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Component city in Laguna, Philippines
Photo: Judgefloro, CC0 via Wikimedia Commons
San Pablo is a city in the province of Laguna, known for its seven lakes.
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A museum dedicated to comic strips featuring the collection of comic artist Gerry Alanguilan, whose works include domestic and international publications such as Marvel and DC Comics.
The largest of San Pablo's seven lakes, of volcanic origin. Around the lake are Dagatan Boulevard, a lakefront park, floating cottages, and various civic monuments such as that of a giant tilapia fish.
San Pablo Cathedral
An adobe Romanesque Roman Catholic cathedral that forms the center of San Pablo and serves as the seat of the namesake Roman Catholic Diocese of San Pablo which oversees the entirety of Laguna. Built in 1714, it was damaged during World War II, and its façade been restored to its original. Its dome is a landmark of the city.
A tree-filled park filled with fountains and neoclassical and Filipino-themed statues, it is a favorite recreation hub among residents. It sits on a promontory overlooking Dagatan Boulevard and provides views of Sampaloc Lake.
White House
A prominent landmark, the mansion was built in 1915 in the beaux-arts and Art Nouveau style that was typical of the American period for the first city mayor of San Pablo, Potenciano Malvar, and his wife, Eusebia Fule, both of which came from prominent families. Visiting presidents and dignitaries were often hosted here. Since then the house has changed ownership multiple times and as of 2025 is being used as a civic center by the city government.
A Spanish-era bahay na bato last inhabited by a scion of the Fule family known for her devotion to the education sector. In the 1930s, she donated the house and the adjoining plot to build a high school that now bears her name. The house was at times used as a school building before falling into neglect and becoming inhabited by squatters claiming to be Doña Prudencia's heirs. Following a legal battle to remove aforementioned squatters, the house was restored in 2019 and now contains a school museum. On the other side of the highway, at the elementary school also named after Prudencia, is one of the few Gabaldon school bungalows in the Philippines that dates back to the American period.
To avoid confusion with the Fule-Malvar Mansion, Prudencia is located outside downtown, on the highway running between the city and Alaminos, and is painted in strips of ocean-green and white with a red roof.
Capitol, Kapitolyo
Built in a neo-classical style, this imposing structure is one of the few surviving civic buildings in the Philippines from the pre-World War II era. It contains a small museum on the history of San Pablo.
A private residence built for one of San Pablo's well-to-do residents in 1924, it became known as the setting of the 1988 classic Filipino horror film Tiyanak featuring a demon-baby from Filipino folklore and has since become a stereotype for a haunted house, lightened somewhat by the grotto of the Virgin Mary in the yard. Only the semi-cylindrical exterior and ornate window grills can be seen on the outside, but if one is lucky enough to be invited in, expect to see the interior of an American period house complete with custom-made furniture from that era. There are plans to restore the house, which has not been directly inhabited by its owners for some time, to its former glory.
Lakes Yambo and Pandin
Two of San Pablo's Seven Crater Lakes, situated in close proximity to each other and separated only by a narrow isthmus. These lakes are the most suitable among the seven for recreational activities, including swimming, and offer pristine unspoiled waters. There are camping accommodations nearby.
A towering inactive volcano east of San Pablo, along the boundary with Quezon province. Situated alongside Mount Banahaw, a religious pilgrimage site, it is said to be the mountain's "evil twin", having been dubbed the "Devil's Mountain" for malevolent entities said to inhabit its slopes.
Restaurant with overnight accommodation set in a compound with ancestral houses.
Rockpoint Hotsprings Resort-Hotel and Spa is located where refreshing hot spring water flows constantly at the foot of Mount Makiling. Cozy guest rooms complete with modern amenities, and facilities that include game rooms, karaoke bar and lounge, natural hot spring swimming pools, and the in-house Lava Grill and Restaurant and coffee shop.
By bus
Bus companies running frequent services between Manila and Lucena stop at San Pablo, as well as some of those from Bicol and the interisland buses.
By car
Maharlika Highway (Asian Highway 26/Route 1) is the main highway through San Pablo, along with the Calauan-San Pablo Road (Route 67).
By jeepney
Jeepneys connect San Pablo with the nearby towns of Alaminos, Calauan, Rizal, Dolores, and Tiaong, and travel as far as Liliw via Rizal and Nagcarlan on Werner Schetelig Avenue, Santa Cruz via…
By train
Tricycles and jeepneys running from the city center to outlying barangays are the main form of transport within the city.
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