Zambales is probably one of the most popular weekend destination for those who just wanted to have a quick beach trip over their weekend off. For about three to four hour drive away from Manila, you can enjoy their beautiful beaches, coves, and even campsites.
I’ve been to Zambales couple of times before and by this time, I finally got the chance to visit the famous Liwliwa! Located in the silent town of San Felipe, a lot of beautiful resorts perfect for chilling and relaxations can now be found in Liwliwa. Aside from resorts, a lot of restaurants, cafes and bars by the beach can be spotted in this paradise that I would like to compare the place and vibe somehow to the San Juan beach area of La Union (only with less people). Other activities you can enjoy here are surfing and ATV riding. On this blog, I would share places to stay and eat in Liwliwa that you can use as reference on your next visit.
How to go to Liwliwa, Zambales?
Ride a bus (from Cubao, Pasay or Caloocan) bound to Iba or Sta. Cruz, Zambales. These buses will pass through the town of San Felipe. Just tell the driver to drop you off in San Felipe, upon reaching San Felipe take a tricycle that will take you directly to Sitio Liwliwa. Just tell the driver your resort name so they can directly take you there.
If you will not be able to catch a bus bound to either Iba or Sta. Cruz, you can take a bus bound to Olongapo. From Olongapo take another bus going to Sta. Cruz or Iba and just tell the driver to drop you off in San Felipe. From there, take a tricycle that will take you directly on your resort in Liwliwa.
In our case, we took a bus from Victory Liner Cubao to San Felipe for P530 and tricycle ride from San Felipe town proper to Liwliwa costs us P40 each.
Where to Stay in Liwliwa?
I had a hard time looking for accommodation during our stay because first, there’s a lot of instagrammable resorts to choose from and second, resorts are almost fully booked given that our visit was on a weekend. Luckily, we were able to book at The Fishers
- The Fishers (Fishers by the Sea)
The Fishers claims to have the first A-frame huts in Liwliwa. The resort is just a few minute walk to the beach. Each A-frame huts costs Php 3000 for fan rooms while Php 3500 for AC rooms good for 3 pax. You’ll have the whole hut by your group, you need to take a few steps of stairs to get into the main room and you’ll have tables, chairs and hammock just down below it if you want to chill and rest outside. Each room also includes own comfort room located just across the huts. The place is clean, well-maintained, peaceful while owners and caretakers are friendly.
Facebook page here.
- Kwentong Dagat
Definitely one of the most famous and trending resort in Liwliwa. With its popularity, it’s always fully-booked especially on the weekends. The resort highlights IG-worthy cabins and serves vegan meals.
Facebook page here.
- Gasera de Liwliwa
Another place I wanted to book but already fully-booked during our target date. I love their room concepts as their name suggests, “gasera” means a traditional lamp used when there is still no electricity. The resort has villas that resembles a lamp and also offers tepee huts and tent accommodations.
Facebook page here.
- Zambali Woods
A Bali-themed resort in Liwliwa that offers villa accommodations for 4 up to 8 pax. Overnight stay in each villa will costs Php 4000 up to Php 8000.
Facebook page here.
- Kapitan’s Liwa Beach Resort
This resort offers various choices of accommodation based on your budget. What I love about this resort is they have their own restaurant and cafes that serves variety of foods. They also have common areas in the resort where visitors can chill, have a drink and mingle with friends and strangers.
Facebook page here.
Where to Eat in Liwliwa?
- Board Culture Liw-Liwa
Aside from being a resort, they also offer sumptuous meals. Though their menu does not offer much variety and a bit pricey compare to other restaus but rest assured, each food on their menu is delicately-cooked and prepared using imported seasonings/ingredients that makes each bite worthy of its price. From steaks, wagyu, pastas, burgers and inasal, each bite will melt in your mouth. They also offer imported drinks and you can enjoy playing board games and billiards while waiting for your food. We also got a chance to chat with the owner and he is very accommodating, a plus points for our overall experience.
- Taco Joint
Located inside the Board Culture Liw-Liwa compound is this authentic Mexican Taqueria. Definitely a go-to place to eat and unwind as it settles few walks away from the beach. Satisfy your cravings for Mexican food with their tacos and quesadillas. Also, right across this taqueria is a bar where you can grab a bottle of drinks or beer. A perfect combo to chill the day out.
- Mommy Phoebe’s Place
I would say it is the most affordable food hub in Liwliwa. The place has this “karinderya” concept but offers a lot of freshly cooked food choices. They also serve fresh fruit smoothies in an affordable price, definitely a must have when you dine with Mommy Phoebe’s.
- Kapitan’s Liwa
This place aside from being a resort, also houses their very own Kapitan’s Liwa restaurant and Sestra’s Café. The restaurant offers various Filipino meals and even a bowl of ramen! If you want to take a sip of coffee (hot or cold) you can also order from Sestra Café located on the same compound. A cozy place to eat and relax at the same time.
Have you been to Liwliwa before? Share your experiences below!
Hello, thanks for sharing! Just wanted to ask, did you take the bus going back to Manila? Is there a bus station near San Felipe? Thanks in advance!
There’s a bus stop in San Felipe but it’s hard to catch a bus na pabalik ng Manila. Instead, we took a bus bound to Olongapo, then took another bus in Victory Liner terminal bound to Manila.