Travel Guide 2025 to San Narciso Beach in Zambales

It is summertime in the Philippines! So you might be preparing to hit the beach soon. There are plenty of choices for a beach adventure near Metro Manila, depending on your mode for getaway.

If you're coming from Metro Manila and you want a place nearer home, the easiest choice is Batangas. If you want some entertainment, a wide array of restaurant choices, watersports activities, and white powdery sand to chill, White Beach in Puerto Galera is the best option, but if you prefer a laid-back and quiet environment to get away from all the hustle and bustle of a city life, beaches in Zambales are ideal choices.

San Narciso beach in the morning

Last Saturday, March 15, my two siblings and I embarked on a beach trip to San Narciso, Zambales. I've not been to the north since 2019. My last beach trip in the north was also in Zambales province in 2019, in Armada Beach Resort, Magalawa island. But my latest trip to the north was my first time to ride a public utility bus going to Zambales, so I was clueless with the worst possibilities. 😄

San Narciso, Zambales in the morning

There are plenty of beach resorts to choose from in Zambales but my search was just focused in the municipality of San Narciso because this municipality is just about four hours from Metro Manila. I had only two days to plan the trip and no time to check all the suggestions.

I wanted to book our one-night stay at Crystal Beach Resort but it was fully booked on the date of our travel, so I chose something within the area that's not too expensive so that I won't regret in case of a bad experience 😄. Kakay Beach Resort in San Narciso, Zambales looks nice in photos and their room rates are budget-friendly so I gave it a go.

I was traveling with my two siblings and it was our first time to explore the place so it was some sort of a fun adventure. Days before, I already searched how to commute to San Narciso and the suggestion was to go to Victory Liner bus terminal in Cubao and choose a bus bound for Iba or Sta.Cruz Zambales, and just drop off at the San Narciso bus stop.

Day of our departure

We left Caloocan North at 6:00 in the morning and arrived at the Victory Liner bus terminal at 8:00 in the morning. There was a long queue to buy a bus ticket bound to the north. But we were confident we could secure a slot. We saw two morning trips going to Iba, Zambales so we anticipated a 12:00 noon arrival.

However, when it was my turn to be served at the ticket window, the cashier told me the bad news of the day - all trips going to Iba were already fully booked and the next available trip was at 1:00 in the afternoon! OMG I didn't anticipate this scenario. 😕

I told the cashier to book us an Olongapo City trip, we would just catch a bus ride going to Iba in Olongapo. But she told me all the morning trips bound for Olongapo were also fully booked. Gosh!

Lesson learned: If you choose the Victory Liner bus in Cubao for your morning trip to Zambales, please book your ticket online ahead of time to secure a slot. Morning trips going to this province are always sold out on the day of the travel. You can book your ticket through the website of Victory Liner.

We left Victory Liner bus terminal and crossed the footbridge to go to the Genesis bus terminal (located on the other side of EDSA, just a walking distance from the Five Star bus terminal). They didn't have trips going to Iba or Sta. Cruz but they had an Olongapo trip. The good news - no need to buy an advance ticket! We immediately got on board. It was 8:50AM, and what a luck, the bus left Cubao at 9:00 in the morning! 😄

So here's a useful tip: If you plan a beach trip this summer to San Marcelino, San Antonio, San Narciso, and San Felipe in Zambales, keep these in mind:

Ride a bus bound for Iba or Sta. Cruz Zambales, they will pass along the above-mentioned municipalities.
If you choose Victory Liner and your travel schedule is morning, better book your ticket online ahead of time through the Victory Liner website.
At the Victory Liner bus terminal, there's a window dedicated for online bookings, it's there where you can redeem your ticket.
If you can't secure a bus ticket for Iba or Sta. Cruz, the best alternative is Olongapo City.
In Olongapo city, there's a Victory Liner bus terminal beside 7-11 near Chowking. They have plenty of trips going to Iba.

Here's our actual trip from Cubao, Quezon City to San Narciso Zambales on March 15, 2025:

We boarded a Genesis bus bound for Olongapo City. Transportation fee: Php287.00. The bus left at exactly 9:00 in the morning. We arrived in Olongapo City at 12:30 afternoon. We spent lunch at Chowking, fronting Victory Liner bus terminal.

After lunch, at 1:15 in the afternoon, we walked to the Victory Liner bus terminal but the one fronting Chowking is serving routes to Metro Manila and Pampanga, the terminal for north trips is at the back, beside 7-11.

We boarded a bus going to Iba, Zambales. The transportation fee for San Narciso is Php98.00. The bus left Olongapo City at 1:30 in the afternoon. It was a smooth trip thank God! We enjoyed this little adventure, taking videos of the surroundings of Zambales municipalities.

The bus stop in San Narciso, just beside San Sebastian church in front of Landbank

By the time we arrived in San Narciso, it was 2:30 in the afternoon. We disembarked at San Narciso bus stop, just beside San Sebastian church. We crossed the street to Landbank where tricycles are waiting to take passengers anywhere in San Narciso.

We told the tricycle driver to take us to Kakay Beach Resort. Transportation fee: Php30.00 per head. The resort is located along Barangay La Paz. We paid an environmental fee of Php30.00 (per person) at the entrance of the barangay. After eight minutes, we arrived at Kakay Beach Resort and Hotel.

Our one-night accommodation:

Kakay Beach Resort is a hotel/dormitory type of accommodation. There's a small swimming pool but we didn't try. However, I won't be recommending this place to travelers who are looking for comfort and beachfront accommodation. My sister didn't like it. 😄

The room in Kakay Beach Resort and Hotel where we stayed. One queen size bed and one pullout bed.

The view of Kakay Beach Resort and Hotel

I'm not certain about other rooms in this hotel but ours was very small, good that we are siblings, and medium size, or else it would be inconvenient for friends sharing a very small space.

The room is good for couples. The bed is a queen size and there is one pull-out bed. The toilet bowl has no flash, you need to use a tabo. The CR has no lock. They provide only one towel even if the guests are three. But with only Php2,500 per night, we can't complain anyway. 😄

Kakay Beach Resort hotel room

It's also not a beachfront accommodation, you have to walk for about a minute before reaching the beach area. They don't have a restaurant, you have to tell the in-charge if you want a meal and they will cook for you. Their silog meals are quite expensive at Php150.00 per order. But bringing food is okay. There's no corkage fee.

Anyway, that's the essence of adventure, everything involves risks, new discoveries, and surprises, the most important thing is you will learn from the experience, and acquire new knowledge. 😀

Crystal Beach Resort has a beachfront accommodation

If you want beachfront accommodation in San Narciso, choose Prince JB Beach Resort, Selah Kamping site, Crystal Beach Resort, and Sands and Surf Beach Resort. These are the resorts with beachfront accommodations I saw while exploring the beach area. Tipsea Beach Bar is located between Crystal Beach and Sands and Surf.

The wide beachfront of San Narciso

Glistening sea water under the afternoon sun

Beach experience

But I would highly recommend San Narciso Beach! It's one of the best beaches I've visited so far in Luzon next to White Beach in Puerto Galera. I love its laid-back environment and beautiful beach atmosphere So relaxing! It offers a rural feel, quiet, chill, and breezy.

I love the wide beachfront, very ideal for team building and fun activities of big groups and get together. It also has a very long coastline, ideal for jogging and long beach walk. I also love the sea water. Clean and smooth, no pebbles and algae.

By the way, it's not a white beach. The sand is light gray, but it's smooth and super clean, the beach area is well maintained. I walked barefoot most of the time.

Sunset viewing experience

Beaches in San Narciso offer a terrific view of sunset. The golden hour (a time before sunset) is just so stunning, with the view of the bright yellow sun spreading its magic in the environment. The wonder of amazement I felt was the same as the moment of awe I felt during my sunset viewing experience in Pattaya City, Thailand.

Beautiful sunset

The view of the horizon after the sun fades

We just seated along the shoreline, gazing at the magical horizon as the sun slowly fades. The vast sky looks so magnificent during sunset, like a beautiful painting in bright colors of tangerine, fiery red, and cinnamon. It was a dreamy, cool experience having to witness such a stunning natural phenomenon.

During our sunset viewing

We did not go swimming in the afternoon of March 15 because the heat of the sun was harsh until 5:00PM! The authorities of this beach area do not allow guests to go swimming after 6:00 in the evening for safety reasons. So after the sunset viewing, we went back to the hotel. We brought food for our dinner so we did not step out to eat. We didn't see any restaurant in the area too. We slept early. Kakay Beach Resort has a small swimming pool but during our stay, it was filled with swimmers so we did not try.

Happy beach day with siblings

Morning Beach Walk and Swimming

We woke up early, at 5:00 in the morning of March 16 because we wanted to capture the rising of the morning sun. But it was partly covered by tall trees and we didn't see the glimpse of its ascent so we just strolled around the beach and enjoyed the calm atmosphere.

The early morning ambience of this beach is so awesome. I simply love the feeling. The wide surrounding felt like pair of arms giving us comfort. It was so wide it's almost impossible to bump with other beach trippers or get near with them. There's plenty of space for everyone. I love the quiet atmosphere, it's a lot calmer than I thought, as if the world stands still.

Beautiful Sunday morning!

I could feel the freshness of the environment and the essence of smoothness. The stillness of the surrounding felt as if time has move slowly. And because the area is very spacious, there's plenty of space for all the guests to enjoy privacy and moments of aloneness. It is indeed a perfect oasis to de-stress and to retreat from the fast life and noises in the city.

Morning chill before swimming

This beach has a long coastline and a very wide and spacious beachfront, so you can frolic endlessly without disturbing other guests. Morning jogs, workouts, and beach walking are common activities here. I appreciated the fact that there are no annoying peddlers selling merchandise or offering beach activities unlike in other popular beach resorts.

Dragon boat water activity in San Narciso beach

The locals are respectful to the guests' privacy and preferences. We didn't encounter any locals disturbing the guests with their island hopping or water activities packages. So, I enjoyed my time at this beach. It was calmer and more relaxed than my previous beach trips.

The beachfront at 3:30 PM

The beachfront at 5:45 AM

It was the type of morning I dreamed of - serene, calm, quiet, still, pleasant, smooth, and so much fun. More time to think about the goodness of life, away from chaos, and to appreciate our precious existence 😁Only the crushing of the waves create noises in the environment. Everything stood still, as if life has slowed down.

After taking our morning jog and exploring the other parts of the beach area, we went swimming for more than two hours. I love the experience! Nothing but relaxation and laughter. It was as if I lived a care-free life, no worries, no negativity, nothing to be anxious for. Just a calmer and stress-free life.

It felt like home. The beach environment of San Narciso is similar to the seaside of Surigao del Sur where I grew up. It was like recapturing my childhood where me and my friends would spend our weekends in the beach almost whole day.

At 9:00 in the morning, the sun started to pinch our skin, so we went back to the hotel (we wanted to stay longer in the beach but the harsh sun started roasting our skin haha!) After fixing ourselves, we left the place at 10:45AM. I was surprised to find out the tricycle ride going back to the highway took only five minutes!

San Narciso beach at 9AM

Going back to Metro Manila

Traveling back to Metro Manila is easy, just wait for the bus near the Landbank. We boarded the bus at 11:30, the signboard is Caloocan but we decided to get off at Olongapo City to take our lunch.

We boarded a Victory Liner bus in front of Chowking in Olongapo bound for Cubao. The transportation fee is Php298.00 per head, which is quite expensive compared to Genesis bus. We left Olongapo at 1:30 in the afternoon and arrived in Cubao at 5:45 in the afternoon.