Stand at the roundabout on Rizal Avenue and you are already looking at the story of the city: a chieftain's head cast in metal, set in the middle of the traffic, marking the name Olongapo itself. A short walk away, Waterfront Road runs along the bay with a row of free monuments and a park where residents jog and picnic in the early evening.
Olongapo suits travellers who want naval and wartime history without a formal museum visit, and divers who want wreck sites within a short boat ride of the shore. It also works for families, with a beachside floaty park and a picnic park on the highway. This guide covers the sights and experiences the sources describe, and strings the best of them into a single day.
Top things to do in Olongapo
1. Spanish Gate
On Sampson Road, the old Spanish Gate is the remnant of the naval installation established by the Spanish colonial authorities in 1885. Two cannons straddle the gate as a reminder of its military past, and two markers on either side give information about its origin.
It is open 24 hours, with no special permission needed, and it is free. Combine it with the other Subic Bay Freeport Zone sites, since it sits in the same area as the waterfront monuments.
2. Scuba diving in Subic Bay
Subic Bay offers some of the world's best shipwrecks, all within recreational diving depths, as well as coral and artificial reefs. Unlike other wreck diving locations where you ride for hours to a site, most Subic Bay dive sites are a quick 15 minutes from the dive centres, and the sheltered waters allow calm year-round diving except in the strongest typhoons.
There are more than ten full-time dive operators in the bay area, serving agencies including PADI, SSI, ANDI, PSAI, BSAC and DSAT, with entry-level and specialist wreck training. Named wrecks include El Capitan, the Landing Craft Utility (LCU), the Landing Ship Tank (LST), Oryoku Maru, the Patrol Boat, San Quentin and USS New York. Two operators named in the sources are Boardwalk Divers, at the free port, and Scuba Tech Philippines, which runs trips from a dive boat based in Subic Freeport Zone with hotel pick-up and drop-off included.
3. Ulo ng Apo Monument
A monument of a head of a chieftain in the middle of a roundabout on Rizal Avenue. According to local folklore, the area was once ruled by a benevolent chieftain known as "Apo" who was beheaded by rival tribes, and the monument features the namesake of Olongapo, from the phrase "Ulo ng Apo" or Apo's head.
It is a quick stop rather than a long visit, so pair it with a walk along Rizal Avenue or continue on to the waterfront.
4. Waterfront Park
On Waterfront Road, this park is open 24 hours and free. It is used for a morning or evening walk, jog, bike ride, picnic, or a game of frisbee or badminton.
Go in the morning or evening when the heat is off the bay. It sits on the same road as several of the city's monuments, so you can see them in one pass.
5. Hellships Memorial
On Waterfront Road, open 24 hours and free. The memorial is a place to read about its history, and the sources note it does a great job conveying that history.
Allow time to read the panels rather than just photographing the structure. It is a short walk from the other Waterfront Road monuments.
6. The Hands that Freed the Nation
On Waterfront Road, open 24 hours and free. This historic monument commemorates the Magnificent 12 Senators of the Republic of the Philippines who stood up and said "no" to the military bases in Olongapo and ended the foreign military presence in the country.
Visit it as part of the same waterfront walk as the Hellships Memorial and Children of the Sun Returning.
7. Children of the Sun Returning
On Waterfront Road, open 24 hours and free. It symbolises how volunteers saved Subic Bay from the Mount Pinatubo eruption, transforming the former Navy Base.
It completes the trio of monuments on Waterfront Road, so see all three in one outing.
8. Marikit Park
In East Tapinac, beside SM City Olongapo Central. At its entrance is a concrete mural or relief dedicated to Filipino workers, and a model of a RA-5 Vigilante aircraft. The park also has a children's playground.
It is an easy add-on to a shopping stop at the adjacent mall, and the playground makes it a sensible break if you are travelling with children.
9. The Dove Monument
On Jose Abad Santos Avenue in New Cabalan, this historical landmark is open 24 hours and free.
Because it is free and always open, it fits at either end of a day. Note that it sits in New Cabalan rather than the waterfront area, so plan it as a separate stop.
10. Bat Stop II
On Zambales Highway, this is a hotspot for seeing bats. The best time to visit is sunset.
Time your arrival for the last hour of daylight, since the bats are the reason to come and the source names sunset as the best time.
11. Fort Wint
On Grande Island, these are the ruins of an American fort. Reaching it means a trip out to the island, so treat it as a half-day rather than a quick stop.
If you are diving, note that the wreck San Quentin lies at the entrance to the bay alongside Grande Island, which makes the island a natural pairing with a dive day.
12. Magellan's Landing Museum
On Argonaut Highway, with a contact number listed as +63 47 252 2230. It is the one indoor museum collection named in the sources.
Call ahead using the listed number before making the trip, since the source does not give opening hours.
13. Port Of Subic Bay
On Waterfront Road, marked by a sign. It is a viewpoint and orientation point rather than an attraction in itself.
Fold it into your Waterfront Road walk rather than making a separate journey.
14. Volunteers Park
On Saint Columban Street, open 24 hours and free.
Like the other free open spaces, it works best as a morning or late-afternoon stop.
15. SFEX Twin Tunnels
On N Luzon W Expy in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Bataan, open 24 hours and free. The draw is the forest and mountain green views along the way.
It is a drive-through experience, so include it when you are already travelling that route rather than as a destination on its own.
16. Inflatable Island
On Olongapo-Bugallon Rd in Kalaklan, open 08:00 to 18:00 daily, with a contact number of +63 917 835 2665. It is a beachside amusement park dealing with just about every floaty imaginable, including unicorns, castles and dragons.
Go during the posted daytime hours and bring a change of clothes. It suits families and groups more than solo travellers.
17. JEST Camp (Jungle Environment Survival Training Camp)
At Upper Mau, Cubi-Triboa, in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, with a contact number of +63 917-796-4668 and email contact@jestcamp.com. The camp offers jungle survival training, teaching you how to survive the harsh jungle environment through the courses it offers.
Book ahead by phone or email, since the courses are the reason to go and the source gives no drop-in hours.
18. Subic International Golf Club
At 6900 Binictican Drive, open 6:30AM to 8PM.
The posted hours make an early tee time or a late-afternoon round both workable.
19. Malawaan Picnic Park
On Argonaut Highway, and free. It is a picnic stop rather than a sight with exhibits.
Bring your own food and combine it with a drive along Argonaut Highway, which also passes Magellan's Landing Museum.
20. Subic Bay Yacht Cruise and Rentals
Open 24 hours. This is a way to see the bay from the water rather than from the shore.
Pair it with a waterfront walk so you see the monuments before or after your time on the bay.
21. Subic Fun Land
At Km 133, Baloy Long Beach Road, located in The Cliff Seagrapes Royale Subic, open 8AM to 6PM.
It sits on Baloy Long Beach Road, so it pairs naturally with a beach day in the same area.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at the Ulo ng Apo Monument on Rizal Avenue, then walk the Waterfront Road monuments while the air is still cool: the Hellships Memorial, The Hands that Freed the Nation, Children of the Sun Returning, and Port Of Subic Bay. Finish the morning at Waterfront Park, and if you have time, continue to the Spanish Gate on Sampson Road.
Afternoon. Have lunch, then choose one anchor for the afternoon. If you dive, join a Subic Bay wreck trip, since most sites are a short boat ride from the dive centres. If you would rather stay on land, take in Marikit Park beside SM City Olongapo Central, then drive to The Dove Monument in New Cabalan.
Evening. Head to Bat Stop II on Zambales Highway for sunset, when the bats are the reason to be there. Close the day with a walk at Waterfront Park, or at Volunteers Park on Saint Columban Street, both of which are open 24 hours and free.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need permission or a ticket to see the Spanish Gate?
No. The Spanish Gate is open 24 hours, can be visited with no special permission needed, and is free.
When is the best time to see the bats?
Sunset. Bat Stop II on Zambales Highway is a hotspot for seeing bats, and the best time to visit is sunset.
Can I dive Subic Bay without long boat rides?
Yes. The majority of Subic Bay dive sites are a quick 15 minutes from the dive centres, and the sheltered waters allow calm year-round diving except in the strongest typhoons.
Which monuments are free and open at any hour?
The Hellships Memorial, The Hands that Freed the Nation, Children of the Sun Returning, The Dove Monument, Waterfront Park, Volunteers Park and the SFEX Twin Tunnels are all listed as open 24 hours and free.
Decide whether your trip is built around the wrecks or the waterfront monuments, then start mapping the stops above into your days.