Potipot is a small island just a few kilometers off the coast of Zambales, with almost-white powdery sand and calm waters at the northeast side, all day long. It is small enough that you can walk around the island under an hour. There are huts and cottages for rent in the island and a couple of public bathrooms/toilets. This is to say that it hasn't been commercialized yet. Some have called this hidden getaway the "Little Boracay of the North." Every year, hundreds of visitors are discovering this gem of an island as it is just a few hours from Manila - and it has been gaining popularity year after year.
Potipot Island is in Candelaria, Zambales - two towns northwards after the province's capital Iba (see the live Google map at the bottom of this post). From Manila, you can get there by car or by bus. If you are not Filipino, languages spoken in Zambales are Filipino and English. Dialects are Tagalog (Filipino), Ilocano, and Sambal. Zambales is the province where the American naval facility used to be (now SBMA) so the people speak and understand English pretty well.
Best Time to Go
There are only two main seasons in the Philippines, wet and dry season. Rain comes from June till November, although occasionally, storms appear even during the dry season, making for a rough travel at sea if you're heading to an island. Summer or dry season is from December to May, so you can have a snow-free Christmas if you spend it here in the Philippines.
Tourists from other countries usually think it's summer all year long in the Philippines, although most Filipinos think summer is only from March to May. Temperatures range from 25 - 35 degrees Celsius, but may swing up to 40 during summer peaks, so make sure to always have a bottle of drinking water with you.
How to get there
To get there by bus, ride for Sta. Cruz, Zambales (northermost town of Zambales) in any of the bus stations of Victory Liner (Caloocan, Cubao, Sampaloc or Pasay) and tell the conductor to drop you off at either Potipot Gateway Resort in Candelaria Zambales or Dawal Beach Resort. We always choose Dawal as we already know the place is clean and the employees are great. Travel time by bus is from 4 and 1/2 hours via SCTEX at night-time (11PM departure from the bus station) to around six hours at daytime, depending on the traffic conditions.
By car, you can drive through NLEX and then continue on to the Mabalacat Exit and to SCTEX. Exit at Subic and find you way to the Kalaklan Gate. Exit Kalaklan Gate and turn left right after the bridge to head for Zambales. Follow the main highway northwards until you pass by Subic, Castillejos, San Marcelino, San Narciso, San Antonio, Cabangan, Botolan, Iba (the province's capital), Paluig, Masinloc and, finally, Calendaria's town center. After that it will be a few kilometers before you see signs of the two resorts. You'll encounter Potipot Gateway first and then after a few kilometers you will see a sign pointing to Dawal beach resort.
To the left of the highway is a small street towards Dawal, with tricycles parked at the side of the road. Go inside through that small street. Parking for buses and big cars are at the right side. If you are bringing a car, park inside the Dawal premises (several meters at the left side of the street) and look for their front desk. If you traveled by bus, just cross the street and walk towards Dawal or ride a trike if you have lots of baggage.
Potipot Island is closer from Dawal Beach Resort which means you can see it better from the beach front of the resort. In the afternoon, the sun sets approximately to the left of Potipot Island from Dawal's viewpoint so it is a nice photo opportunity. If you are not planning on staying at the island, you can book a room in Dawal. Book in advance during peak season and holidays.
If you are there for a quick one-day tour of the island, just go straight to Dawal's front desk and ask the lady for a boat transfer to the island. At the time of this writing, a boat ride is PhP600.00 for a maximum of six persons. Travel from Dawal to the island is only about ten minutes.
Free parking and use of the resort's bathrooms (if you need to take a bath or change clothes after swimming at the island) go with that six hundred. Proceed to the beach front of Dawal and head for the hut at the left side where the boats are. Present your stub to the boatmen and start your adventure.
Here's a shot of the island from above, via Google Map's satellite view. This is, obviously, an old shot as there are a lot of changes to the island, especially the number of trees. I want to show here where the boat will dock to drop you off, the side where the waves are almost non-existent so it's the best pick for swimming, and the top view of a private tree house that's always a good place for a photo session. This also shows you how small the island is, so that you can walk around it in less than an hour.
The boat will drop you off at the east side of the island, the one facing Dawal Resort. The ride is usually uneventful as the water is calm, unless it is storm season. You'll immediately see that the sand is sort of dirty white with a tinge of light-brown. Someone from the island will approach you and get your payment for entrance to the island. Last time we went there the entrance fee is PhP50.00 per person.
Here is a nice view of the drop off area from under a Camachile tree (Guamachil/Manila Tamarind) where we stayed.
Head off to your right, along the beach, towards the east side of the island. This side is the best part of the island for swimming. The rest of the island has big pebbles and underwater rock formations which, while not good for swimming because of the sharp coral, is ideal for snorkeling. A few meters inland, the cottages are tucked among the big trees of the island.
The tables under the little trees just off the beach are free for the taking. You can stay there as long as you like. If you brought a tent, you can put it up somewhere in the middle of the island. If you are staying overnight, you either use a tent or pay for a cottage/hut. I checked one of the cottages and it doesn't have its own comfort room and bathroom, so please be aware that this might be true for all the cottages in the island. If you are there on a busy day and you cannot find a table, it is also okay to just drop your stuff along the beach but always be mindful of your valuables. Now start enjoying the beach and the scenery.
The picture above shows the northeast side of the island. Notice how the sand slopes up to the trees where the cottahes and picnic tables are. Twice as many as the people shown can be on the island especially on summer weekends and holidays. if you'd like to have the island on your own, visit on a weekday. You'll even get special attention from the resort employees and the boat captains because you'll be their only customer. BTW, notice that dark water behind the people in the water? The swim area suddenly drops to more than 10 feet starting from there. So if you're not a good swimmer, stay close to the shore or watch the kids so they won't wander too far out from the shore.
There goes that steep drop again a few feet off the shore. We'll maybe it's time to explore the whole island. Start walking.
Head north and then west, going to the "back" side of the island, the one facing the West Philippine Sea. Miles out there, somewhere, is the famous Scarborough Shoal. But you cannot see it as it is too far for the naked eye. That is the direction the fisherfolk of Masinloc takes whenever they go out to catch fish for a living. If the tide is low, you might be able to see some artificial rock formations which could easily be surmised as the remains of a small dock or port. The first time that we went there, I also saw a really huge old tree that has fallen to the water. You might be able to find a great angle for a nice photo.
Walk on just a bit more and you will find yourself back to the drop off area. Head inland towards the center of the island and you will find a treehouse perched high up a tall oold tree. The door on the stairs is locked but it's a mystery who uses it. Some say the governor of Zambales owns it; and the island, too. Here are a couple more pictures.
Well that's it for your Potipot island adventure. I hope you enjoyed it. Potipot island is a really good choice even for a day-trip as it is just hours away from Manila. And you can travel on a midnight trip and get there early in the morning with lots of time to spend in the island. Be sure to be at the highway at 6PM for you to catch the last bus trip of the day heading back for Manila. If you are staying on the island, be sure to visit Masinloc's public market for water and other supplies, and fresh fish that you can grill in the island.
Thanks for reading this page. If you have any questions or want anything about Potipot Island discussed in this page, let me know through the comments section and I'll be happy to answer it. I am not connected to any travel company or anything commercial of nature regarding Zambales, but if you want help with your visit to Potipot Island, just let me know so i can give you some personal advice. Thanks for visiting my blog.
