Posted by We are always curious in visiting Mariveles because of its shape and location when we look at the Philippine map. Mariveles has a lot of significance in Philippine history, economy and tourism. Since 1754, it has been the refilling stop for merchant ships from China and Spain before coming into Manila Bay. The Chinese pirate Li Ma Hong was recorded to have briefly stopped in Camaya (former name of Mariveles) for fresh water and supplies before proceeding to attack Manila. In the 1940’s, it was the American’s Naval Section Base and the starting point of the Bataan Death March. In the 1960’s, it was chosen to be the progressive freeport area of the Bataan Economic Zone. Some of its exports are designer bags and agricutural feeds. Recently, the local government unit of Mariveles vowed to boost as well Mariveles’ tourism and be more known to the world. Over this weekend, we finally took a bus from Balanga City which has buses going to Mariveles. The trip was only about 2 hours. Here are our Top 7 Things To Do in Mariveles, Bataan, Philippines!
1.) Staycation
Exploring Mariveles may take more than a day. It is recommendable to book a stay for some nights at The Oriental Bataan. Read our blog here. (Swipe below photo for more pictures)
2.) Food Trip
As Mariveles is near to the sea, you can always be sure that they always have fresh seafood. Most of the restaurants such as The Forest Grill, Cocoon Restaurant, and Cilantros Chinese Cuisine cooked them in a creative must-try menu. Read our blog here. (Swipe below photo for more pictures)
3.) Meet the People of Mariveles
With its 300 year of history and people exchange, Mariveles has interesting inhabitants who will make your stay welcoming and interesting. We met some of them on our commute or on our stay at The Oriental Bataan. (Swipe below photo for more pictures)
4.) Freeport Area of Bataan
Mariveles as a business hub is blessed with a lot of local and international investments ranging from factories of agricultural feeds, luxury bags, etc. In the 1960s, the Freeport Area of Bataan was established.
5.) 0 KM Death March Marker
Contrast to the vibrant city that it is today, Mariveles has been a horrifying image of distress and helplessness when it became the starting point of the Death March, a forced march of the prisoners of war in which they were left to die along the way. (Swipe below photo for more pictures)
6.) Explore Natural Landscapes
Despite the changes that happened over its almost 300 years existence as a town, it has maintained the beauty of its Natural Landscapes. It is endowed with white sand beaches, greeneries, coves, and rock formations. To mention one of the most visited are Five Fingers Cove, Sisiman Beach and Lusong Beach.
7.) FAB Central Terminal
We are amazed that FAB has a nice terminal of buses going to different cities of the Philippines such as Olongapo City, San Fernando City, Baguio City, Quezon City and Pasay City.
You may also watch our vlogs about Mariveles. Just navigate the subtitle option on our youtube channel for better understanding.