How to Get to Pundaquit, San Antonio, Zambales

Pundaquit, San Antonio is a fishing village that serves as a gateway to the famous Anawangin Cove. 

How to Get to Pundaquit, San Antonio, Zambales:

A. Via Public Transportation

1. Ride a Victory Liner Bus bound for Sta. Cruz or Iba.
Victory Liner has stations at Pasay, Cubao, Kamias and Caloocan. I suggest you go to the Caloocan Terminal since a bus leaves for Iba every 30 minutes. First trip is at 4:00 am and last trip is at 11:30 pm.
Fare is about P 270.

2. Go off the San Antonio Municipal Hall.
Ask the conductor to drop you off at San Antonio Municipal Hall. From Olongapo, you will pass by Castillejos  Town and San Marcelino.

3. Take a tricycle ride from the Municipal Hall to Pundaquit Beach.
In front of the Municipal Hall is the tricycle terminal. The terminal is open 24 hours so even if you travel in the wee hours, there are tricycles available to bring you to Pundaquit Beach. The drivers are familiar with the resorts in the area so you just tell them to what resort you're planning to stay or just tell them that you're heading to Pundaquit Beach. Fare is about P 30 per person. Also, the road from the Municipal Hall to Pundaquit Beach seem to be deserted but do not be scared. Just a few kilometers ahead is the beach!

B. Via Private Transportation




1. Drive through NLEX
Hitting the NLEX depends on where you will be coming from. You can take Balintawak Exit, Meycauyan, etc depending on your starting point. Point is, you have to drive along NLEX!

Travel Time:  About 40 minutes to 1 hour depending on what exit you take.

2. Exit at San Fernando
From NLEX, exit at San Fernando, Pampanga. You will see Robinsons Pampanga upon your exit. Drive opposite of Robinsons Pampanga. Follow the road signs to Olongapo. You will pass by Lubao and Guagua.

Travel Time: 40 - 60 minutes

3. Enter Bataan through Layak Junction then Drive through Olongapo
You will enter the area of Bataan when you pass by Layak Junction. The Layak Junction has a monument. From the Pampanga road, take the road on the right. There is a tricycle terminal on the corner of this road.

Then just drive straight and follow the signs leading to Olongapo. Once in Olongapo, you can still see signs going to Pundaquit or San Antonio. Just drive through the towns in Olongapo including Subic Town Proper.

Travel Time: 40-60 minutes.

4. Pass by the towns of Castillejos and San Marcelino

After Olongapo, you will pass by the towns of Castillejos and San Marcelino. Each town is about 7 kilometers and will take you about 30 minutes to drive along these towns. Be mindful of the signs especially when you reach San Marcelino. Upon seeing Dr. Yangco Educational Foundation at San Marcelino, turn left to head to San Antonio. There is also a road sign to signal you where to turn left. If you drive straight ahead, you will be heading to San Narciso.

Travel Time: 30 minutes

5. Turn left at the Cemetery then Head to Pundaquit Beach

Once you turn left, a public cemetery can be seen at the right side. Then there will views of fields and mountains until you reach the town proper. Drive straight until you reach the Municipal Hall on the right side of the street.

From the Municipal Hall, turn left on the road with signs pointing you to the resorts. The road seem to be deserted but its concrete. You will also pass by a one-way steel bridge. You can also ask a tricyle to lead you to Pundaquit Beach then pay him for about P60.

Travel Time: 30 minutes

Cost:

Fuel
Diesel:  P 1500- P 2000
Gas:     P 1000- P 1500

Toll
Meycauyan Exit: P 45
San Fernando Ext: P 112

Beach Resort in San Antonio, Zambales: Pundaquit Luxury Resort

Pundaquit Luxury Resort is a mid-range inn located at Pundaquit, San Antonio, Zambales. It is one of the resorts that serves as a gateway to the Zambales Coves - Capones, Anawangin and Nagsasa.It is beside the famous Nora's Beach Resort and Canoe Beach Resort. 

facade of Pundaquit Luxury Resory, beach view
photo credit: http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Philippines/Province_of_Zambales/Pundaquit-1385410/TravelGuide-Pundaquit.html

Originally, my cousins and I planned to camp at Anawangin Cove for the holy week holiday. However, with a baby and some adults in their 50's coming with us, our plans did not push through. Instead, we decided to check in a Pundaquit Luxury Resort. One of the advantages of this resort is that they have a pool- good for kids and adults unlike with other resorts in the area. (Yeah, I'm starting with the background story.)

feeling sexy and macho beside the pool

taking a pose at the garden area

We rented a mountain view room and 4 kubo huts since there were 17 of us. The mountain view room is actually good for 4 people but they only allow up to 3. This is worth P 2300. It has two single beds, cable TV airconditioner and toilet & bath. The beds, tv and aircon are about average. The toilet was a disappointment though. It was small and cramped. For adults who are quite large in body frame, I wouldn't be surprised if you'd be suffocated. Good thing was they have toiletries- soap, shampoo, toothcare kit and tissue. Towels are not free so bring a towel!

mountain view room at Pundaquit Luxury Resort
photo credit: http://www.subic.com/hotels-info/pundaquit_luxury_resort.php

The kubo huts have two types. The first one has two single double decks and the other one has double decks which are double beds. (Haha! I don't know how to describe it) Point is, the nipa huts can accommodate 4 people comfortably. All the nipa huts are fan rooms which really isn't a problem since the air is cool esp. at night. Downside would be we didn't have our own toilets and the location of the huts is about 30 steps from the actual resort compound. If you're a toilet-crazy person, get a room with a CR. Although the common toilets are clean, they are not tiled.

Pundaquit Luxury Resort also offer island hopping services with the same rates of local boatmen.

Boat Rates:

Small Boat (good for 4 people)
P 1500 - Camara, Capones, Anawangin
P 1800 - Camara, Capones, Anawangin and Nagsasa

Big Boat (good for 10 or more people)
P 350/ pax - Capones and Anawangin
P 450/ pax - Capones, Anawangin and Nagsasa

Service is also good. The staff are cordial and prompt. They also have cooking services for a fee.
They have a small garden for outdoor dining and a restaurant on the roof deck for viewing.

garden dining at Pundaquit Luxury Resort
photo credit: ://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g1028037-d1644721-Reviews-Pundaquit_Luxury_Resort-Pundaquit_Central_Luzon_Region_Luzon.html l

Pundaquit Luxury Resort may not necessarily live up to its name of "luxury" but the place was clean and comfortable.

How to Get at Pundaquit Luxury Resort:

See my blog on How to Get To Pundaquit, San Antonio, Zambales

Zambales Resort: Canoe Beach Resort, San Antonio

Canoe Beach Resort is located in Pundaquit, San Antonio, Zambales. It is an hour away from the well-known Anawangin Cove via boat ride. This resort stands along with other resorts. What makes this a hidden getaway is the fact that this its not easy to find the website in the internet. I learned about this by patiently scourging the net for a budget resort. Usually, search results would give you Nora's and Patio Inn.

What makes this resort attractive for me is the fact that it has a pool. The beach in San Antonio is not as iniviting. The sand is grayish, the water is dark and the waves are big. A lot of boats are also docked along the shore. You have to go to the nearby coves to really enjoy the tropical beach ambience. So with its pool, one can satisfy the desire for swimming.

the pool area with poolside family rooms

When I went there last summer, I made early reservations through e-mail. They replied within the day. You can also make reservations through phone. You have to pay half of the amount through their BPI account.
We rented an airconditioned room good for two that costs P1300. This room is facing the beach but the cottages in front of the rooms block the view. It has its own private veranda.

cottages for day trips

The room is very basic- comfortable bed and a clean CR. The lighting is just a bit dim. No frills! You could actually have the room at a cheaper price if you tell them that you would want a fan room. The management would not just activate the aircondition system.

Their pool is also clean and medium-size. There's also a kiddie pool at the other end of the pool. Water is warm so you can swim even until late at night. Night swimming is until 11:00 pm as long as you won't be too noisy.

view on the beach of San Antonio

Staff if okay. They're accommodating enough but not very friendly. They serve food at a reasonable price.

If you're travelling through public transpo, you have to walk for about 5 to 10 minutes from the resort to the main road to get a tricyle. Just tell the driver to drop you at the Municipal Hall where you can get a bus ride to Manila.

For more information: http://www.freewebs.com/canoeresort/rooms.html

PHOTO CREDITS:

http://www.sulit.com.ph/index.php/view+classifieds/id/2545553/Explore+ZAMBALES
http://www.adventuresportsholidays.com/all/canoe-beach-resort-antipolo-199026.php

Zambales Trip: Anawangin and Nagsasa Coves

Summer is not complete without hitting the beach. If you're on a tight budget but you still want to experience some white sand, I recommend visiting Zambales. Zambales offers a cheaper alternative to Batangas. It is also nearer than Pagudpod in Ilocos. It comes quite close to the sand of Boracay.

Aside from the shores of Subic, Zambales is now getting famous with its coves- Anawangin, Nagsasa, and Silanguin.All these can be found in Pundaquit, San Antonio. Although this is a year late, allow me to showcase the beauty of these coves.

Camara Island

Together with my boyfriend, I travelled from Manila to Iba, Zambales via Victory Liner in Caloocan. We rode the 12 midnight journey. Since it's very late, we arrive at San Antonio at around 1:30 am. We got down in front of the municipal hall. We actually didn't know where to get off. The bus conductor just helped us. There were no people yet except for the tricycle drivers. Good thing that we have communicated with our boat man for the following day. He is Manong Johnny. He advised us to ride the tricyle going to his house in San Miguel. He offered us his room to spend the remaining hours of the night.

View from Capones Island

At about 6 am, he woke us up and served us breakfast. Take note, these are for free. He also offered to cook rice since we didn't expect that we won't be able to buy rice. We only have adobo and eggs for our viand. It is advisable to bring lots of drinking water. It was just almost 7 am when we hop in Mang Johnny's boat and started our trip. His house is just about 12 minutes away from the shore.

Our first stop was in Camara Island. It is a rocky island and not very good for swimming. But the water is clear. We just took some pictures before proceeding to Capones Island.

There's an old lighthouse in Capones but you must be willing to trek uphil. It's not a very a rough trek and the view from the top makes the sweat worth it. The shore of Capones is also very rocky.

secluded end of Anawangin Cove

Next stop is in Anawangin Cove. This place has become a campsite. The shores was peppered with tents when we visited. There's a bamboo bridge between the shore and a land mass across it. There are a lot of trees across the shore of Anawangin opposite the beach. We should have rented a tent here and styed for the night. Tents only cost for about P300. We took time to explore the island and swim, By around 11, we hopped into the boat again and proceeded to Nagsasa Cove.

the land mass opposite the shore of Anawangin

Most people prefer to stop in Anawangin because the other coves are quite far already. From Anawangin, we had to ride an hour to get to Nagsasa. But the travel time and the exposure to the sun were all worth it. Aside from some Aeatas, we were the only ones who were in the island. This was where we ate our lunch and lounge.

Opposite the beach shore is a lake where you can also swim. This side of the island feels enchanting to me with the view of the mountains and the needle trees. There's also a fall at the other end of the island. The water of the beach is so calm making it ideal for swimming.

lake opposite the shore of Nagsasa Cove

We would have wanted to spend the night in Nagsasa but we alraedy made reservations at a hotel so we had to end our trip at around 3 pm. Mang Johnny said that the waters could be rough already if we go beyond the time since it's a two-hour boat ride back to the shores of San Antonio.

sunset at San Antonio

Though the sand and the sea of San Antonio is nothing compared to that of its coves, the view of the sunset was simply breathtaking. It was a perfect blend of purples, reds and blues that make a perfect ending to a beautiful day.


Remiders when planning to go Island Hopping:
1. Bring drinking water
2. Bring food or be prepared to cook
3. Bring sunblock because most of the boats don't have roofs

This place is ideal for group outings.

Total Cost of the Trip for 2:

P1,200 - bus fare from Manila to San Antonio and back
        80- tricyle fare from the Municipal Hall to the beach shore
   1,800- boat ride at a discounted price
   1,000- food budget
   1,500- standard aircon room at Canoe Beach Resort
   5,580