Bataan is a historical province and also known for its Mt. Samat National Shrine as a major tourist destination in the province. Playa la Caleta, Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar and Camaya Coast were the three beautiful destinations in Bataan that I have proudly visited. There are a lot of beautiful places to visit in this province and Mariveles is one of them. Mariveles is a first class municipality and is located at the southern tip of the Bataan Peninsula.
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| Mariveles Municipal Hall |
I have no idea how uniquely charming this town is until I met Rustan on social media. Rustan is a travel blogger. I have noticed his regular posts about his hometown so I got curious and wanted to visit the places he posted on his social media account. Luckily, he invited me to join a tree-planting activity initiated by the local government unit of Bataan but I decline because the call time of the event is too early. I wast not able to attend the event but I promised him to visit Mariveles on the same date.
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| Baywalk. |
As promised, I visited Mariveles. I took Genesis Bus in Pasay City and arrived in town after a 4-hour ride. While waiting for my friend, I strolled the beautiful town. I visited their municipal hall, bay walk and their parish church, St. Nicholas Tolentino Parish Church. The 1729 parish church belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Balanga. Apo Kulas, the Patron Saint of Mariveles, arrived in the town through the Orders of Augustinian Recoletos Missionaries.
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| St. Nicholas Tolentino Parish Church |
I was very glad to meet Rustan. We had a great conversation and we were able to share our travel experiences to each other. I was honored to know that he is the person behind Bataan Weather Page. According to him, the page is already making waves in Bataan. I was able to validate the news when I searched the page on FB. Indeed, it is an active FB Page with a thousand of followers.
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| Elong's Hapag Kainan |
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| Bulalo for Breakfast! |
We woke up early morning to visit other places in Mariveles. I feel grateful that I was able to gain friend who is also into traveling. I requested him for a lutong-bahay restaurant for breakfast and without hesitation he took me to Elong's Hapag Kainan. The restaurant offers varieties of Filipino foods from appetizers, main dish and desserts. The food is great and worth the price. I also love their interiors.
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| San Miguel Peak on the background. |
After our breakfast, we took a tricycle ride to Brgy. Sisiman. Sisiman Bay is well known for local tourists. It is a public beach where bamboo cottages can be rented by picnic goers.
San Miguel Peak is a landmark in Sisiman Bay. It is an ultimate rock mountain that stands 700+ feet high and can be reached thru trekking for about 30 minutes. The panoramic view of the entire Sisiman Bay can be greatly seen at the summit. For those people who are looking for adrenaline-rush adventure, San Miguel Peak can be a great playground for rock climbing and rappelling.
Adjacent to the peak is a small hill which offers a greater view of the San Miguel Peak. The hill can be trek for about 20 minutes. On the way up, there is a grotto built on the hill and a steel cross on the hilltop. This hill might be well-visited by pilgrims during holy week season. We took time to rest on top of the hill while enjoying the view and the cool fresh air.
I must say that my visit in Mariveles even just for a weekend is very memorable. You may want to consider visiting this town for an adventure you will remember. Mariveles has its own unique charm to capture everyone's heart. I will definitely visit this place once in a while.
