Valugan boulder, Batanes 2017

It’s a masterpiece created by the elements. In 400 AD, Mt. Iraya erupted and scattered andesite rocks around the northern half of Batan, which is now Basco, from the fiery guts of the earth. The mighty wind from the Pacific pushed the waves to lap the rough rocks, polishing it in the process. The result: a boulder beach that we now call Valugan. Valugan means “east” in the Ivatan language.