Stoked on Crystal: Most Popular Surfing Point in Zambales

Posted by alexandra on Friday, 07.03.2009 03:47 PM

Tags: crystal beach resort, crystal beach, beach, resort, surfing, outdoors, zambales, san narciso, san felipe, travel, philippines

Considering how the Philippines is synonymous to gorgeous beaches and there's always a major body of water in less than an hour's drive anywhere, it's surprising that the country has little known surfing options. I consider myself a certified beach veteran (beach-hopping an average of 6-8 unique beaches in a year), but I've never really surfed until I came to Crystal Beach Resort in Zambales.

While I could've gone to a more popular surfing destination (and I was really hell-bent on surfing, because I wanted to spend my first quarter doing something I've never tried before) such as La Union or Siargao, I opted for Zambales because it was the nearest.  Zambales offers one of the most accessible getaways from Manila aside from Batangas and Tagaytay. With only 3-4 hours travel by private vehicle and the newly-constructed NLEX and SBMA roads helping matters, it's proving to be a much more enticing day trip nowadays than it used to be.

Crystal Beach seems to be the most popular stop for surfers in Zambales. When we went there, everyone, even people who were obviously not locals, were on first-name basis with the staff, instructors and other surfers. It wasn't very crowded at the time, as it wasn't peak season, but I felt very much the newbie and an outsider. Fortunately, this didn't go on for long. It's hard not to like people here as they will greet anyone with ready smiles and almost always with a simple chat—something I don't normally engage in other tourist spots.

You can practice on the Indo board

Take note that everyone who drops by the Crystal Beach Resort is there to surf, not just to hang out or relax in style. Do not be expecting gourmet food or hotel reservations--this is only for the gung-ho and adventurous!  That said, Crystal Beach is a pretty laidback place. The area is wide and spacious, the accommodations fairly simple. The rates range from P300-P5,000 and of course, sharing rooms will cut down the price. If you want to go cheaper, you can always camp out, and there's definitely a lot of space for that. Just watch out for the critters because I gleefully broke quite a number of frog and toad club night meetings during my stay.

Some of the rooms have air-conditioning, but they don't have hot water. There is free breakfast for all cottage users, though, so don't forget to inquire about that when you make your reservations. I forgot about it when I went there, and apparently so did they—I didn't make a fuss about it anymore, though, as I was on the last leg of my vegan diet anyway and couldn't have eaten it (for more information on that piece of insanity in my life, refer to vegan).

Before getting to Crystal Beach, I was under the impression that you surf just in front of the resort. I did spy huge waves crashing on the shore upon arriving. It might have been the timing (I went there early June; I was told that peak season was July-August, and then most of the -ber months), but apparently the waves I saw weren't ideal. Anyway, when I went up to the front desk about surfing lessons, I was told that we were to go to San Felipe (the next town), and that the instructors and boards were there. We could bring our own car, but we opted not to, and instead hopped on a trike to the tune of P200/two-way trip. (I know that may sound steep, but trust me. I doubted for a moment back there if I were still in Zambales).

Beginners can enjoy a range of breaks suited to their skill level, so there's a lot of them here. The more experienced ones may have to be on the watch for more favorable weather conditions and consistent waves for a challenge. They make up the majority of visitors here, so I assume they do manage to get their fix.

Board rentals go for P200 an hour, and so is instruction. If you rent the board for 4 hours, you can get it for just P400 and for 8 hours, P800. Now you may want to make the most of your day, but after 2 hours, I felt completely wiped out. It'll be wise to test your limits first! Otherwise, surfing seems to be no rocket science especially when you hear it straight from instructors Ronnie and Virgel. They'll be giving you basic guides and tips for your first surfing experience for about 30 minutes, and the rest will be spent for play. You don't really need a life vest, since the surfboards will act as one. You don't really need to be super fit, either, as anyone of any size can balance a board so long as s/he can easily carry his/her weight. Arm strength is definitely important as it will determine how quick you can pop-up on your board and ride the waves.

And please, leave all valuables; keep them away from the waves! Trust me. I learned the hard way.

No, not even your waterproof camera.  Save the picture-taking for someone who's not going into the water.  Virgel even swears that one time he snorkeled in the waters, there were plenty of cellphones down there from people who were apparently not the brightest tool in the shed.

Even your underwear is in peril, so if you consider your dignity valuable, then yes, tie everything securely.

How to get there:

By bus: Take any Victory Liner bus (terminals are found in Pasay, Cubao and Caloocan City). Will take you about 4-5 hours.

By private vehicle: Take San Fernando exit in NLEX and follow road signs to Olongapo. Then take the SBMA road so the traffic is lighter. From there, follow all road signs to Subic/Zambales and then look for Kalaklan gate. Once you exit through that gate, crossing the bridge, you should be turning left. You will pass through towns Subic, Castillejos and San Marcelino. Once you get to the end of San Marcelino, you can take a shortcut road to bypass San Antonio and straight to San Narciso. The shortcut road is pretty prominent, so there's little chance to miss it. Otherwise, you can pass through San Antonio anyway, you're not far from San Narciso. Everyone in town knows where Crystal Beach Resort is, so just follow the signs from there

Instructors from Crystal Beach

Ronnie Rivera (head instructor) - 09236922096
Virgel – 09058198370

Crystal Beach:
+639228419004

Related links:

Crystal Beach - http://www.crystalbeachzambales.com/crystalbeach/index.htm
Zambales map - http://www.zambales.net.ph/map.htm

Tags: crystal beach resort, crystal beach, beach, resort, surfing, outdoors, zambales, san narciso, san felipe, travel, philippines

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