Capones Island in Zambales is part of a trio comprising Capones Islands, Camara Island, and an islet attached to to Camara island. The island is located almost four kilometers off the coast of Pundaquit in San Antonio, Zambales.
It’s a small island boasting light cream sand and clear turquoise waters. Majority of the island is marked by rocky cliffs, fringed by both light-sand beaches and rocky shores. It is usually part of the island hopping (or cove hopping) tour in Pundaquit or San Miguel. The itinerary usually includes Anawangin Cove and/or Nagsasa Cove, which are the more popular beach camping destinations.
WHAT'S IN THIS GUIDE?
How to Get There
Nearest Airports: Clark International Airport (Pampanga) and Ninoy Aquino International Airport, also known as Manila International Airport (Metro Manila)
By Land
- From Manila, board a bus bound for Santa Cruz or Iba, Zambales (P360). Travel duration is around 5 hours, depending on traffic. You can check our MANILA to ZAMBALES Bus Schedules & Fares article.
- Get off at San Antonio Public Market and ride a tricycle to Pundaquit (P40/head). Travel duration is 15-20 minutes.
- From Pundaquit, rent a boat to take you to Capones Island or take an island hopping tour package if you want to go to other nearby islands or coves.
If you are coming from Olongapo, board a Victory Liner bus going to Santa Cruz or Iba, Zambales. Alight at San Antonio Public Market and take a tricycle to Pundaquit. Rent a boat going to Capones Island.
For a hassle-free trip and for those who want to experience camping, consider booking package tours offered by tour operators and agencies. Usual package inclusions are roundtrip transfers, camp food, entrance fees, tents, and boat transfers. Check itinerary and package inclusions first before booking.
Where to Stay in Zambales
If camping is not your thing, you can find room accommodations in any of these nearby beach towns in the province: San Antonio, San Narciso, and San Felipe. You may also opt to stay in Iba if the provincial capital is your next destination. Remember to book your hotel in advance, especially during peak season. Here are some of the top accommodations as rated by online users.
Top Hotels on Agoda
- CRYSTAL BEACH RESORT
✅ Check Rates & Availability Here! - YOUHAN BEACH RESORT
✅ Check Rates & Availability Here! - THE PENTA BEACH RESORT
✅ Check Rates & Availability Here! - FUNTASEA HOTEL AND BEACH RESORT
✅ Check Rates & Availability Here! - BOM DIA HOSTEL
✅ Check Rates & Availability Here!
Top Hotels on Booking.com
- WHITE CASTLE BEACH RESORT
✅ Check Rates & Availability Here! - MEGANS PARADISIO BEACH RESORT
✅ Check Rates & Availability Here! - PLAYA ALBA BEACH FRONT AND RESORT
✅ Check Rates & Availability Here! - THE PALMS RESORT & BAR
✅ Check Rates & Availability Here! - BAKASYUNAN RESORT AND CONFERENCE CENTER
✅ Check Rates & Availability Here!
If you want more suggestions with more details about each hotel, you can also check our Top 10 Beach Resorts in Zambales article.
Find more Zambales Hotels!
Entrance Fee and Other Charges
If you just plan to stay on the beach, most fees (e.g. environmental fee) will be covered by your island-hopping tour. However, to give you a better idea for your budget should you choose a prolonged stay at Capones Island in Zambales, here are the fees and other charges from Capones Vista Beach Resort:
- Environmental Fee: P20
- Day Tour: P900 (inclusive of P300 consumable for food and drinks)
For more information, you can visit their website here: Capones Vista Beach Resort
Don’t Miss
- The Lighthouse. If you can’t go inside the lighthouse (as what other visitors have noted), you can still appreciate the view from that vantage point. Be careful when climbing/trekking up.
- Take lots of photos and build memories. Capones is very picturesque.
- Camping. If you like roughing it out, spend the night here with your gang.
- Swimming and sunbathing!
- Explore further. If you like trekking, scale the whole island. But if you will do this, it is better if you have a guide or someone who knows the trails and the way around the island.
- Watch the sunset.
Don’t Forget
- Bring protection from the sun, especially during summer when it’s scorching hot: sunglasses, hats, rash guard, environment-friendly sunscreen, umbrella, etc.
- Wear protective footwear, especially during summer when the sun is really strong. Also, some parts of the beach are rocky.
- Be mindful of other revelers. Keep your speaker volume at a minimum if you are camping out for the night.
- Relish the place. Capones Island is tamer when it comes to crowd volume compared to the more popular Anawangin Cove and Nagsasa Cove.
- Have enough cash on hand. It is recommended to buy your food at San Antonio Public Market to save money. Bring water enough to last for two days if you are camping the night out on the island.
- Bring your power bank to keep your cameras and phones charged. The mobile network signal is weak to none at all.
- Bring a first-aid kit, medicine, flashlight, insect repellent lotion, whistle, Swiss knife, rope, and other life-saving gadgets and tools. Advise your boatman/contact in advance if you are spending the night on the island, so they can prepare whatever is needed. You may ask them to bring fresh water for rinsing or you can just wash yourself when you get to the mainland, either in Pundaquit or San Miguel.
- Bring your own tent if you don’t want to rent. You can also bring your own portable stove for cooking.
- Don’t leave your things unattended.
- Leave nothing but footprints. Bring your trash with you if there’s no trash bin. Observe proper garbage disposal.
If You Have More Time and Budget
- Explore other nearby coves and islands including Anawangin Cove, Nagsasa Cove, Silanguin Cove, Talisayin Cove, and Camara Island.
- You can also hike Mount Pundaquit, Mount Nagsasa, or Mount Balingkilat.
- Other attractions are Nagsasa Falls, Casa San Miguel, Pundaquit Beach, Pundaquit Falls and many others.
Watch Related Videos on YouTube
You can watch our 10 Best Beaches in Zambales video below. You can also find other related videos on our YouTube channel.
Updates Log
2024.04.26 – Updated information (fares and fees), process, and format and added photos
2019.07.24 – Updated to reflect changes in transportation fares
2018.06.22 – First uploaded
Written by: Astrid Alvarez
Additional Writing by: Hannah Manalo
Related Article: How to Get to Zambales
More Tips on YouTube ⬇️⬇️⬇️
maganda ung lugar, hassle lang ung mga bangka walang disiplina, kung saan saan nagbababa ng sakay nila, ung mga guest hindi makapag enjoy magswimming dahil sa dami ng bangka, dapat may lugar kung saan sila dapat magbaba at magsakay ng mga guest na pumupunta sa capones, nawawala lang sa beach ung mga bangka pag may dumating na coastal patrol, pero pag wala ung patrol nandon lahat ng bangka sa pampang
May cr b s capones island?