Municipality in Laguna, Philippines
Photo: Ramon FVelasquez, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Pagsanjan is a town in Laguna province in the Philippines. The town attracts visitors wishing to explore its heritage buildings, pray at the parish church dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe, or visit nature-related attractions such as Pagsanjan Falls.
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Cavinti Falls
It is a moderate-sized waterfall (perhaps 15-20 meters) upstream from the town, but very pretty. The trip there is mostly through wild jungle in a deep canyon. Very scenic. If you are fortunate you may even see monkeys in the jungle along the canyon walls. The falls are also claimed by the municipality of Cavinti, hence its alternate name.
Pagsanjan Church
The town's Roman Catholic church, it was rebuilt in its original Spanish colonial-style minus its dome after sustaining heavy damage from World War II-bombardment. It houses a venerated image of Our Lady of Guadalupe that was donated by Mexico. A side chapel contains funeral plaques of residents from the colonial era. A side room to the left of the entrance leads to a parish store selling themed memorabilia.
Arco Real
One of the few-surviving town gates in the Philippines from the Spanish era, the three-portal structure is a designated National Cultural Treasure that sits directly on the highway from Santa Cruz.
Despite heavy bombing during World War II, Pagsanjan retains a sizeable number of houses from the colonial era, some of which have been converted into restaurants or commercial outlets. These are concentrated in the town center, particularly in J.P. Rizal, Mabini and P. Caballes Streets.
In operation since 1933, it serves Filipino dishes and delicacies in group-sized portions. The highlight is the halo-halo, which includes sweetened heart of palm (ubod). It also sells takeaway Filipino snacks such as banana chips and biscuits.
Set in a 1950s house full of antiques and souvenirs from the owners' travels abroad, it serves Laguna dishes based on recipes passed down by the owners' family.
Choice of A/C or non A/C rooms, starting at ₱300 and ₱200, respectively. Has free WiFi.
Houses an obstacle course (High Altitude Ropes Course Challenge) and a 2-hectare camp site. It also offers 35 cottage-style rooms, 2 swimming pools, function rooms, and various sports facilities.
A hotel set inside a converted heritage house. Also organizes tours of Pagsanjan Falls and other natural attractions in eastern Laguna.
You can take a bus from the Buendia or Cubao bus terminals in Metro Manila to Santa Cruz. It takes about 2-3 hours, depending on traffic. The buses leave very frequently, and the bus fare was ₱140 as of 2009.
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