Camaya Coast (is a popular beach and the name of the surrounding 300-hectare suburb in Mariveles, Bataan, Philippines. Camaya Coast is located 7 kilometers west of the Bataan Export Processing Zone business district, in the local government area of Mariveles, Bataan, the Philippines. In early 2010s Property developer Earth &

Shore Leisure Communities Corporation invested some 350 Million Pesos in developing the beach resort and

 residential community along the coastline of Wain. Hence, Camaya Coast also refers to the 354-hectare residential, commercial and community development project of Earth and Shore Leisure Communities Corporation.

HISTORY

Camaya" or "Kamaya" is a Sanskrit word meaning water breaking over rocks or noise of water breaking over

Kamaya was the ancient name of Mariveles. The Bataan Museum records that Camaya means "the place

where a flight of the mythological tikbalangs (horse-men) took place".

In 1573, about 3,000 Chinese pirates led by Limahong first landed in Wain and the adjacent Lusong beaches to

start an attempt to conquer the whole of Luzon. He lost in the battle of Manila and escaped to Lingayen, Pangasinan. In 1829, the Spanish priest Fr. Guillermo de la Paz received a grant of land in the area. In 1858,

Eduardo Perez y Magallanes and Francisco Bien purchased 200 acres (0.81 km²) of the Camaya area that

included most of the beach frontage, which was named the "The Wain Estate." Perez was Bien's father-in-law. Between 1855 and 1877 Bien purchased his father-in-law's share of the land, renamed the land the "Hacienda

Biaan," after the abundant fish, "bia" (Bathygobius fuscus) and made the beach and the surrounding land

available his relatives for dried fish processing and as a picnic ground.

As the beach became increasingly popular, Bien threatened to stop public beach access. However, later

American-sponsored Municipal Council believed that the government needed to intervene to make the beach

a public reserve. On 9 June 1908, the Camaya Coast became a public beach. Japanese soldiers secured the

place during the Japanese Occupation (1942–44) right after the Battle of the Points. On February 1945,

Filipino-American troops recovered the place from Japanese hands. On 6 February 1948, 2 people drowned and over a hundred people were rescued after a series of large waves struck the beach and pulled people back into the sea, a day that became known as "Domingo de Dolores".

 THE BEACH

Camaya Coast is about one kilometre long (≈0.6 miles) and receives many visitors throughout the year.

Surf Life Saving Philippines has given different hazard ratings to Camaya Coast in 2004. While the northern end

has been rated a gentle 4 (with 10 as the most hazardous), the southern side is rated as a 6 due to a rip current known as the "Backpackers' Express" because of its proximity to a bus stop, and the unwillingness of tourists to walk the length of the beach to safer swimming. The south end of the beach is generally reserved for skimboarding. Yellow and red flags define safe swimming areas, and visitors are advised to swim between them.