There are lots of Subic beaches, whilst they are not in the same category as the white sand beaches in Boracay, they most definitely have there own unique attractions. The most obvious is the convenience. The majority of the resort style hotels on the beach strip near Barrio Barretto are right on the beach, the rooms are literally overlooking the Subic beaches and continue on over the secluded Subic Bay. A fantastic way to wake up in the morning and a glorious way to spend your evening.
These three beaches around the Subic Base International Airport have very calm clear waters. With waves no higher than 6 inches all day long, the beaches offer good swimming for all ages.
Subic’s waters are a playground for those who love water sports. Jet ski rentals can go up to P2,500 per half an hour. Other sports are parasailing and banana boating. They will give you a short beginner’s lesson before you hit the water. Scuba diving in Subic can be very interesting because apart from the corals and marine life, you can explore ships Japanese ships that sank during World War II.
The three beaches in Subic back when it was still a military base followed a hierarchy that now seems terribly discriminating and funny. They were called All Hands Beach, Officers’ Beach and Dog Beach. These weren’t just names, they were descriptions – Officers’ Beach, the biggest of the three, was only for military officers; All Hands was for all enlisted men; and Dog Beach was where the military canines were given a bath and allowed to romp on the shore.
These days, Officers’ Beach is no more (it got swallowed up by the port development, which is meant to decongest Manila’s ports), All Hands and Dog Beach (the latter now called Dungaree Beach) are always packed on the weekends since they’re not very big. But the more, the merrier, right? Modest cottages can be rented for the day or overnight. But don’t expect Boracay-quality sand, the beaches have rough, pebbled sand.
There is another beach – now named Kamayan beach – that used to be called Miracle Beach because the shore was man-made (volunteers dumped Pinatubo sand into it until a beach was created).
How to get there
From Manila, take the North Expressway and exit at San Fernando. From the San Fernando exit, head southwestward towards Olongapo City. About 33km from San Fernando or about 3km from the Bataan/Pampanga boundary, you will see the Layak junction. This junction has a monument made of statues of soldiers at war. Turn right at this junction (northwest) and head for Olongapo City.
About 14km from the Layak junction, you will hit the junction that leads to SBMA. Turn left at this junction, this will take you through the nice, winding, uphill/downhill roads of the SBMA Expressway/Tollway (about 8.5km) to the SBMA districts.
Soon as you hit the first major intersection at SBMA, follow the signs that lead to the Subic Base International Airport (SBIA). This should take you through the Argonaut Highway and right alongside the airport runway. A few meters after the airport control tower, there will be an intersection. Turn right (northwest) and barely 300 meters from the intersection you will see Dungaree Beach on your left. About 2km farther (around the runway) is the All Hands Beach and about half a kilometer more is Officers Beach.
About the Author: WayPH
