One of the main reasons why the mostly American tourists visit Olongapo and Subic is because of the beautiful beaches there. So I took time on a Saturday to visit 3 of the famous beaches there.
First, this is Baloy Beach. Just 20 minutes by taxi from the SBF Zone, travelling on RH5 or the National Highway which is a coastal road that goes up and down, winding according to the contours of the mountain range. Along the way, you can catch glimpses of the beautiful bay with crystal clear waters.
Our first stop was the Blue Rock Cafe, a cozy and relaxing cafe at the southern end of Baloy Beach. It is part of the Blue Rock Resort and Dive Center, which is the first resort at Baloy Beach after Barretto. We had breakfast there while looking out into the bay. It was truly beautiful, the deep blue sea and the dark greyish volcanic sand. There is even a 2-storey floating bar about 100 metres out in the sea.
We started breakfast with a refreshing, crunchy apple mango from this lady off the beach. She deftly peeled the skin off the large mango and made cuts into the mango so that it was easy to break off pieces to eat. There is even a special salty sourish dip of mashed anchovies which went well with the almost ripe mango.
Breakfast was good. I had Eggs Benedict and my friend had the Burrito Breakfast. The food was tasty and the serving portion was not overwhelming. The Iced Coffee Shake and the English Tea was also pleasant and refreshing.
Immediately after breakfast, we went out to walk along the beach. All along the land side of the beach, you can find buildings, resorts and cafes and the rear of shophouses. There are also areas with huts which you can rent for about P800.00 for a day for shelter and to place your things. There is even karaoke systems available complete with TV and sound system on the beach if you are into singing by the sea.
In the sea, you can find several floating bars where you can savour your favourite cocktail while 100 metres out at sea. There are also alot of water sports activities such as jet skiing, boating and even riding on a huge banana float and being dragged around the bay on a speed boat.
We found a nice quiet little hut and paid P300.00 for a couple of hours' use. I couldn't wait to get into the inviting waters as it was getting really hot. The sun was shining brightly overhead and the cool clear seawater was so refreshing. The mild wavelets that wash up to the shore are also quite fun to ride on. No jellyfishes, no seaweed, no algae and no flotsam. The seashore was pretty clean.
It was too hot for tanning after 10am. The scorching sun also made the sand very hot for barefoot walking. So do remember to bring your sandals or slippers.
There are also many vendors who ply the beach selling goods from peanuts and quail eggs to bows and arrows, from bamboo coin banks to sun shades, from coral necklaces to green and red mangoes. Lots of souvenirs to bring home if you are game.
Just for the fun of it, I even had a dragon tattoo done on my left arm for only P80.00. Now there is "The Man with the Dragon Tattoo" walking around, well at least for the next 3 weeks before it fades away.
Based on recommendations, we went in search of Mike's Sari Sari, which is a small mini mart that serves inexpensive meals. Quite easy to find as most of the people there know about it.
Had the popular Beef Tacos for lunch, some pineapple and mango juice in cans and also the Pop Cola. Very refreshing after being in the hot afternoon sun.
After lunch, we caught a ride on the motorised tricycle from Baloy Beach to Barrio Barretto, which is a small beach city with lots of bars and dance clubs, cheap bungalows and deluxe hotels, restaurants and eateries and some interesting inexpensive night life.
At Barretto, we visited the Driftwood Beach which required an entrance fee of P25.00 per person. This beach is a favourite among the locals and the day we were there, it was filled with families and groups of youngsters swimming, barbecuing and simply feasting. Every single one of the huts were taken.
There was even a pier running out into the water, however it was undergoing renovations at the time. Even then, there were still groups of people finding shelter under the pier from the scorching sun.
Towards evening, we went to the Subic Beach. There were lots of activities there but the water is not recommended for swimming, so mostly people were riding jet skis around the bay. It was breezy and the day was cooling off. Very pleasant to take a walk along the beach watching the sun set over the mountain range.
Must say that I enjoyed the day very much. Each beach had its own charm and character. I will definitely be back for more on my next visit.
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