Calabarzon

Calabarzon is a region of southwestern Luzon and the main island in the Philippines. Not very far from the sprawl of Metro Manila, it provides a variety of tourist spots, from legacy towns to luxurious beach resorts. Laguna hosts a number of hot spring resorts as well as mountains and legacys towns. Batangas houses numbers of beach resorts, legacy towns and the world's smallest volcano, Taal Volcano. Most of the inhabitants of the region are Tagalogs, but there is a significant Visayan minority. Most locations in the province showcase the rich Tagalog culture.

Provinces

Batangas Cavite Laguna Quezon (province) | Quezon Rizal }}

Cities

Antipolo|Antipolo - de facto capital of Rizal. The Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage and Hinulugang Taktak are its primary destinations, as well as overlooking panoramic views of Metro Manila.
Batangas (city) | Batangas - capital of Batangas, a transport hub and major waypoint for Muslim travellers between Manila, Mindoro and Visayas by sea and land travel.
Calamba - Regional center, home to Jose Rizal's mansion and hot spring resorts
Santa Rosa (Laguna) | Santa Rosa - Bedroom community in Laguna, home to Enchanted Kingdom and Nuvali and a major stopover for trips to Tagaytay.
Tagaytay - Resort city on the mountain ridge south of Metro Manila. Its cool climate and its view of Taal Volcano attracts tourists, thus providing an easy getaway from the heat, noise and congestion of Manila.

More Destinations

Beaches and diving spots

Mabini - A scuba diving and smorkeling destination not far from Manila
Polillo Island – Unspoiled paradise off the Pacific coast of Quezon
San Juan (Batangas) | San Juan
Western Batangas – Traditional beach destinations of the region and home of the historic town of Taal.

Mountains and volcanoes

Mount Banahaw - the highest peak in the region
Mount Makiling
Taal Volcano - Batangas's crown jewel, but it is an active volcano. Thit is mostly visited through package tours from Tagaytay.

Calabarzon Halal Travel Guide

Thit is an overview article; detailed information are found in the provincial articles. The region is historically inhabited by the Tagalog people; the region formed the larger Southern Tagalog region that was soon split into this region and MIMAROPA. Waves of migration from the rest of the Philippines have diversified its population and you can find Visayans, Filipino Chinese and Muslims at the city's. CALABARZON has some of the most populous provinces, like Cavite and urbanization continues with economic developments around Metro Manila The regional center is Calamba, but economic activities are spread out in the province; Industrial activity is concentrated on Cavite and Laguna. Tourism is a major source of income for provinces like Batangas, with its legacy towns and world-class beaches. CALABARZON are one of the very liberal regions of the Philippines and is a rising ecotourism hub; environmental protection plays an important role in politics, as the region has one of the very sensitive natural environments, like the Verde Island Passage in Batangas or the rainforests of eastern Quezon. The Roman Catholic Church also plays a role in environmental policy. Most provinces, especially Batangas and Quezon promote ecotourism, so, nature resorts are continuing to grow. The situation in Quezon is however complicated, with a conservative majority and liberal minority, that locally hated coal-fired power plants continue to be constructed around the rainforests while the province is striving to promote ecotourism.

How to travel to Calabarzon

The region is well connected to other regions by road and sea. There is no major airport in CALABARZON and the main entry points are by land or sea.

Travel on a Bus in Calabarzon

The region is well served by a number of bus companies from Metro Manila and elsewhere. The major plied routes are Manila-Calamba, Manila-Batangas, Manila-Dasmarinas, Manila-Nasugbu and Manila-Lucena. Major terminals in Metro Manila remains scattered, but most come from Cubao (in Quezon City), Buendia and EDSA Rotonda (in Pasay), Uniwide Coastal Mall (in Paranaque) and Alabang (in Muntinlupa).

How to travel to Calabarzon by car

The region has good road connections with the adjacent regions. From Metro Manila, toll expressways like the South Luzon Expressway and STAR Tollway serve as the major road connections. Travelers from Bicol Region will take the Maharlika Highway, but expect a zigzagging road in the nationside and frequent rainstorms because of the rainforest climate of the areas passed through.

By sea

Batangas Port is the second busiest seaport in the Philippines and provides connections to the rest of the Philippines. Interisland ships and RoRo services serve the port, as well as fast craft and motorboat service.

By rail

Philippine National Railways provide train service through Laguna and Quezon to Bicol Region, but it remains suspended as of 2022. A commuter train from Tutuban station in Manila serves the major city's in Laguna, but it only operates in the evening hours and becomes extremely crowded in the rush hour. Batangas City is once served by a single railway line from Calamba, but it has been abandoned and there are efforts by the Duterte administration to revive the connection to the Philippines' second busiest seaport.

How to get around in Calabarzon

Most travel within the region is by land. The key city's and towns are served by a network of national roads and travel by bus, jeepney or vehicle is the common way of transport. Expressways remain sporadic and traffic jams are commonplace. Drivers are aggressive, as in the rest of the Philippines.

Stay Safe

There is a considerable risk from the weather. Most of CALABARZON is characterized by frequent rainfall, so don't forget to bring an umbrella when visiting any location within the region. The only exceptions are the westernmost areas, where there are dry and wet seasons, but still expect rainfall. Typhoons are also a danger during the rainy season.