balingasay River. A side trip to Balingasay Marine Sanctuary located in the estuary of Balingasay river is great for snorkeling, swimming, fishing and taking pictures of marine life.

You can also enjoy the ambiance of the Balingasay River by dining in to Bolinao Sungayan Grill, the only floating restaurant in Bolinao. You can dine in to one of the stationary floating Kubo or avail the Balingasay River Cruise where you can dine in while cruising the Balingasay river for an hour.