Location: Pagsanjan
Top Things to do in Pagsanjan
The 8 Best Things to Do in Pagsanjan, Philippines
Pagsanjan, (pronounced Pag-sang-han), officially the Municipality of Pagsanjan, (Tagalog: Bayan ng Pagsanjan), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 42,164 people.
Restaurants in Pagsanjan
1. Pagsanjan Falls
Overall Ratings
4 based on 255 reviews
Reviewed By Nancy Kelley A - Orlando, Florida, United States
I've been here several times. It is more touristy now than before but still fun. I like the views, the experience is quite unique and the it is a relaxing but exhilarating trip. The only problem is that the boat men tend to be very tenacious about asking for a tip. They spent so much of their time telling us how they needed a big tip that it ruined the trip to some degree. My husband made a formal complaint about it.
2. San Antonio de Padua Church
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2 reviews
Reviewed By Chuck B - Mandaluyong, Philippines
I love Pila and its people. When we visited the church of Pila or the San Antonio de Padua Parish Church, it was the Pailah Festival. The grounds near the church was turned into a night market full of food kiosks and other Laguna products.
The church itself is magnificent, and still undergoing renovation as of April 1, 2017 when we visited. We thought it was closed because the entrance doors facing the open grounds was locked. However, several residents pointed us to the side entrance. It was huge inside.
This was one of the several San Antonio de Padua in the Philippines. I remember visiting one in Manila. This one in Pila, Laguna has survived being ravaged by the American forces, and many other calamities. But it has remained its old-look, just like the rest of the houses and other buildings there that was marked National Historical Landmark.
You can climb behind the altar to touch the statue of San Antonio de Padua.
The church also washrooms which you can use for free.
3. Japanese Garden
Overall Ratings
4 based on 9 reviews
Reviewed By seedhunter - Hyderabad, India
The Japanese Garden along Lake Caliraya (in Laguna) is a memorial park built by the Japanese government in the 1970s in order to commemorate the Japanese soldiers who died during the Second World War. According to some locals and legends, it is also the burial site of General Yamashita of the Yamshita treasure fame. An altar located at an elevated portion of the garden is usually visited by the Japanese; in this shrine/altar, they offer prayers and gifts to the spririts of the dead soldiers. The main altar/shrine is made up of marble and located in an elevated part of the garden. Better to carry some snack and water bottle with you.
4. San Juan Bautista Church
Overall Ratings
4 based on 1 reviews
Reviewed By Jake2014jake - Pasig, Philippines
First of all, do not mistake this church as the one located along the main highway. That church along the highway (Manila East Road) is the St. John the Evangelist Church, a different church and a modern one. The San Juan Bautista Church is in the town proper of Barangay Longos, a few minutes from the highway.
This church is an antique church very similar to the Tanay and Baras churches in the province of Rizal. The similarity is due most probably to the proximity of the locations of these places. This church is off the tourist trail and has hardly been mentioned in travel literature. Nonetheless, the beauty of the church is at par with the more popular churches visited by tourists and should be part of your itinerary come Holy Week for Visita Iglesias (literally meaning church visit). While the church has not been given a historical marker, it clearly deserves one such from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.
5. Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4 reviews
Reviewed By pinoytraveller2 - Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
This review is quite late. The Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patron saint of Pagsanjan and the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe has been an integral part of my childhood days since we used to have a summer vacation house in Pagsanjan town. The church is so solemn although the first timer may get distracted with the beautiful interior design of the altar and of the church building.
6. Caliraya Resort Club Inc.
Overall Ratings
3 based on 3 reviews
Nestled atop Mountains along the lake, Caliraya Resort Club Inc. is a gifted with breath taking view of nature’s possibilities. A haven not only for the body but also for the mind and spirit. The resort offers fun filled activities and countless options that will surely provide fond memories.
Reviewed By Kuya_Bong0825 - Bacoor, Philippines
Food is superb from breafkast, lunch to dinner. It's 100% satisfaction but other than that, nothing else. Below are the nightmares we had during our stay:
1. We were given DUPLEX type of accomodation wherein it consists of 5 bunk beds up and down at the lower floor and 6 single beds at the 2nd floor. We were booked for 17 people.
2. There is a 1 very old fan that doesn't work at all even if you put it on #3 settings. No use at all. There is only 1 aircon that would accomodate the whole house but same thing with fan, no use at all. We arrived around 3pm by the way.
3. The linens, towels, pillows are old but clean enough to use for the day. I recommend to bring your own towels. The beds are soft though.
4. Comfort room has good flow of water from shower, bidet to flush and it has small lavatory and two showers to use. The bowl is clean to use but the exhaust fan is too old and almost not working and the walls and tiles are old and dirty.
5. For the price of accomodation, you'll not going to get any of toilettries at all. So bring your own. There is an old CRT TV on the 2nd floor that has Cignal Cable that's decent enough to kill time on a 3:00 pm afternoon.
6. The walls, ceilings and structure of the whole place is not well maintained. It's dirty, old and has lots of cobweb and dust.
7. Our reservation only gives us 1 Free ride to Super Slide, it's the miles long slide is located from the top of hill to the ground that has water on the end and water flowing as you slide through. Other attractions or amenities, you have to pay for it each person. Suspended Bicycle is Php 220.00 per person. Air swing is around Php 300.00 per person but Php 400.00 if for two.
8. It is very pricey and nothing comes free except for the Swimming Pools.
9. The STAFF are RUDE!! VERY VERY RUDE!! It's like they're giving you a favor for coming and using their place. They were not helpful at all and only have concerns with where or what specific amenities they were assigned for. One horrific example was, our teambuilding activites that they will facilitate is scheduled the following morning. So after we had breakfast, we were told to wait for the facilitator at 8:00am, it's almost quarter to 9:00am but there were no facilator coming in. We had to call Frontdesk multiple times and when someone arrived, it was one of their Medical personnel, since according to them, they were short staff for the facilitator. For us, the place was for teambuilding event and they should already assigned Facilitator for each reservation ahead of time and not accomodate and accepts reservation out of money and profit only. They were only ruining the time, experience of the people.
10. The activities were fun and great but we had around just 4 activities in store for us. Earthball - wherein 2 teams will play volleyball using the big ball. Relay - as usual and no explanation needed. Canoe/Kayak - 2 teams will play and the fastest to finish the race will win. Mudslide - each team was given a plastic cup full of water and they will be sliding and will end up in the mud. Team that has water on their cups intact wins.
11. The whole Caliraya place was huge and if you do not want to walk around, there's Jeepney to use that circle around the place. For us, since the place is close to mother nature with all the trees and the lake surrounds it and since they were promoting "nature", why not use E-bikes or E-jeepney or any transportation they can think of that is not using Gas or Diesel. Jeepney doesn't fit the place at all.
12. Overall, WE DO NOT RECOMMEND CALIRAYA because the place is not well maintained in terms of cleanliness, staff are rude, the amenities are old and pricey. Just book for a private resort in a beach or pool and have your own activities instead of going here.
7. Pueblo El Salvador Nature’s Park and Picnic Grove
Overall Ratings
4 based on 4 reviews
Reviewed By Dimple S
If you are not for paying a thousand pesos to see the Pagsanjan Falls (also known as Cavinti Falls and Magdapio Falls), then this is the best route. For only 270 per person, you get to trek, rappel and raft through the falls. The view is really awesome and the trek manageable. It would just be quite a challenge going back up. But it's worth every penny paid.
8. Lake Caliraya
Overall Ratings
4 based on 14 reviews
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