Zambales - Tourist Attractions

Tourist Attractions

Zambales has 173 kilometres (107 mi) of beaches, with coral reefs, dive spots, surfing areas, hotels and day-use beach huts. The province is approximately a 3 to 4 hour drive from Manila, depending on traffic.

• The "Fiesta Poon Bato" (literal translation is Feast of the Sacred Stone), held in January, is a religious festival that attracts over half a million people each year. The festival venerates Ina Poon Bato (literal translation is Mother of the Sacred Stone) also known as Nuestra Senora de la Paz y Buen Viaje (Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage), the oldest known image of the Virgin Mary in Asia. The Barrio of Poon Bato located in the Botolan that is host to the image and the fiesta, was completely destroyed during the 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption. The icon was saved and moved, along with the barrio inhabitants, to nearby Loob Bunga Resettlement Area.

• The "Mango Festival" is held in the provincial capital of Iba every April, and the "Domorokdok" (Sambal word for Dance) Festival is held each May in Botolan. These include street dancing, agricultural shows, competitions like sand castle building and "bikini open" beauty pageants.

• The Capones Island Lighthouse in Barrio Pundaquit, San Antonio, is home to a Spanish Light House built during the 1800s.