Potipot Island: How To Get There From Manila

Who wants to explore a little island that has crystal clear water and a long stretch of white sand beach sans the crowd? If you're up for it, then read on!

Potipot, a small island paradise in Uacon, Candelaria, Zambales, is included in my long list of favorite beaches in the Philippines. Although it doesn't rival the powdery white sand beaches of Boracay, Palawan, Surigao, or Bohol, what I like most about Potipot Island is the size of it. It is too small, you can walk around it in less than 30 minutes.

How to Get to Potipot Island

From Manila (and vice versa):

Via Public Transportation (Bus):

From Victory Liner Terminal in Caloocan, take the bus going to Sta.Cruz, Zambales. The ticket fare to Sta. Cruz costs 451 pesos (9.50$) but if you tell at the ticket booth you’re going to Candelaria, I think you’ll save up around 10 or 20 pesos. The entire trip, including some stopovers, takes about 6 hours.

Tell the conductor that you'll alight at Dawal Beach Resort in Candelaria. As soon as you get down the bus, you can head straight to Dawal Beach Resort or other neighboring resorts and hire a boat to Potipot.

Via Car:

From Metro Manila, you need to take the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX). There are two route options to choose from. If you want to save money on toll fees, you can take the San Fernando exit then pass through the Olongapo-Gapan Road. This one, however, is a slower route.

A much faster, but more expensive option is to take the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) all the way to Tipo Exit then pass through Subic and the national highway to Zambales. On the way to Candelaria, you will pass by the following towns (in chronological order): Castillejos, San Marcelino, San Narciso, San Felipe, Cabangan, Botolan, Iba, Palauig and Masinloc. Use the GoogleMaps to get track of the right direction.

Departure:

From Dawal Beach Resort, you can take a jeep going to Sta.Cruz which takes around 15 to 20 minutes. You can tell the driver that you'll be going down the Victory Liner Terminal.