Laiya Beach
Laiya is a very popular weekend destination among young people looking for a quick break from school or office work. The popularity of the place is due to its accessibility from Manila (proximity and cost), which I may say is one of the best beach near Manila, with an approximately 2-3 hour travel time. Though the sand in Laiya is not comparable to another near-Manila destination, Puerto Galera. The sand in Laiya, though composed of corals, are rather coarse which is a disappointment for children who finds it difficult to create sand castles as the sand wont stick which each other. San Juan’s advantage from Puerto Galera is it will not require any boat ride.
Proximity of Laiya from Manila
The other nearest and comparable options that are inland Luzon Island with respect to Manila is quite far like the ones in the far end of Quezon Province or in Zambales. Aside from proximity, the numerous accommodations that cater to all levels of tourists make San Juan even more popular. I would say Laiya is one of the places that has a lot of options in terms of resort selection as the more than 5 kilometers stretch of beach are divided among different property owners who has developed their piece of lot into their own version of a beach resort. However, it is quite surprising that a beach popular amongst the young people does not have any night life. So this is really more of a place to rest and recharge. The place is popular within the hiking and mountaineering community as it has one of the best easy treks near Manila- the Mt. Daguldol Mountain Range.
Laiya Beach Front
HOW TO GET THERE
By Land (Driving)
Laiya Beach from La Luz Resort
There are lots of developments happening near the vicinity of San Juan Batangas so much more in the future as two cities near the place, Lipa City and Lucena City has been endorsed by NEDA as the future secondary metropolis hubs along side Subic-Clark and Tarlac that would support Mega Manila. The opening of the STAR Expressway extension to Batangas Pier further cuts travel time to San Juan. Before, the usual route to San Juan is SLEX, then STAR exiting Lipa City (the previous end point of STAR). And then from Lipa, you travel to Padre Garcia, then Rosario and then San Juan. Nowadays, you go further STAR and exit Ibaan then go straight to Rosario and then San Juan.
Another option, especially if you are located in the South Eastern part from Manila (Rizal), or if you are looking for a scenic road trip is to go to Pagsanjan Laguna via Rizal (backdoor). From Pagsanjan, go to the historic town of Lucban passing by Kaliraya Lake (Cavinti) and Luisiana. Then pass by Tayabas, Sariaya and Candelaria before reaching San Juan.
Yacht parked at the bay.
From San Juan town proper, Barangay Hugom is still around 20 kilometers. Note that recently (2014), the road that ends in Hugom is being extended to connect to Lobo Batangas. It made accessible the other former private resorts previously only reachable by foot. The road also made the jump-off to Mt Gulugod Baboy accessible from the road side of the newly built road.
By Land-Commuting (Bus, UV Express)
One way to go to Laiya by Bus is by taking a bus bound for Batangas City (ALPS (http://www.alpsthebus.com/), JAC (http://www.jacliner.com/), JAM (http://jam.com.ph/)). From Batangas City you can take a jeepney ride to San Juan Batangas.
Another option is to take a Bus to Lipa City. From Lipa city, you can ride FX/UV transport to San Juan Batangas.
From San Juan Public Market, you can ride the jeepneys that goes to Barangay Hugom/ Laiya. Another option is to ride a tricycle to Laiya. As metioned, from San Juan town proper, it is still 20 kilometers to Laiya so consider that in riding a tricycle.
The Beach.
ACCOMMODATION
One of the private resorts for rent.
During the early 2000, most of the resorts in Laiya are cheap cottages and huts. Some of the properties are more of private resorts but some has already opened their resorts to public but only for exclusive renting. One of the first popular resorts in the place was La Luz Resort. Nowadays, there are a couple of high end resorts but the local cottages are still present. Here are some of the popular resorts in Laiya (note that the lower end cottages, of course, do not have internet presence):
- Pipisik Beach Resort – www.facebook.com/pipisikbeachresort
- Palm Beach Resort – http://lafrondosa.com/
- Paseo Verde Beach Resort – http://paseoverde.net/
- La Luz Beach Resort – http://www.laluzresort.com/
- Balai Laiya Beach Resort – http://balai-resort.com/
- Acuatico Beach Resort – http://www.acuaticoresort.com.ph/
- Sabangan Beach Resort – http://sabangan.com/
- Residencia Laiya Beach Resort – http://www.residencialaiya.com/
- Laiya White Cove Resort – http://www.laiyawhitecove.com/
- Virgin Beach Resort – http://virginbeachresort.com/
- Sigayan Beach Resort – http://www.sigayanbay.com/
- Laiya Coco Groove Beach Resort – http://laiyacocogrove.com/
- Estrellas de Mendoza Playa Resort – http://estrellasdemendoza.wix.com/estrellasdemendoza
- Blue Coral Beach Resort – http://www.bluecoralbeachresort.com.ph/
THINGS TO DO
Mt. Daguldol Peak
Since the tourism infrastructure in Laiya is fully developed, there are a lot of options for activities. Most of the popular water sports from jet skiing to kayaking are available. Scuba diving and snorkeling are also popular. You can arrange these with the resort you are staying with.
As previously mentioned, the place is also a popular hiking destination. The destination is one of the peak of the mountain range simply called Mt. Daguldol.
There is a guide’s organization where you can arrange for guides to trek the mountain. Mt. Daguldol is considered a minor climb by local standards and you can do it in a day as ascending will take you around 3 hours and going down will take you about 2 hours.
The Falls on the way to the Peak
There is a small waterfalls along the trail going up. The destination is one of the peak with the best view of the surrounding environs.
Aside from these activities, Batangas area is a rich cultural and historical site. There are also a lot of tourist spot within this province. You can factor theses locations as side trips in your visit to Laiya.
Philippine Beaches 