Hundred Islands, Philippines

The Hundred Islands National Park (Pangasinan: Kapulo-puloan or Taytay-Bakes) is a national park in the Republic of the Philippines.

The protected area is a tourist destination and is located off the coast of Barangay Lucap, Alaminos City. Alaminos, has a population of 85,025 people and is in the province of Pangasinan in northern Philippines.

The Hundred Islands, totaling 124 at low tide and 123 at high tide, are scattered in Lingayen Gulf covering an area of 16.76 square kilometres (6.47 sq mi).

Only three of the islands have been developed for tourism: Governor Island, Quezon Island, and Children's Island. The Lucap wharf in Alaminos, the entrance to the National Park, is about 240 kilometres (150 mi) north of Manila, the capital of the Philippines.

The islands are believed to be about two million years old. They are actually ancient corals that extend well inland, in an area previously comprising the seabed of an ancient sea. The lowering of the sea level have exposed them to the surface. The peculiar "mushroom-like" shapes of some of the islands were caused by the eroding action of the ocean waves.

Some of the wildlife living on these largely uninhabited islands are: Crab-eating macaque, Common palm civet, Dugong, Fraser's dolphin. Gecko, Monitor lizard, Sea turtles, Green sea turtle, Olive Ridley sea turtle, a species of Red turtle, a variety of tropical land snakes, species of sea snakes, reticulated python, various bat species and various rodent species.

Cruises are available year round in the region as weather in the South East part is warm all year round – though both cruising and weather are better in the non monsoon period. Weather in this region is tropical so it is warm and humid all year round. The Tropics don’t have seasons as such, they have the wet and dry periods. The wet season or monsoon period is from June to September.