Surfing in Zambales is great beginner stuff that’s close to Manila. Oh, and there’s one beefy river mouth for more advanced surfers.
An introduction to surfing in Zambales
Surfing in Zambales has been fed by an ever-constant stream of people coming straight up from Manila. The thing is, this is just about the first proper beach stretch you get to when you decide to the exodus from the colossal capital. That shows – the place is always packed and there’s been some ugly development along the shoreline.
Don’t let that put you off if you’re determined to get some waves in before jetting off. We wouldn’t say come here for a complete surf trip, but if you can’t make the hop to Siargao then why not? There are decent surf camps for a day or two’s stay, and the waves are good fun, especially when the NW wind swells hit in December and January.
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This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing Philippines
Surfing in Zambales at a glance
The good…
The bad…
What’s in this guide to surfing in Zambales?
Where is Zambales?
Zambales is just behind a phalanx of volcanic mountains to the northwest of Manila. It takes 3-5 hours to get here, though, since the roads are winding (and pretty stunning if the clouds clear). You’ll need to pick up one of the Victory Liner buses. Tickets are about 350-500 PHP. It’s also possible to break up the journey with a stop in Olongapo, an interesting town with forest walks and beaches, along the way.
A guide to the Zambales surf spots
Surfing in Zambales really revolves around a trio of breaks. Two are beginner stuff while the other is a very unusual anomaly for the Philippines in that it’s a pounding left-right A-frame rivermouth that we’d expect to see pop up in Central America.
Liwa
There are beach break waves on the beach at Liwa, but make sure to stick to the narrower sands away from the rivermouth, which is where the swells peak up into the bigger sets of High 5. Here, it’s mainly closeout mush that’s great for learning on.
High 5 Lahar
We’ve got the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo to thank for this pretty uiqe break. When it blasted off its top all those years ago, it caused havoc. But little did we know that the flow of magmar and silt down the Santo Tomas River would lead to the formation of a lovely bank of deposits along the estuary, perfectly angled to create left-right A-frames during the winter trade-wind season. We won’t say they are easy. They aren’t. They suck up swell and have a hell of a punch to them, but the waves are hollow and long, riding more like something out of Costa Rica than the west-facing Philippines.
Crystal Beach
The best spot for learning in the whole of Zambales. Crystal Beach receives tempered NW swells that curl into the sands here to create miniature wedges. They aren’t you usually mush but do stay clean on one side to invite beginners to start thinking about turns. That’s why so many schools come down this way and even up from Manila.
Where to stay when surfing in Zambales?
There aren’t all that many surf hotels on offer in this region, but we’ve picked out two that should get you nice and close to the main breaks.
Camp Rofelio Surfing Beach Resort
There are some mixed reviews for the Camp Rofelio Surfing Beach Resort. But, then again, this place doesn’t claim to be The Ritz. It’s a low-key campground with some cabin rooms and attractive prices. The main draw for surfers? It’s right next to the best break in the whole of Zambales, so you can stroll back and forth to the water. The owner is friendly and there’s a shared kitchen and BBQ area.
OYO 391 Kakay Beach Resort And Hotel
The OYO 391 Kakay Beach Resort And Hotel is a fine midrange option that’s just south of the main surfing beaches in the area (you’ll need to cycle or get a rickshaw). The hotel offers both family suites and mixed dorms, so can cater to a whole range of budgets. The major plus is the on-site pool, which offers somewhere nice to relax after being on the beach all day long.
Step-by-step guide to planning your surfing in zambales trip right now
Step one: Book flights to the surfing in zambales…We use Skyscanner and only Skyscanner for this. The reason? We’ve always found it the best site for comparing deals from basically ALL airlines and somehow seems to offer deals that beat going direct.
Step two: Book your surf lodge. There’s Booking.com. That has consistently unbeatable rates for hotels and a nifty map feature that lets you check how close EXACTLY that hotel is to particular breaks. Or Book Surf Camps, which is the numero uno online booking platform for fully-fledged surf-stay packages.
Step three: Book surf lessons and other activities For advance booking, you can use GetYourGuide or Viator. To be fair, though, we usually just leave this until we’re there – it’s easy to book in person in most surf destinations.
When to surf in Zambales?
Zambales, like the other main Luzon west-coast spot of La Union, is reliant on the stronger windswell pushes that come through from the central Pacific in the midwinter. They aren’t as dominant here, so you won’t get the 10-foot sets that hit further north. However, they do usher in the most reliable period, which last roughly from late November to March. If you’re coming to learn in Zambales on Crystal Beach, then you can come pretty much any time – there’s always a little peak.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
