Manila Bay

Manila Bay is a broad natural harbour on the western coast of Luzon, opening to the South China Sea between the Bataan Peninsula and Cavite. The Pasig River reaches the bay from Laguna de Bay, and settlements grew along its banks and the surrounding shore. Its sheltered waters have long made the bay a centre of maritime traffic.

Before the Spanish arrival, communities traded around the bay and the mouth of the Pasig. In 1571 the Spanish established Manila as their capital in the Philippines. The galleons that sailed between Manila and Acapulco carried Asian silks, porcelain and other goods east across the Pacific, returning with American silver and passengers. The route continued until 1815, joining the bay to a far-reaching exchange between Asia and the Americas.