A Philippine Surf Trip: Baler, Zambales, La Union, and Siargao

written on March 15th, 2018 by Rusty Jorbina

I went on a 20-day surf trip to meet-up with friends, watch a Philippine surfing competition, and just have a good time.

Here is a mini-guide to some of the well-known surf spots in the Philippines:

Baler: Days 1-4

Baler is located on the east coast of Luzon, 275 km from Metro Manila. The fastest and most convenient way to get there is by Genesis’ Joy Bus. They have comfortable seats, similar to business class seats in some airlines. I stayed at Go Surfari House, a house that was converted into a hostel. The place was very welcoming and the owner and the housekeeper were very accommodating. I spent most days surfing, since I was joining an amateur surf competition in a week’s time.

Sabang Beach in Baler, the main surfing area, stretches for a couple of kilometers. This is where most beginners go. Some spots are also for intermediate surfers as the waves can become bigger depending on the conditions. The more north of the beach you go, the bigger the waves and the more difficult they get.

I surfed at a spot called Secrets, down south and it is really good when the main beach surfing area gets big and windy as it is protected by a cove. The most famous surf break in Baler – Cemento Reef- is a reef break (you’ll surf over sharp reefs) and is for experts only.

My favorite Baler restaurants include Charlie Does for vegetarian meals and really good coffee; Kusina Luntian, The Circle Hostel, and The Good Food for affordable Filipino meals, Dialyn’s for anything sweet (their cupcakes are like heaven), and Costa Pacifica Resort’s Beach House restaurant for the best pizzas.

Zambales: Days 5-7

Zambales is 160 km from Manila and is on the west side of Luzon. Since I was going there with friends, I took a bus back to Manila from Baler and then we carpooled to San Narciso, Zambales. Via bus, Zambales is about 3-4 hours away. By car, via the expressways, this area can be reached in less than 3 hours. There are many towns in this area where surfing is possible and the more famous ones are San Antonio, San Narciso, and San Felipe.

The competition I was joining was held at Crystal Beach Resort and is perhaps the best place to stay while in San Narciso. We spent the whole day there for a P350 entrance fee.

Liw-liwa in San Felipe, Zambales, is more of a haven for surfers than San Narciso. This town is 6 km away and was where we spent the night and the rest of the weekend. There are several budget accommodations in this area and we stayed at Home Along the Liwa, where you can rent huts for group stays.

Food in Crystal Beach Resort is good and for sharing (although somewhat pricey). In Liw-liwa, the most popular is place to eat in is Mommy Phoebe’s place, with cheap food and a variety of silog meals. One of my favorite places to eat in Zambales is Casa San Miguel. It is a little bit out of the way but they serve really good pasta and desserts, plus the restaurant and the surrounding area are very Instagram worthy.

La Union: Days 8-12

While Zambales is already north west of Luzon and geographically closer to La Union than Manila, the fastest and most convenient way to go there was by direct bus from the capital (due to the newly built expressways). So, I went back to Manila with my friends and then rode the overnight trip of Dominion Bus Lines to La Union (also known as Elyu by the surfing community). I stayed in a new hotel/ hostel called Charlie’s Hangar. It was a treat because I had the room all to myself.

We surfed most days in a spot called Carille since the main beach break (San Juan) was very windy and the point break (The Point) was reserved for the surfing competition. Other surf spots in La Union include German Sunset, Taboc, and Bacnotan. I had some of the best rides of my life in Carille and it left me stoked for the rest of my stay.

La Union is a bit more “hipster” than Baler and have some of the best places to eat because of the Manilenos that have relocated there. A new place called The Great Northwest Philippines Travel Stop & Viewing Deck (a mouthful, yes, so we just call it ‘The Deck’) houses some of the best places to eat in La Union. I’ve tried to eat in all of the eateries in The Deck. If you can, you have to try one dish from every spot. Other places to eat include Clean Beach Co (for the best coffees and kaya toast breakfast), Gefseis Grill for Greek food, Olas Banditos for Tex-Mex food, and Coast Call Kitchen and Bar for their breakfasts and Filipino food. Elyu also has a yoga studio that offers regular yoga classes named Aquanimous Yoga. I tried their AquaFirma class (yoga on a balance board) and it was an incredible and crazy workout.

Siargao: 13-20

In case you haven’t heard about Siargao yet, here’s a primer. Siargao is a tear drop shaped island in North Eastern Mindanao. In 2017, direct flights from Manila were launched by a couple of airlines. However, the flight I took was round trip from Cebu. Before I got stuck in the island due to bad weather, I stayed in the dorm rooms of Bravo Beach Resort (4 bunk beds in a room) while I stayed in La Luna Resort during the storm.

Surfing in Siargao unfortunately means surfing over reef or rock and not on sandy beaches. The beginner-friendly ones are Jacking Horse and G1 while the world famous spot Cloud 9 is surfed by intermediate to experts only. Always get a local guide even if you are more experienced, so that they can show you where to paddle out or paddle back and what to do when wiping out (since all the breaks are over reefs and getting pummeled there can be scary).

Surfing is not the only activity here: take a bike and visit the Magpupungko rock pools, see stingless jellyfish at Sugba Lagoon, and visit the nearby islands for island hopping.

Siargao has boomed over the past few years and food choices have become more diverse, but some of our no-fail favorite restaurants include Harana Resort for Filipino food, Filibeans for coffee, Cafe Loka and Pleasure Point Cafe for good food and desserts, Kawayan Gourmand for French pastries, Bravo Beach Resort for Spanish Food, Miguel’s for the best tacos and burritos, and Kermit Resort for the best Italian food in the island and perhaps the best pizzas in the entire country.

General tips:

1. As a solo traveler, the best accommodations are in hostels or resorts that offer bunk-type beds or room sharing. These are normally cheaper than booking a private room with private bath. They are safe, even for solo female travelers (like me). It is also the best way to meet new people especially if you don’t know anyonethere. My favorite hostels include The Circle Hostel (in Baler, Zambales, and La Union), Go Surfari House (in Baler), Flotsam and Jetsam Hostel (in La Union), and Bravo Beach Resort (in Siargao).

2. Some meals can get as expensive as those in the city, especially if eating out in restaurants or cafes. For example, in Siargao, the average price per meal is P250 per person. There are always cheaper alternatives though. There are carenderia stalls located near the town center in Baler or cheap and locally-owned grill places at the Siargao Boulevard. If a stove or microwave is available, you can also cook your own meals in the hostels. It is cheap and you can make whatever you feel like eating (except perhaps a pizza).

3. Traveling light for a multi-location trip is key. There is no better feeling that just carrying one backpack instead of three. This was my biggest regret actually.I packed too much clothes. In addition, Baler, La Union, and Siargao have the convenience of laundry service. All I had to do was send my spoiled clothes to the cleaners and get them back washed and folded. In addition, nobody really cared if I wore the same dress or outfit twice.

4. Do not overspend your budget in case of emergencies. I got stuck in Siargao for an extra five days because of a storm. Thankfully, I had enough extra for a place to stay, food to eat, and the extra transportation charges. If I had decided to blow my remaining cash on the last day of my trip, I have no idea how I would have survived in the island.

5. Planning is great, but always make room for spontaneous activities. On the day before the Philippine Surfing Tour kicked off their Baler event, I went on a surf spot search with Filipino pro-surfers. I did not even get to surf that day and it was totally not in my plan but it was a fun and crazy road trip that I will never regret doing.