Clark Freeport Zone (or simply Clark) in Pampanga is a former U.S. airbase in the Philippines that has been redeveloped into a modern industrial area. These days, it’s known as a center for leisure, fitness, entertainment, and gaming in Central Luzon. Clark is home to several family-friendly theme parks, casinos, and the Clark International Airport, a major airport near Manila.
For cyclists, Clark offers a great, bike-friendly destination near Manila. Since the pandemic hit, a lot of improvements have been made to appeal to cyclists and leisure bikers. Aside from the large open spaces and greenery and natural canopies provided by trees in the whole area complex, there’s a very good network of freshly painted bike paths, safety signages for bikers, and facilities to host cycling festivals and events.
From Clark, you can easily bike to Angeles City in Pampanga through secure bike lanes and cross over to other towns in Tarlac. Access roads are being built connecting the old Clark to New Clark City, a planned community currently undergoing development, located in the towns of Bamban and Capas in Tarlac through the new Sacobia Bridge.
As part of our weekend biking adventures last February 2023, Art and I spent 2 nights in a hotel in Clark for a leisurely bike vacation/sightseeing trip. A lot of sports events have returned and bikers are always looking for new destinations to explore, so I’m sharing some tips on the possible routes and landmarks that may be of interest to bikers in and near Clark.
Where exactly is Clark?
The Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone refers to an area in Central Luzon, Philippines. It covers portions of the cities of Angeles and Mabalacat and portions of the town of Porac while parts of the area in Tarlac include portions of the towns of Capas and Bamban, Tarlac.
How to get to Clark from Manila
The fastest way to get to Clark from Manila is by car. The drive takes about 1.5 to 2 hours depending on the traffic. Take the North Luzon Expressway and exit at Dau, Mabalacat, Pampanga. Make a left turn toward Angeles City and then a right turn toward Clark. Clark may also be reached via the new Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX).
For bikers who want a comfortable way to get to Clark but don’t have a car to bring their bikes, you can make use of the Point to Point (P2P) bus that has regular routes from NAIA T3 and Trinoma/SM North to the New Clark Airport via SM Clark.
The good thing about taking the bus is that you can just sleep on the way there and back and start biking in the good parts instead of having to bike all the way. The fare is just P280 per person, and the buses leave on schedule, without making other stops like regular buses. There’s no cargo fee to bring bikes in the bus compartments. We easily brought 2 bikes from Trinoma without having to reserve tickets or make pre-arrangements. Travel time is about 2 hours.
Here’s the Updated P2P Clark Trip schedule as of February 2023.
Top sights and things to do in and near Clark
- Food-tripping in Pampanga
- Puning Hot Spring and Volcanic Sand Spa
- Puning 4 x 4 Offroad Adventure
- Clark Parade Grounds
- Dinosaurs Island
- Fontana Leisure Parks
- Aqua Planet Waterpark
- Zoocobia Fun Zoo
- Mimosa Golf Course and Country Club
- Deca Wakepark Clark
- Pamintuan Mansion
- Holy Rosary Parish Church
- Angeles Museum
- Mount Pinatubo
Our bike itinerary
Day 1 (Friday): We took the 1:00 pm bus on a Friday and got to Clark at 3:00 pm just in time for check-in at the hotel. After settling in, we just took it easy at the hotel for a while.
Art had to finish some work in the afternoon at the hotel, so I just rode around to look for merienda and hunted down the Abandoned Clark Hospital.
We met up in the evening for dinner and drinks at Cycles & Brew, a bike shop that serves coffee and beer located at the Clark Parade Grounds.
TIP: Clark is known for its 18-km small and big cycling loops. For road bikers, the whole area offers a good training ground because the route is relatively flat, there are clear designated bike lanes all around the complex, and the scenery is good.
Day 2 (Saturday): We didn’t really have a plan where to ride, so we just followed the bike lanes and roads. From Clark, we crossed the old Sacobia Bridge which leads to Tarlac.
From the old bridge, we spotted the new Sacobia Bridge which connects New Clark City (NCC) to the Clark Freeport Zone. The new bridge has two bike lanes and sidewalks.
While biking through the quiet and unassuming rural roads, we saw a marker that pointed to Goshen Resort, which we decided to check out. Goshen Resort is a campsite ground and photo park/resort with architecture inspired by ancient Rome. Accessible via small dirt roads, you wouldn’t expect to find something like this here.
The 10-hectare resort in the hillside lets visitors experience a taste of Rome on a budget. It’s got everything – marble columns, statues of Spartans, a replica of the thrones from Game of Thrones, and made-for-Instagram photos spots. Aside from being a themed place for people to take selfies, the resort also has swimming pools and a few hotel rooms for those who want to check in.
For bikers just passing through, a quick visit and few photo stops will suffice. There’s also a small restaurant inside the premises serving ramen if you’re feeling hungry.
We followed the highway crossing Bamban Bridge leading to Mabalacat. There were a lot more vehicles on this road, and traffic was bad, so we turned right as soon as we could on Gil Puyat Avenue to get back to Clark. You can still spot some abandoned military structures along the road from when the area was still an air base.
On the way back we passed by the entrance to Clark Land (Dinosaurs Island), an animatronic theme park and museum designed to offer visitors a unique interactive learning experience of dinosaurs. You can also visit Insectlandia nearby.
There’s also the El Kabayo Riding Stables, where kids can try horseback riding. Bikers might be more interested in the Wild West themed restaurants and coffee shops nearby, including El Kabayo Coffee and Amante Steaks and Ribs.
We decided to just have lunch near Clark Parade Grounds instead, since there are more options there. We settled on Matam-ih for authentic Kapampangan Cuisine, then went back to the hotel to rest when it got too hot.
Later that night, we went on a night ride to Mayari, a new restaurant in Angeles City that serves craft beer. The restaurant is about 11km away from Clark.
I was amazed by the quality of the bike lanes that stretched from Clark all the way to SM Clark. The inner roads of Angeles City felt a bit too much like Manila streets because of the traffic and people. Total distance for day 3 was about 57.65 km.
Day 3 (Sunday): After breakfast, we decided to check out the Haduan Hanging Bridge. This is a hidden attraction inside Clarkfield, Pampanga that will appeal to bikers.
This hanging bridge leading to a small community is accessible via a short stretch of dirt road from the back roads near Aqua Planet. If you’re using a road bike or folding bike, you may have a hard time biking in some portions and may have to walk because the sand is very slippery.
The terrain is more suitable for gravel bikes and mountain bikes. There’s a very steep downhill stretch going down to the bridge, from where you can get a view of the 4 x 4 cars and off roaders.
We also took a closer look at the Abandoned Clark hospital. The remains of this abandoned air force hospital that has a reputation of being one of the most haunted places in the Philippines and Asia.
This hospital was used during WW2 and the Vietnam War, but now lays unused despite the presence of huge modern casinos and hotels just in the vicinity. If you’re a fan of horror movies and ghost hunting, you’ll want to check out this eerie spot. The main entrance of the hospital is cordoned off, but part of the new bike lane passes through the side of the hospital, so you can explore it a bit.
After checking out of the hotel, we grabbed a quick lunch at McDonald’s and made our way to the pickup point for the P2P bus headed back to Manila for the 1:00 pm trip.
TIP: There is only one stall outside to buy food at the Clark International Airport (selling hotdogs and some rice meals) and food is a bit expensive, so I suggest you eat elsewhere before taking the bus back.
All in all, the whole weekend was pretty chill biking vacation. The area offered a nice change of pace with its good bike lanes and unique dining options. I appreciated that the roads were mostly flat and paved and it’s easy enough to get to by bus without having to drive. If you’re scared of taking kids biking around Manila because of the road conditions, Clark offers a bike-friendly destination for families and newbie bikers.
Where to stay in Clark
For this trip, we stayed in Xenia Hotel, a Korean-owned business and leisure hotel. The hotel has a casino, swimming pool, and poolside barbecue area. We picked it mainly because it’s relatively near (about 10 minutes by car) the Clark International Airport, where the P2P bus makes stops.
The hotel provides bike-racks right in front of the lobby entrance. For additional security, be sure to bring bike locks. We booked their basic deluxe room for 2, but we were upgraded to a larger room with a living room for no extra charge. The room rate was P3,800/night for a Deluxe Twin Room, with buffet breakfast for 2 included when I booked via Agoda.
TIP: When inside Clark, you can ask the bus driver to drop you at a bus stop near your hotel, without having to go to the airport. The buses normally park in a corner near the old airport so you can hitch to get to the pick up point if you’re carrying a lot of stuff on the way back.
There are a other hotels in and around Clark catering to different types of travelers. Other options include:
- Hotel Stotsenburg
- Quest Plus Conference Center
- Midori Clark Hotel & Casino
- Hilton Clark Sun Valley Resort
- Widus Hotel and Casino
- Clark Marriot Hotel
- The Mansion
- Swissotel Clark
TIP: If you just want to bike around Clark without staying overnight, you could make use of the P2P bus and go back to Manila the same day.
Where to eat and drink in Clark
Since we were staying in a hotel in Clark, we just ate in nearby restos and availed of the hotel’s buffet breakfast, which was a mix of Korean and Filipino dishes. There are several places to eat near the Clark Parade Grounds including Aling Lucing, The Red Crab Seafood and Steaks, Wooden Table, Amante Ribs and Steak, Grill Seoul Korean BBQ, Paris City Cafe, and Cafe Dia, to name a few.
Cycles & Brew
Cycles & Brew is a bicycle shop, cafe, and brewery in one located right next to the Clark Parade Grounds. They serve Sunset Craft Beer with different variants including an IPA. They also serve pretty good appetizers, like calamares and burgers. Bike racks and parking available here. This is a must-visit in Clark for beer and bike lovers.
Matam-ih Authentic Kapampangan Cuisine
Matam-Ih is an al fresco restaurant serving authentic Kapampangan cuisine also located right next to the Clark Parade Grounds. “Matam-Ih” in the Aeta dialect means delicious. Specialties here include tawilis, pritong hito, mustasa at buro (fried catfish with fresh mustard leaves and fermented rice) and adobong babi (pork adobo). They also serve exotic fare like adobong camaru (fried mole crickets) and betute tugak (fried stuffed native frog). Good drinks like Kamias and Tamarind shakes.
El Kabayo Coffee
El Kabayo Coffee is a Wild West-inspired cafe located in front of the El Kabayo Horseback Riding stables. Since the bike lane passes right in front of the cafe, it’s a good pit stop if you want to sit down and grab a cup of coffee while biking around Clark. Bike racks are available here.
G Mart
G Mart is a Korean grocery store inside Clark that is open 24/7. In case you want light snacks or drinks to take back to your hotel room, you can find a good selection of instant noodles, chips, beer, and soju here. There are also a couple of Duty Free Shops inside Clark, though some are very run down or have closed permanently.
Mayari (Angeles City)
Mayari along Ventura Street in Angeles City is a new restaurant that specializes in local craft beer from Ventura Brewing, cocktails, and comfort food.
The resto is located in a 1950s ancestral house, and has some cool custom bikes on display. While drinking here, you can also order from the Tiger Tacos stall in the al fresco area. We tried the Chipotle Chicken Rice and beers from guest brewers Boondocks and Oros.
These are just a few dining options we checked out on our recent Feb 2023 visit. Pampanga is a very popular destination for foodies, with many local restaurants in Angeles City and other towns.
For a more complete food guide, check out my separate post: Food Trip: Pampanga.
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as a cyclist, I really appreciate this kind of blog/guide. looking forward to my Pampanga ride! 🙂 (good thing my lola has their house and lot pa there, I can rest peacefully after my bike ride hehe)
Thanks, Jazz. I appreciate the comment!