Access from Manila via bus – 160 km / 100 m (3.5 hr) to Olongapo City
Zambales looks like …
… a lion facing due south
“WHAT’S ZAMBALES GOT?”
Zambales is a sizeable province (35th out of 81) and yet has small population (50th out of 81) meaning it is quite sparsely populated (54th out of 81) with swathes of untouched landscape. Long and narrow – except for its bear paws and feet – Zambales is defined by a continuous mountain range running north to south along its eastern edge, accounting for 60% of the land area. Its highest peak is Mount Tapulao at the northern end of the range, which rises to over 2000 m / 6,600 ft.
Fishing is an important element of the economy and there is a considerable mining industry but the province is largely agricultural, producing the usual Filipino stables such as rice, corn and vegetables. The province is noted for the quality of its mangoes.
Zambales’s attractions range from a variety of well preserved churches, like the 19th century San Andres Apostol Parish Church, made of coral stones, in the town of Masinloc, towards the north end of the coast road, to a Wildlife Farm with a range of animals at Botalan, halfway up the coast and a Mango Festival held every April in the Zambales capital city, Iba, to celebrate the harvest.
But Zambales is best known for Mt Pinatubo, a volcano which had long been thought to be dormant but suddenly exploded on June 15, 1991. This was the second-largest eruption of the 20th century, causing several large earthquakes and sending high speed avalanches of lahar – hot ash and giant mudflows – onto the surrounding towns and cities, killing hundreds of people.
A vast portion of Zambales province, particularly the southern end, was buried by as much as 6 m / 20 ft of lahar, giving it a stark, desert-like appearance. At the same time the explosion created a 2.5 km / 1.6 mi wide caldera (1,485 m / 4,872 ft above sea level), with a lake inside, now a popular destination for trekkers.
The eruption also had enormous political consequences. Zambales had long been home to a huge US Navy fleet, stationed at Subic Bay, on the Province’s southern edge. Following the eruption, the entire force left and the base closed, leaving behind the extensive infrastructure created by the US Navy which has given the area a boost over many other parts of the country.
The abandoned base area was subsequently converted into a Freeport Zone with extensive tourist attractions quickly growing up around it, including malls, casinos, adventure parks and resorts, creating a large area devoted to tax free commerce and pleasure.
As a result, Zambales offers visitors two very different experiences: at the southern end – at Olongapo City, a business hub for the region at the northern part of the Subic Bay Freeport — visitors want for nothing
But a little distance to the north, the major developments quickly give way to simpler surrounding as the small coastal road twists and turns 90 km / 50 m (2 hrs) northwards past a half dozen small towns and rugged, sparsely populated countryside to the Zambales capital, Iba (pop. 50,000), halfway up the coast, then on another 75 kms / 45 m (2 hrs) to Santa Cruz (pop 60,000) at the very top of the Province.
“WHERE ARE THE BEACHES?”
OVERVIEW
There are 18 TOP Beaches along Zambales’s 160 km / 100 m long coastline and they can easily be divided into 4 distinctive areas: the first in the south, deep in Subic Bay around and just north of Olongapo; the second in the southwestern tip, on the South China Sea; the third, halfway up the Zambales coast road, around Iba; and the last in the northwest corner.
DETAILS
The waterfront of busy Olongapo city has its own seaside gem, SBMA Beach backed up by a well maintained Boardwalk lined with dozens of resorts.
And yet only a few minutes north of it, over a small pine tree clad hill at the base of Subic Bay, there is a very different, much simpler experience to be had on at the beaches Barrio Barretto and at Baloy Long Beach.
All of these beaches are deep in Subic bay, and especially well protected from the South China Sea to the west, to provide calm conditions with no currents.
Leaving the glitz and comforts of Olongapo and the area to the immediate north at the bottom of Subic Bay behind and Moving just 30 minutes north takes beach seekers to a very different, much wilder experience.
Here the first port of call is San Antonio town (pop 35,000) at the head of the mountainous, pine-forested Redondo Peninsula which extends 9 km / 5 m south between Subic Bay and the South China Sea. The Redondo Peninsula is one of the rare areas in Zambales to benefit from the disastrous Mt Pinatubo eruptions as they dumped tons of ash, as much as 33 cm / 13 in, on its secluded southern coves transforming their previously rocky shores into a supple, shining piece of paradise surrounded by pretty agoho (sea pine) trees.
Just a few miles south of San Antonio is the small town of Pundaquit smack on the South China Sea coast. Pundaquit has a wide, inviting beach that is pleasantly swimmable most of the year while from June until October, there are usually strong waves that make it for a draw for surfing. Along the beach are a variety of low key resorts and canteens while there are other commercial establishments near the public market.
….. can’t recommend this place enough … just fantastic …. at night, it is very awesome if you have brought your own tent so you can watch the overflowing stars … magnificent sea view and islands on the horizon. … highly recommended to do island hopping to see the white sand shores and aqua marine waters ….
More importantly, Pundaquit is the starting point for a choice between island hopping to the Capones islands and to four coves running several miles southwards or a short drive north to a prized surfing beach.
The Capones are 3 small islands lying just 4 km / 2.5 m off Pundaquit that offer good snorkelling and dive sites, as well as great photo opportunities.
Capones is the largest of the 3 but still quite small – approximately 2 km / 1 mi long and only .5 km / .25 mi wide, at its widest point. This small island is consists of scenic steep cliffs surrounding a small patch of white sand and coral beach. It has a Spanish Lighthouse from the 1890s – now solar powered – located on the hillside near the western end of the island, a steep 15 minute hike from the beach.
Nearby is Camara Island, a short stretch of sand surrounded by rocky hills connected to an islet by a sand bar that is visible during low tide
Heading south of the Capones there is a choice of four beautiful coves – Ananwangin; Talisayin; Nagasa; and Silanguin – all with very limited electrical supply and only minimal accommodation.
Anawangin, the first of the coves heading south, just 30 minutes by boat from Pundaquit, is a lovely, large, crescent shaped cove with a pristine white sand beach and tall pine-like agoho trees flourishing all around it. Just behind the beach is a pine forest and a marsh, home to a number of bird species, from which there are natural springs feeding to the sea. The adventurous might want to approach the beach by a six-hour trek through the surrounding mountains. The cove has sari-sari stores, canteens and shower rooms for day visitors as well as a few cottages and camping facilities for overnight stays.
…. the beach is great … stargazing at night is a must, the lack of city lights makes the stars show up so brightly …
The second cove, Talisayin, is only a few minutes south of Anawangin and yet visited far less often, perhaps because its sand is greyish rather than white. But it has exceptionally clear water and is also an ideal site for stargazing. There’s a store in Talisayin Cove that sells a few snacks and drinks as well as three resorts that provide basic camping facilities, shared restrooms with running water and an open kitchen. Behind Talisayin Cove, there’s a small hill which can be easily climbed in less than an hour.
…… great place to stay with really beautiful view … I love the water here, it’s really clear! … camping and bonfire party at night …. amazing people who are so accommodating … great food! …. a quiet place to ponder and gain peace of mind. ….
A little further south of Talisayin is Nagsasa Cove, which is much deeper than Anawangin but similar in appearance, a beautiful white beach beneath steep hills with hiking trails leading up to viewpoints and, further on, to waterfalls.
Silanguin Cove, the last of the four coves, is much bigger and wider than the other three. It is located near the far southern tip of the Redondo Peninsula, back near the mouth to Subic Bay. The boat ride from the Pundaquit to Silanguin takes about an hour and a half. It has three simple resorts that provide shared facilities – bathrooms and shower rooms, kitchens and grills. There is no electricity, only solar power at night.The resorts provide facilities for kayaking and water sports. They have a few cottages and tents for visitors who want to stay overnight. Behind Silanguin Cove, there is a choice of two hiking trails: one an easy short walk through fields and riverbeds towards nearby waterfalls; the other a short but steep and unmarked trek towards the Viajero’s View Deck, which provides a wonderful view of the cove.
Back on the coast road, only minutes due north of San Antonio, are two more great beach towns, San Narciso (pop 30,000) and, across a river, San Felipe (pop. 23,000). Both offer a full range of facilities, from budget-friendly to high-end accommodation and cheap canteens to proper cafes and restaurants. But San Felipe is preferred by many because it is home to Liliwawa beach, which is described by keen surfers as “the closest surfing paradise to Manila”. As well as excellent waves, Liliwawa has a beach with fine gray / white sand with pine-like agoho trees along its shore side.
The next focal point for Zambales’s Top Beaches is its capital city, Iba (pop. 50,000). From Subic, it takes little more than an hour to reach the Iba, zigging and zagging 50 kms / 30 m along the coast road.
But there are all kinds of reasons for stops along the way, from excellent resorts at Cabangan, the halfway point, to a huge wildlife farm replete with Siberian tigers, Macaque monkeys, Brown deer, Wild Boar and Hawksbill Turtles, as well as a wide selection of birds, reptiles and flora at Botolan, quite close to Iba
… a top class wildlife sanctuary … this family run farm offers a pleasant
and interesting stay for people of any age ….
About 210 km / 150 m north of Manila, Iba is a bustling, go-ahead kind of place, with an increasing number of commercial establishments and financial institutions. For outdoor enthusiasts, it offers trekking to a number of local waterfalls, like the Tukal Tukal, Bibig Impiyerno and Sta Barbara.
But the main draw in Iba is the beaches to the north and south of the town, which are admirably clean due to the absence of industrial-polluting activities in the area. Investment in beachfront faculties have increased enormously during the last fifteen years until there are about 50 resorts in Iba. Most of the Top Beaches and resorts are situated close enough to the town centre to be easily reached by tricycle but there are half a dozen further north that offer an even quieter experience.
Beyond Iba Town, the attention turns to a series of off shore islands running up to the northern end of the Province. All of these islands can be reached quickly from small ports along the coast, in the shadow of Zambales’s towering Mt Tapulau, or linked together as part of an island hopping tour.
Three of the islands – Potipot, San Salvado and Hermana Menor – are very small and best suited to day time visits while the larger Magalawa, which can accommodate overnight stays.
Even though Magalawa Island is reasonably big, it would still take as little as two hours to walk around it. It can be reached in a mere 15 minutes by boat from Palauig, the first town after Iba. As well as having various small beaches without facilities, it has a distinctive L-shaped sandbar of amazingly fine white sand at one end of the island, with two resorts offering a variety of Nipa huts and camping.
….. we were planning to stay just one night but as soon as we saw the island’s creamy beige sand and emerald green waters and we knew we would be spending all of our 3-day, 2-night trip time here …
Close by Magalawa, is San Salvador Island, only minutes away from Masinloc town by boat. It is best known for the snorkelling at its giant clam sanctuary and the clear, shallow water around its lovely Babacala Sandbar, where a large, octagonal beach house sits on stilts to provide shade for tourists to lounge and have a picnic.
A little further north of Babacala is Potipot island, which can be reached by boat in 15 minutes from the beach and resorts at Uacon, close by Candelaria, the first town after Masinloc.
Finally, just north of Potipot, is Hermana Menor, off the coast near Sta Cruz at the very top of Zambales. This is a virtually unspoilt island with both a white sand beach and a sandbar but no stores or accommodation, only four cottages for daytime use and a grilling station.
….. a great place to visit..,,the water is so clear … cool!!!! … the white sand … it’s like you’re in Boracay on their famous beach ….
ZAMBALES’S TOP RESORTS
The Lighthouse Marina Resort, Olongapo
… great food and customer service … the ocean views are amazing … very clean place … greenery all around …. even has a large separate soaking tub ….
Arizona International Resort, Barrio Barreto
… spent a week and I can’t speak highly enough of the wonderful staff there, from the ladies in reception to the waitresses in the restaurant/bar … the restaurant is good and has a ton of choices …. a good view of the bay as well …
Amanente’z Beach Front Resort, Baloy Long Beach
… awesome … the rooms are so nice and clean, very good and friendly staff, foods are exceptional in taste … calm, very relaxing and you will always have peace of mind … the beach is so nice and natural, just a few steps from the hotel rooms …
Prince Ludwig Beach Resort, Pundaquit
… small, picture perfect resort next to the sea …. the owners are very lovely and take a lot of care … the huts are sweet and look like in a catalogue. … very good location … very nice and clean resort … the owners are the best ever!!!!! ….
Capones Vista Beach Resort, Pundaqui
… simple place but the outdoor options make for a great vacation … great food options … chance to visit the three famous nearby islands … great beach front with a spectacular view … beautiful resort architecture …
El Paradise, Silanguin
….. had an awesome time in El Paradise! … nice views and very affordable … it is clean and equipped with bathrooms and showers … offers snorkeling, stand-up paddle, hiking and island hopping .…
Kapitan’s Liwa Surf Resort, San Felipe,
… great experience … the staff are really kind and the food served is really worth the price … would pick this place all over again when we come back ….
The Palms Resort & Bar, San Narcisco
… the staff were super helpful, even drove us to gather food and other supplies …
Crystal Beach Resort, San Narcisco
… this is the nicest resort I’ve ever been to … the perfect place to go for surfing and soul searching … amazingly planned with a rustic theme … accommodation range from beachfront tents to fully equipped rooms … very photogenic place …
Casa Angelina, Cabangan
… superb experience and delish home cooked meals upon request! ….
Haven Beach Resort, Botolan
….. a peaceful and serene escape from busy life in the city … the water was crystal clear and the beach had fine grained sand … a lot of flowers in their garden … we will definitely go back! …. a cozy back-to-nature resort, its accommodation mostly made of bamboo, natural materials and thatched roofing ….
Ambay Beach Resort, South Iba
…. a beautiful garden oasis by the sea, Ambay feels like a deserted tropical island … greeting visitors is a pine tree at the entrance and various garden plants and vine cover the pathways … it’s relaxing and calming …
Tanyaw Beach Resort, North Iba
… exceeded my expectations in service … there have been renovations throughout the resort! … it’s has got service de luxe … the finishes of the ultra chic shower jets in my suite are perfect ….
Tammy’s Beach Resort, North Iba
…. nice resort right on the water … the views were gorgeous … best beachfront experience in Iba!!! … loved sunning by the lounge chairs and parasols … rooms were nice and clean and bigger than expected … an upscale resort with fab rooms and exquisite peace … has wonderful chairs with umbrellas a few feet from the water …
Palmera Gardens, North Iba
… the resort has two restaurants that serve a vast array of national and international cuisines … “Bahay Kubo” has a great view of the South China Sea and “Para sa Atin” is right at the beach front … the T-bone cooked medium well with baked potatoes, gravy and veggies is very, very good …
Potipot Gateway Resort, Unacon
…. amazing food and very hospitable staff … great pool … let me repeat that … amazing … food ….. worth the money and effort, even during Peak Season … better than what we expected ….
Dawal Beach Resort, Unacon
…. the best restaurant in the area with good food, a good ambiance and relatively low prices … large clean swimming pool as well as a clean beach…..
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