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4 Popular Destinations in Batangas You Can’t Leave the City without Visiting This Summer
Here are some places to visit for a cheap summer getaway in Batangas!
By: Veron Dionisio | March 24, 2023
Batangas is one of the most accessible weekend destinations near Metro Manila.
Images: Fantasy world Facebook page (L); Batangas Provincial Government (R)
It is a choice destination for work-torn city dwellers who occasionally want to seek solace from the chaotic urban living and pack their bags for a restful weekend getaway somewhere not far-off from the city. So, yeah, there are a lot of summer destinations in Batangas that may be your best refuge.
Before packing that weekend bag, you may want to consider our list of places to visit and things to do in Batangas when you have limited time and/or budget. Most of these places can be explored in a day or two for your summer getaway in Batangas.
1. Batangas boasts a wide range of beaches: white, black, deep, shallow, and whatnot. But the most family-friendly beach destinations in Batangas are mostly in Calatagan and Laiya in San Juan.
The long stretch of Laiya cove offers a wide range of beach resort accommodations that would surely fit anyone’s budget.
Image: Virgin Beach Resort, Laiya
What’s particularly striking about this place is the presence of many privately-owned beach houses for rent in Calatagan, which is perfect for a family beach summer getaway in Batangas. As an option, there are also several high-end and middle-range beach hotels and resorts in Calatagan for those who prefer these types of accommodations.
The beach resort destinations in Batangas have various price ranges lined up in the long stretch of Laiya cove in San Juan. Although the water in Laiya is not as clear as that of some other summer destinations in the country, the proximity and accessibility of the place to Metro Manila and CALABARZON make it a highly compelling alternative.
If you have time, this is one of the things to do in Batangas, visit the Calatagan Lighthouse or Faro de Punta Santiago in Parola, Calatagan, overlooking the Balayan Bay, for some scenic photo opportunities.
2. Be transformed and travel through time as you tread this quaint town at the Poblacion of Taal; relive the past at the Taal Heritage Town.
Located on top of a hill overlooking the town, the St. Martin of Tours Basilica stands tall and proud—a Taal landmark that couldn’t be missed.
Image: Batangas Provincial Government
This destination in Batangas’ main attractions is the well-preserved old houses built during the Spanish colonial period that were converted and reused as museums. For your summer getaway in Batangas, visit these Taal Heritage Town with historical luminaries in the Spanish era, such as Marcela Agoncillo, Don Felipe Agoncillo, Eulalio and Gliceria Villavicencio, and Vicente Ilustre, among others, have ancestral houses in Taal. Most of these houses are open to the public and included in the walking tour packages.
Aside from the old houses and churches destinations in Batangas, there are other places of interest and things to do in Batangas, such as visiting Lucia’s Well, said to be with miraculously healing water, and San Lorenzo Ruiz’s Steps, which used to be known as hagdan-hagdan before it got renamed in honor of the first Filipino saint, Lorenzo Ruiz. The flight of stairs contains 125 steps connecting Lucia’s Well with Caysasay Shrine and the town center.
3. On your way to and from Taal, along the Diokno highway, you will never miss the palaces, castles, and towers of the Fantasy World; visit the magical albeit nearly abandoned Fantasy World!
The main palace at the Fantasy World at Lemery, Batangas.
Image: Writer's own
It was supposed to be an amusement park with residential and hotel complexes initially intended to be the local version of Disney World until investment prospects went sour.
Although this destination in Batangas still bears the promises it used to hold, it shows traces of decay. It’s unfortunate because it is still surprisingly photo-worthy even in its present state. In fact, the kids or even the kids-at-heart will still feel the magic of the place. Going to this place is one of the worthwhile things to do in Batangas before you finally drive down the winding Diokno highway to Nasugbu. The chilly, windy, and cool weather is a surprisingly pleasant treat worth side-tripping to this destination in Batangas.
Fantasy World is perfect for your summer getaway in Batangas since it is now primarily operated and managed by homeowners and members for their exclusive access. Non-members pay a PhP1,000 entrance fee for a group of 10.
4. Former Governor Vilma Santos, who started as a film actress before entering government service, is probably one of the best attractions and destinations in Batangas City during her term; visit Batangas Provincial Capitol Complex.
The Batangas Provincial Capitol Complex is probably one of the biggest in the country; a bonus feature would be that a prominent celebrity is holding office in it.
Image: Batangas Provincial Government
If you’re not a ‘Vilmanian’, this destination in Batangas is worth navigating and exploring because it’s probably one of the biggest in the country. When you’re done with that, try exploring the city as your thing to do in Batangas and observe how the people of Batangas spend an ordinary day.
Tips to Travelers!
Taal is a two-to-three-hour drive from Manila and can be reached via Tagaytay or SLEX. Taking the Tagaytay route is longer by almost three hours, but more picturesque as you would pass through these destinations on Batangas Diokno highway, where the Fantasy World, Canyon Woods, and Pacific Heights Subdivision can be seen along the way. Meanwhile, going to Taal through SLEX will take at least two hours.
Visit Yoorekka Magazine for more exciting travel destinations in Batangas and Southern Luzon this summer!
Stay safe as you travel! Make sure to follow social distancing protocols and observe health precautions. For now, keep safe!
This article was initially published in Yoorekka on April 27, 2016.
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About Veron Dionisio
Veron is a corporate employee most of the time; a multimedia content writer/producer some of the time; and a traveler the rest of the time. With almost a decade of well-paced and highly meaningful intermittent writing and traveling adventures under her belt, she wouldn't have it any other way. A lifetime is not enough to experience all the items in her bucket list. So she beckons herself and everyone, carpe diem!
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