San Narciso, Zambales: An Escape from the Metro

Zambales is located in Central Luzon and is the second largest among its seven provinces. It is popular for island-hopping which includes the famous Capones Island, Nagsasa Cove, and Anawangin Cove. If you are not fan of the beach, Zambales can still offer other tourist attractions such as the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and Ocean Adventure.

It is our second time here with the first one at Talisayen Cove in February 2019. We stopped by Capones Island first then spent the night in the former. We took a bus from Victory Liner Pasay then rode a tricycle to San Antonio where we met with our guide, Mang Joven (+639159599595).

This time, for our first anniversary, we decided to go back here but skipping on island-hopping. We booked an Airbnb at Zen Beach Resort (https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/41623242) which is a few minutes’ walk from the beach and Crystal Beach Resort. Getting there, we used Jiro, Axl’s motorcycle since he wanted to beat Jiro’s farthest ride up north (which was Fairview). San Narciso, Zambales is 376 kilometres away from us and we were blown away that Jiro survived this long ride (btw, he is a Honda Beat.) Our gas to and from is only 400php and we travelled for almost six hours – going there, we had to stop thrice for breakfast in Pampanga and just because our butts hurt already (around Bataan and San Narciso.) Going home, we stopped thrice, too – one is at Subic Bay Freeport Zone for our lunch and two just because in Pampanga and Manila.

I think the best part of our trip is at the roof deck. We ordered coffee in their café and sat there until the sun sets. They did not lie on their listing when they said that it has the perfect view for the sunset.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLLspjmxU78

Zambales is only a three to four hours’ drive away (by car and six if by motorcycle) from Manila and is the best place if you want to relax, unwind, and escape the hustle and bustle of the city for a weekend. However, it also reminds us that we should take care of the beaches near the Metro to preserve its beauty and to let people enjoy the beauty of the beach without going too far.