Subic is known for many things — being a former US Navy Base is one; but for tourists, Subic means beaches, amusement parks, adventure parks, and shopping, among others.
When we recently took a trip to Zambales, we thought heading back to Manila right after checking out of Crystal Beach Resort in the town of San Narciso was too early. So we decided to head straight to Subic to spend the rest of the day there exploring.
In this post, we’ll list down the things we did and places we visited in Subic, along with other popular activities that you can also consider for your trip. Note that these are just some of the things you can do in Subic Bay as there are A LOT of attractions in the area. But you can refer to this list if you have zero idea what to do for your trip yet.
Subic, also known as Subic Bay or Subic Bay Freeport Zone, is located in Central Luzon. It covers a part of Olongapo City, Municipality of Subic, and the towns of Hermosa and Morong in Bataan. Formerly a US Military naval base which was once the biggest in Asia, Subic is the first free port of the Philippines. It is managed by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).
From Manila, it takes about a three-hour drive to get there. If you’re not driving, public transportations are also available. Although not as straightforward as getting in your car and driving, it is doable. More details later. For now, here are some of the things to do and places to visit in Subic.
WHAT'S IN THIS GUIDE?
Magic Lagoon
We arrived in Subic around 1PM, so our first stop was Magic Lagoon to get some late lunch. Magic Lagoon Restobar is one of the most popular dining places in Subic. It is known for the scenic view of the lagoon beside it, hence its name. Located across Subic Bay Yacht Club, the restobar is open 24/7, serving classic Filipino dishes and delicacies. Some of the items on the menu are kare-kare, chicken tinola, bistek Tagalog, pinapaitang kambing (goat), and of course, sinigang, which is available in different protein options: pork, beef, fish, and shrimp.
If you’re just looking for a light meal, you can also order lomi, pancit, clubhouse sandwich, and burgers. For drinks, it serves fruit juices, fruit shakes, and coffee. But since this is a restobar, of course there are alcoholic beverages too. Among the options on the drinks menu is the “below-zero” beer, which they call balot sa puti.
For our lunch, we ordered the grilled squid and grilled isaw because we were really craving something…well, grilled. However, they weren’t warm when they was served, which is odd for grilled dishes. As for the taste, they were decent, nothing spectacular, just as what you’d expect grilled squid and isaw taste like. Maybe their other dishes taste remarkable, but we’d have to try that another time. We also had some fruit shakes — ripe mango for Hannah, and green mango for me. It was just what we needed to beat the scorching heat.
Dishes and meals here range from P99 to P1,590. If you’re a group, they also have “binulkan”, which are bundle deals good for 5-7 pax.
Price Range: P99 – P1,600
Opening Hours: 24/7
Location: Bicentennial Park, Rizal Highway, Subic Bay Freeport Zone
Sunset Cruise
We didn’t do this on our most recent trip, but we have experienced this sunset sailing in Subic a few years ago. If you’re celebrating a special occasion or simply planning a date with your loved one, this might be something to consider. And oh! You don’t have to rent a whole yacht to experience a sunset cruise in Subic Bay. There are joiner sunset cruises you can avail of, where you’ll share the yacht with other guests.
You can book a sunset cruise via Klook!
But if you’re interested in renting a yacht to have a yacht party, you can do this too! Some people do this for bachelorette parties, birthdays, and other occasions, but if you want to do this with a bunch of your friends for no reason at all except for partying on a yacht, no one would stop you either!
You can book a yacht with La Banca Cruises. When you rent a yacht, you can bring food and drinks on board since it doesn’t include meals.
JOINER SUNSET CRUISE RATE
P1,950 – P2,499/head
2-3 Hours
With dinner on board
YACHT RENTAL RATES
- 40ft Yacht: P6,000/hr (Good for up to 25 Pax; Minimum of 2 Hours)
- 50ft Yacht: P7,000/hr (Good for up to 30 Pax; Minimum of 2 Hours)
- 80ft Yacht: P11,000/hr (Good for up to 40 Pax; Minimum of 3 Hours)
- 100ft Yacht: P14,000/hr (Good for up to 40 Pax; Minimum of 3 Hours)
NOTE: Yacht rental rates has an additional P2,000 for the terminal fee
La Banca Cruises Contact Information
Mobile: +63 976 016 6765 | +63 967 360 6077 | +63 976 0133 517
E-mail: www.labancacruises.com
Facebook Page: La Banca Cruises (@LaBancaCruises)
Location: Building 1031, Rizal Highway, Subic Bay Freeport Zone
Subic Inflatable Island
If you’re traveling with family, especially with kids, water parks are always a hit. Subic Inflatable Island is a huge floating playground where you can slide, bounce around, and swing. This is perfect for kids and kids-at-heart and is a great bonding activity for friends and family.
You can score a good deal when you book with Klook! There are package options — all-day pass, half-day pass, or just beach club pass without an inflatable playground ticket. Choose the best that fits your preference.
Rates: Beach Club Pass Kid, P500; Beach Club Pass Adult, P899; Spray (Half-Day Pass), P1,299; Soaked (Whole-Day Pass), P1,399
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM. Note that opening schedule may change without prior notice, so check the official website or Facebook page for updates.
Location: Olongapo – Bugallon Road, Olongapo City, Zambales
Adventure Beach Waterpark
If water slides and swimming pool combo sounds more attractive to you or your kids, you can go to Adventure Beach Waterpark. You can also get discounted tickets when you book your ticket via Klook! If you’re a group, you can get the group of six bundle to save a little bit on the admission fee.
Rates: Adult, P688; Child/PWD Adult/Senior, P528; PWD Child, P423; Bundle (Group of 6), P550/head
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Note that opening schedule may change without prior notice, so check the official website or Facebook page for updates.
Location: Camayan Wharf, West Ilanin Forest Area, Subic Bay Freeport Zone
727 Coffee
If you need a pick-me-up, there are many local coffee shops around Subic. We decided to drop by 727 Coffee located in Building 727 on the corner of Manila Avenue and Dewey Avenue. We mainly chose this coffee shop because the place looked chic on photos we saw online. But upon entering the store, we were welcomed by the aroma of coffee and we had a feeling the café serves a good cup of Joe. The packed coffee shop also seems to say the same.
Luckily, it also has an outdoor area where more seats are available and we found a table. I ordered the 727 signature, while Hannah got the horchata. The menu includes a variety of coffee choices and it was honestly hard to choose. From the classics like latte, cappuccino, and flat white to the signature drinks like honey oat lavender latte, zebra mocha, and the 727 signature.
If you’re traveling with non-coffee drinkers, it also serves non-coffee drinks, including teas. And if you’re hungry, they have meals, waffles, and cookies on the menu as well. Their drinks range from P100 to P350 while their food items are priced between P100 and P700. We weren’t able to try any of their food items, but we’ll definitely go back just for the drinks alone.
Price Range: Drinks, P100 – P350; Meals/Snacks, P100 – P700
Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday, 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM; Friday to Sunday, 7:00 AM – 11:00 PM. Note that opening schedule may change without prior notice, so check the official Facebook page for updates.
Location: Building 727, Manila Avenue, Subic Bay Freeport Zone
SBMA Beach
As suckers for sunsets, we wanted to catch the sunset here in Subic too so we headed to the SBMA Beach boardwalk. From 727 Coffee, you can get here on foot in about five minutes. We arrived at the boardwalk at the perfect time, because just a few minutes after finding a spot on the beach, the sun started to set. And as we take in the wonderful spectacle, more people flocked to the beach to watch the sunset, but it’s not crowded since there’s a long stretch of beach for everyone to enjoy the view.
Location: SBMA Beach, Waterfront Road, Subic Bay Freeport Zone
Maple 28 Restaurant
Before heading back to Manila, we went to Maple 28 Restaurant to have dinner. This was also just a few minutes away from the boardwalk, so we decided to walk there. You wouldn’t miss this because the restaurant has a huge sign right outside, on the corner of Labitan Street and Dewey Avenue. We immediately liked the ambiance of the restaurant including the live acoustic music serenading the guests.
Maple 28 has an extensive menu, starting from breakfast meals with Filipino and American options which they serve until 4:00 PM. It offers a variety of starters, soups, and salads. As for main dishes, the best sellers for international flavors include baby back ribs, beef burger, fish and chips, and nasi goreng with chicken satay. For the local dishes, the best-sellers are pork liempo, laing, sizzling sisig, and pork binagoongan. The restaurant also serves pastas and sandwiches.
Hannah and I opted for the rice bowls because they looked like a type of comfort food you’d want after a long day. And we were right. We tried the kimchi and beef fried rice and the seaweed garlic butter beef don. Both of them were really tasty and filling because these bowls are packed. When we went there, they were serving free lechon to diners for some reason and we also got a free crepe as a part of their promo! So just imagine how full we were after dining here. Lol
You’ll find a lot more restaurants around Subic that you could try too. Among the most recommended online are Coco Lime, Rali’s Restaurant, Texas Joe’s House of Ribs, and Meat Plus Cafe. If you’ve been to any of these restaurants or have other restaurant recommendations around Subic, let us know in the comments!
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 7:30 AM – 10:00 PM. Note that opening schedule may change without prior notice, so check the official Facebook page for updates.
Location: Labitan Street corner Dewey Avenue, Central Business District, Subic Bay Freeport Zone,
Shopping
We weren’t able to visit any shop on this trip, but if you love shopping, this should be in your itinerary. There are multiple duty-free shops and outlet stores around Subic where you can buy imported goods and discounted items. If you’re an impulsive shopper, we must warn you to prepare your wallets because you might not be able to resist.
NOTE: Inside the duty-free shops, items are priced in dollars, but don’t worry because the cashiers accept peso for payment.
El Kabayo Subic Trail
Subic grants adventure-seekers and nature lovers with a number of trekking sites. One of those is the El Kabayo Subic Trail. You can join MAD Travel’s Tribe and Trek program where you can explore the flora and fauna surrounding the trail and learn about jungle survival as well as making herbal medicine. The El Kabayo Subic Trail is home to Aeta’s Pastolan Tribe and the program aims to help the indigenous tribes preserve their ancestral domain. This helps tourists understand the importance of natural heritage and sustainable tourism.
You can also check out the waterfalls towards the end of the trail. It’s not grand though, so you may also choose to skip it if waterfalls are not your thing. MAD Travel also has Feast in the Forest, where you’ll explore the forest and forage to experience a unique culinary journey with the local Aeta community.
Contact Details: info@madtravel.org | +63 939 920 7627
Official Website: www.madtravel.org
Facebook Page: MAD Travel (@makeadifferencetravel)
Wreck Diving and Snorkeling
Subic Bay is filled with several vintage shipwrecks and remnants of WWII. These attract both local and international divers who have a penchant for wreck diving. Some shipwrecks in Subic Bay are the USS New York, the Oryoku Maru, the Sakura Maru, and the USS Lanikai. Some of these sites are only about 15 minutes away from diving centers.
There are several dive centers around Subic Bay and the rates vary depending on the course, the number of sessions, and the inclusions. Recreational wreck dive prices range from P2,000 to P3,000 if you have your own gear. If you will rent gear, add P500 to P1,000 on top of that.
If you’re not a diver, some diving operators allow non-divers to go snorkeling. The snorkeling fee with gear rental is around P1,000 to P1,200.
How to Get to Subic
If you’re driving, you can navigate easily using navigation apps like Waze and Google Maps. Simply type in your specific destination in Subic and follow the map. But if your only option is to take public transportation, here’s a step-by-step guide you can follow to get to Subic.
Public Transportation
- Board a bus bound for Olongapo (P230-P380). Victory Liner has regular trips to Olongapo from several of their terminal around Metro Manila including Cubao, Sampaloc, Caloocan, and Pasay. You can just pick which terminal is most accessible to you and has a trip schedule that works for you. Although this wouldn’t be a challenge because they have multiple trip schedules throughout the day from early morning to late night.
- Get off at Olongapo terminal. The bus would terminate at Victory Liner’s bus terminal in Olongapo and this is where you’ll get off.
- Walk to the jeepney terminal. From the bus terminal, the jeepney stop is only less than five minutes on foot. You can ask the bus conductor or staff at the bus terminal for directions. Just tell them you’re looking for the jeepneys going to SM Olongapo. It’s not hard to spot these jeepneys because the whole thing is painted yellow.
- Ride a jeepney to SM Olongapo (P13). There are no jeepneys within Subic Bay. The jeepney would drop you off at SM Olongapo where you can start walking to get to the Freeport Zone.
- Walk to the taxi bay. From SM Olongapo, there’s a walkway that would lead you to Subic Bay Freeport Zone. From there, make your way to Ayala Malls Harbor Point to find a taxi bay.
- Ride a taxi to your destination. It is important to know that taxis here in Subic Bay does not look and function like usual taxis in Manila. Taxis in Subic Bay are SUVs with the SBFZ taxi logo and body number on the sides instead of the usual taxi sign on top of the car. And these taxis do not have a meter.
- Tell the driver your destination and agree on the fare first before getting in the taxi. Taxi rates are between P100 to P700 depending on the distance and can accommodate up to seven (7) people. These taxis are also the only mode of public transportation available within Subic Bay.
For more information, you may also read our MANILA to SUBIC Bus Schedules & Fares article.
Where to Stay in Subic
There’s no shortage of hotels around Subic. So if you’re thinking about staying for a weekend or a few days, looking for a place to stay won’t be much of a challenge. Whether you’re looking for hotels near the beach, a resort, or hotels that are within close proximity to many restaurants, you’ll find one here. The options also range from budget to more upscale hotels. Here are some of the top hotels in Subic that you can book for your trip.
Top Hotels on Agoda
- MANSION GARDEN HOTEL
✅ Check Rates & Availability Here! - COURT MERIDIAN HOTEL
✅ Check Rates & Availability Here! - HORIZON HOTEL
✅ Check Rates & Availability Here! - MANGROVE RESORT HOTEL
✅ Check Rates & Availability Here! - KAMANA SANCTUARY RESORT AND SPA
✅ Check Rates & Availability Here!
Top Hotels on Hotels.com
- CENTRAL PARK REEF RESORT
✅ Check Rates & Availability Here! - iCOVE BEACH HOTEL
✅ Check Rates & Availability Here! - THE LIGHTHOUSE MARINA RESORT
✅ Check Rates & Availability Here! - THE PUB HOTEL
✅ Check Rates & Availability Here! - MOONBAY MARINA THE VILLAS
✅ Check Rates & Availability Here!
If you want more suggestions with more details about each hotel, you can also check our Top 10 Hotels & Resorts Along Subic Bay article.
Find more Subic Hotels!
Updates Log
2024.08.22 – First uploaded
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