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Major city · Philippines

San Antonio, ZambalesSan Antonio

Go for 2 nights if you want the coves: base in Pundaquit, take a boat to Anawangin or Nagsasa, and skip the town centre itself.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
PHP
Best months
Dec–May (dry season; calm sea for boat crossings)
avoid Jul–Sep (southwest monsoon: rough crossings, boats cancelled), Holy Week and weekends (coves crowded with Manila campers)
Airports
CRK · MNL
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 5Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore…
  • Southeast Asia ↗Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Brunei and Myanmar; never carry a bag or parcel for anyone.
  • Southeast Asia ↗Carry a passport valid for at least six months from entry with two blank pages; airlines refuse boarding on less.
  • Philippines ↗Complete the free eTravel registration on the official government site within 72 hours before arrival; ignore lookalike sites that charge.
  • Philippines ↗Typhoon season runs roughly June to November: flights and boats are cancelled at short notice; buy flexible tickets and keep a spare day.
  • Philippines ↗Carry pesos in small notes; many stalls, jeepneys and taxis are cash-only.

San Antonio is a west-coast Zambales town on the Subic Peninsula whose draw is a chain of coves reached only by boat or on foot: Anawangin, Nagsasa, Talisayen, Silanguin, plus Capones and Camara islands offshore. The town centre is a market-and-tricycle place; almost everything a visitor wants sits in Pundaquit, the port barangay, or on a camping beach with no road access. Two nights is the working minimum for one cove plus one island; three if you want two coves or a hike up Mount Pundaquit.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about San Antonio, Zambales, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or bottled water₱30–80 (≈ US$1–2)
  • Museum or sight ticketCasa San Miguel entry₱125 (≈ US$3) adults, ₱75 (≈ US$2) minors
  • Budget bedCove camping fee (own tent), a night, per person₱200 (≈ US$4)
  • Mid-range bedAir-conditioned double room, a night, per room₱2,800 (≈ US$50)
  • High-end bedAir-conditioned double room, a night, per room₱5,500 (≈ US$100)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget ₱1,200 (≈ US$25) · Mid ₱2,200 (≈ US$40) · High ₱4,000 (≈ US$75)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Anawangin CoveNagsasa CoveCapones Island and its lighthousePundaquit boat portCasa San Miguel art centre
Airports
CRK Clark International (About 2.5–3 h by road via Olongapo; the usual arrival for fly-in visitors) · MNL Ninoy Aquino International (Manila) (About 4–5 h by road; Victory Liner buses run from Manila to Iba and Santa Cruz past the town)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

San Antonio, Zambales: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

30°C

22°C

2 rd

Feb

31°C

22°C

2 rd

Mar

32°C

23°C

3 rd

Apr

33°C

24°C

5 rd

May

33°C

25°C

12 rd

Jun

32°C

25°C

18 rd

Jul

31°C

25°C

22 rd

Aug

30°C

25°C

23 rd

Sep

31°C

25°C

20 rd

Oct

31°C

24°C

14 rd

Nov

31°C

23°C

7 rd

Dec

30°C

22°C

3 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Tricycles link the barangays and the town centre; agree the fare before you board. There are no roads to the coves, so the last leg is a boat from Pundaquit port or a hike over the ridge. Boats are hired per trip, not per seat, and the price depends on the cove and the number of passengers.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Capones Island

go

Door to door: About 1 h

Boat from Pundaquit port, about 30–45 min

White-sand beach and a lighthouse on the hill; landings depend on swell.

Camara Island

go

Door to door: About 45 min

Boat from Pundaquit, about 20–30 min

Often paired with Capones on the same boat hire.

Nagsasa Cove

overnight

Door to door: About 2 h

Boat from Pundaquit, about 1–1.5 h

Quieter than Anawangin, with a creek and a small waterfall; camping only.

Olongapo and Subic

go

Door to door: About 1.5–2 h

Bus or van south on the Olongapo–Bugallon road

Use it as the transport hub and for supplies; see /olongapo and /subic.

Iba (provincial capital)

caution

Door to door: About 1 h

Bus north on the highway

Administrative town; only worth it if you are heading further up the coast.

Magalawa Island

overnight

Door to door: About 2–2.5 h

Road north to Palauig, then a short boat

A different island base; too far for a comfortable return day.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Pundaquit

The port barangay: resorts, hostels and the boat launch for the coves. Stay here unless you are camping.

San Miguel / San Nicolas (Poblacion)

Town-side resorts near the market and Casa San Miguel; cheaper, but a tricycle ride from the boats.

Anawangin and Nagsasa coves

Camping only, no roads, no mains power; bring water, food and cash.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
₱1,200–2,000 (≈ US$25–40) excl. bed
Mid
₱2,000–3,500 (≈ US$40–65) excl. bed
High
₱3,500 (≈ US$65)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Air-conditioned double room1 × 2 nights × ₱2,800₱5,600
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × ₱2,200₱8,800
Boat hire, Pundaquit to Anawangin and back (whole boat)1 × ₱3,000 · check₱3,000
eSIM, about a week of data2 × ₱500₱1,000
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge₱1,840
Trip total≈ ₱5,060 per person per day, bed included₱20,240≈ US$400

2026 estimate in pesos; long-distance buses and flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or bottled water₱30–80 (≈ US$1–2)
Filipino rice meal in town₱120–250 (≈ US$3–5)
Halo-halocheck₱100–180 (≈ US$2–4)
Casa San Miguel entry₱125 (≈ US$3) adults, ₱75 (≈ US$2) minors

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

The town itself is calm; the real risks are at sea and on the coves. Boat crossings get cancelled in the southwest monsoon, coves have no signal, no power and no medical help, and there are no lifeguards. Do not swim alone, and keep cash for the return boat.
  • Boat crossings to the farther coves are weather-dependent: the coast guard can suspend trips when the sea is rough.
  • Coves are camping-only with no shops, no reliable phone signal and no ATMs: carry cash and water from Pundaquit.
  • Weekend and holiday boat demand spikes; book a boat the day before, not the morning of.
  • Bring out everything you bring in: rubbish disposal on the coves is limited.

Emergency numbers

National emergency
911

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

San Antonio, ZambalesSan Antonio

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Dito po, pakihatidTo this address, please

Emergency

  • National emergency911

Embassy

No embassies in San Antonio; the US and most others keep embassies in Manila and a consulate in Olongapo (check).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Boat, Pundaquit → Anawangin Cove: ₱2,000–4,000 (≈ US$40–75) per boat return, about 30–45 min (check)
  • Bus, San Antonio → Olongapo: ₱100–180 (≈ US$2–4), about 1.5 h (check)

Say or show

  • Salamat — Thank you (sa-LA-mat)
  • Magkano? — How much is it? (mag-KA-no)
  • Nasaan ang bangka papuntang cove? — Where is the boat to the cove? (na-sa-AN ang BANG-ka pa-pun-TANG kov)
  • Gusto kong umarkila ng bangka — I want to rent a boat (gus-TO kong u-mar-KI-la nang BANG-ka)
  • Ang mahal naman — It is too expensive (ang ma-HAL na-man)
  • Tulong! — Help! (tu-LONG)

Boat fares are negotiated per trip, not per seat: agree the total and the return pickup time before you leave Pundaquit.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for San Antonio, Zambales. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Dec–May (dry season; calm sea for boat crossings) · avoid Jul–Sep (southwest monsoon: rough crossings, boats cancelled), Holy Week and weekends (coves crowded with Manila campers) · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 6 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contracts for CRK and MNL with last-bus cutoffs and a Manila overnight rung.
  2. Pundaquit walking cluster with boat-operator anchors and a weather-cancellation fixture.
  3. Cove pages with verified boat fares, camping fees and no-signal warnings.
  4. Monsoon and hostile-arrival fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Philippines

Sources