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Municipality in Laguna, Philippines
Photo: Ramon FVelasquez, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Nagcarlan is a municipality of the Philippines in the province of Laguna. It is also one of the oldest towns in Laguna and was also a precolonial settlement. At first glance, it is a less touristy town than neighboring Liliw and relies more on its commercial location on a major road junction, but it also has some colonial structures, including the only underground cemetery in the Philippines, and cold springs that compete with those of Liliw.
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The only cemetery of its kind in the Philippines, it was built in the 19th century on an octagonal layout. It retains its Spanish-era chapel containing a sculpture of the dead Christ and ceiling frescoes, and its underground crypt with the remains of Nagcarlan's high society still inside. Beside the entrance to the compound is a small but informative museum about the concept of death in Philippine culture. An urban legend claims that the cemetery is connected underground to the parish church, Mount Banahaw and even to Pagsanjan, away. The cemetery was declared a national historical landmark in 1981.
Nagcarlan Church
A Spanish colonial church dating from 1752. It was built in a Baroque style with Moorish-inspired crenellations, and supporting exterior pillars that seemingly wrap around the structure like a cast. Look for the ornate altar and painted wooden carving of the Final Judgement made by carvers from Paete.
Built in 1941, it is one of the few remaining civic buildings in the Philippines to survive World War II.
Twin waterfalls system with a drop of .
An inactive volcano straddling the provinces of Laguna and Quezon. At , it is the highest mountain in the Calabarzon region, and a sacred monument for the Tagalog people.
A cafe with rice meals.
Villa Sotoya
Legazia Resort, Villa Sylvia
Nagcarlan is a hub for jeepneys coming from San Pablo, Majayjay and Santa Cruz. However, there are few to no jeepneys operating at night.
Read in the guideNagcarlan is a busy town and is a crossroads for those heading for Liliw, Santa Cruz, Calauan and San Pablo via Rizal. Tricycles and jeepneys are the most common form of motorized transport in town.
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Manila (Pasay) · International · MNL
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