How to Get to Nagsasa Cove, Zambales

If you’re planning on going to Nagsasa Cove, it’s best if you do it on a weekday or at least try to dodge Saturday for the cove gets a little too crowded on Saturdays.

 Nagsasa Cove is very accessible through public transportation. To get there, use the following guide:.

1.Take the Victory Liner Bus in Cubao or Monumento headed for Sta. Cruz or Iba, Zambales. Fare is ~PhP250 – PhP300 to San Antonio, Zambales. Iba-bound buses are not always available. Another option is to take the bus bound for Olongapo City (the SCTEX bus will get you to Olongapo much faster). Fare is ~PhP200 +plus for Olongapo City. Once in Olongapo, ride any bus headed for

Sta. Cruz or Iba. Fare for an ordinary bus is ~PhP40 and ~PhP60 for an airconditioned one. The trip to San Antonio takes around 3-4 hours depending on the time of the day.

2. Get off at San Antonio Town Proper. The public market, grocery stores, and pharmacy are just a few meters away from the highway so buying stuff for your stay on the cove should be easy. It is recommended that you buy all the stuff necessary here as merchandise sold on the beach are VERY expensive.

3. Ride a tricycle to Purok 5, Barrio Pundaquit. You There are several tricycle terminals on the highway with dispatchers shouting “Pundaquit!”. The ride costs PhP30 per person and takes 10-15 minutes. Tricycles are available 24/7.

4. Barrio Pundaquit is a seaside community where boats sailing to Anawangin Cove, Nagsasa Cove, Capones Island, and Camara Island can be rented. If you’re planning a day-tour, there are a lot of resorts available in Pundaquit. Boats do not usually sail at night and even if a boatman agrees to sail after dark, it’s still not advisable to do so.(capacity depends on how much space your stuff would occupy). Look for Alan Arlantico (Boat Coordinator)

 If you are bringing our own car or rented vehicle but sleeping on the cove, there are a lot of parking areas in Pundaquit that can accomodate you. Make sure you leave your car at a paid parking area for security reasons. The parking fee is PhP 200 per night. If you already spoke with a boatman, he can direct you to a trusted parking area.

If you have your own car, use the map below as a guide. View the full map here.

If you want to trek to Nagsasa Cove,

From Manila, take a Victory Liner bus going to Olongapo and get off at the terminal. A short walk from the Victory Liner terminal is a queue of jeepneys bound for Subic. Ask the jeepney driver to drop you off at the Subic police station. After registering, you can hire a tricycle to take you to Cawag. A few ones are always parked near the station. There is a terminal in Subic specifically for the Cawag route but based on past experience, there aren’t any trikes if it’s too early..Write a letter of intent (two copies) and include the names and contact numbers of the participants. On the day of your climb, drop by the Subic Police Station and give one copy of the letter to the attending officer. The other copy is for the local chieftain in Cawag. Register and pay the climb fee of P60/pax when you get to the jump-off.. Do not venture on your own. There have been several incidents where parties who did no avail of guide services got lost and had to spend the night on the rocky terrain.

The journey is physically taxing but the view from the top of the mountain is worth it.

 

 In Nagsasa Cove, you will need to pay PhP50 pesos for day-tour and PhP100 for an overnight stay. The fee is for the maintenance and security of the place. Caretakers, located in huts, can cook rice for you at a fee in case you brought non-cooked rice. They can also lend stuff like knives, etc. Bathrooms and dressing booths are available. They have a motor pump and their drums are constantly filled with water. The campsite on the right would require you to pump water manually from a deep-well and carry the bucket of water to the restrooms several feet away.