Best Places to visit in Southern Luzon, Philippines

Last Updated on: 14th December 2024, 12:38 pm

As an avid traveler, I’ve been to many tourist spots here in the Philippines, mostly in Luzon. While Northern Luzon has popular tourist spot destinations such as Baguio and Ilocos Norte, Southern Luzon has its share of popular and beautiful destinations too.

Waterfalls:

Pagsanjan Falls, Cavinti, Laguna

A well-known attraction in the Philippines, this waterfall is also known as Magdapio Falls among locals. I’ve never been here but I want to go here not just for the falls, but also to experience shooting the rapids. This is one of the options to get to the falls, the other option is much more intense and scarier. You have to trek down a steep steel ladder + vertical rappelling with a 90-degree angle. This is probably why Pagsanjan Falls is very popular – you’ll already have a great adventure before reaching the falls.

The falls have another attraction too which is called the Devil’s Cave. The cave is underneath the falls, so entering this cave will just level up the whole thrilling experience of visiting Pagsanjan Falls.

Taytay Falls, Majayjay Laguna.

While this waterfall is much smaller than Pagsanjan, Taytay Falls is still a view to behold. I’ve been here twice already, the last time I went here was back in 2014. The hike to the falls is only 20-30 minutes long, so it’s pretty much a chill hike.

We had a refreshing swim there and the water was also clear. The surrounding trees and rocks added to the relaxing atmosphere of the place. I suggest going here on weekdays and non-holiday days since it can get crowded during the summer months (March- May).

Beaches:

Nasugbu, Batangas

Personally my favorite destination in the South – we usually go here twice or thrice a year. Just a 2-hour drive from Manila, (via Tagaytay) the beach of Nasugbu has become very popular due to its beach resorts that range from budget-friendly to luxury.

See also: Tagaytay Travel Guide

Canyon Cove Resort

Official website: https://canyon.ph/canyon-cove/

Amara Residences

Official website https://amararesidences.com/amara/

Pico Sands Hotel

Official Website https://www.picosandshotel.com/

Laiya, Batangas

Located in San Juan, Batangas, Laiya is becoming popular due to the huge number of resorts available for all tourists. This is our go-to place every summer, and I’ve witnessed how Laiya has changed from a remote, quiet place to a bustling resort spot.

Blue Coral Resort

We stayed here last year and this is one of my favorite resorts so far because of its spacious infinity pool + clear beach waters.

Official website: https://bluecoralbeachresort.com.ph/

Kabayan Beach Resort

Official website: http://kabayanresort.com/

La Luz Beach Resort

Official website: https://www.laluzbeachresort.com/

Cagbalete Island, Mauban Quezon

Just a 3-hour drive from Manila, Cagbalete Island is known for its huge white sand bar that you can visit during low tide, and clear emerald waters.

See also: Puerto Galera Travel Guide + Itinerary and Resorts

Upon reaching Mauban Port, you need to take a large boat (travel time is around 45 minutes to 1 hour) which will take you to Cagbalete Island. The only downside to this Island is they have no electricity, although the resorts have an available generator that runs from 6 AM-6 PM. Aside from swimming and sightseeing, you can also go island hopping, snorkeling, and scuba diving. Check first with the resort if they will provide gear for you.

Resorts in Cagbalete:

Villa Cleofas https://cleofascagbalete.com//

MVT Sto. Niño Resort https://www.facebook.com/mvtstoninobeachresort

Pansacola Beach Resort https://www.facebook.com/pansacolabeachresort/

Mountains

Mt. Makiling, Los Banos, Laguna

One of the most popular mountains in the Philippines, Mt. Makiling is known for its beauty and the famous legend behind it. According to the legend, the mountain is named after a woman named Makiling, a spirit who guides the mountain. If you view the mountain from afar, you can see that its shape looks like a lying woman, that is supposedly Makiling.

There are two trails that leads to the summit: The Sto. Tomas Trail in Batangas and Mariang Makiling Trail at the University of the Philippines – Los Baños (UPLB) in Laguna. I’ve been to UPLB before and although I didn’t hike to the summit, you can sense a feeling of mystery and magic in the mountain.

Since Mt. Makiling is near Metro Manila, many tourists and hikers climb this mountain. To know more about how to hike in Mt. Makiling, you can refer here

Mt. Banahaw, Dolores Quezon

This huge dormant volcano is popular because of many supernatural and mystical happenings that occurred there. It is said that many spirits and deities dwell in the mountain and from what I’ve heard, many locals there believe that Jose Rizal’s spirit, the national hero of the Philippines still lingers there. This place is also popular among catholic devotees since many areas in the mountain are said to cure illness.

I traveled here with my family many years ago and we went to Sta Lucia Falls (pictured above), a spring believed to cure sickness. When we went there, nothing supernatural happened except after we got out of the falls, we realized that our Coleman water Jug (a regular-sized one) was not losing water. That was weird since there were many of us ( around 10-12 people) and that was our only water source. I remembered that all of us drank when we were having a picnic at the falls, so obviously, the jug wouldn’t be full. However, when we checked inside, the jug is still full! This still boggles me up until today, so I thought it was the work of the “spirits” dwelling there.

Aside from Sta Lucia Falls, some popular attractions of Mt. Banahaw are Jerusalem, St. Jacobs Well, and Justice Cave.

Treasure Mountain, Tanay Rizal

Last but not least, this mountain is gaining popularity among tourists because of its location (it’s just a 1-2 hour drive from Manila) and the “sea of clouds” phenomenon.

Although I didn’t see the sea of clouds due to the rainy weather, I was still in awe of the view of the mountain – it’s still virgin and you won’t see any view of houses or buildings. Maybe this view won’t last long since there are already plans for development in the area, I just hope that it won’t destroy the beauty of the place.

See also: Trip to Treasure Mountain, Tanay Rizal

Aside from these places, I know there is so much more to visit in Southern Luzon- and I can’t wait to travel to these spots and discover more waterfalls and beaches.

How about you? Do you know other best places in Southern Luzon aside from this list? Recommend me some and I’ll add those to my travel bucket list!