Laiya Beach, located in Laiya-Aplaya in San Juan, Batangas, is one of the most popular beaches within driving distance of Manila. The whole stretch here is a favorite weekend destination for families. You can enjoy water-based activities here like banana boats, kayaking, and island-hopping, or just chill out by the beach at one of the many resorts.
Since we’ve traveled to Laiya several times before, last May 2022 we decided to take our bicycles and spend a day just biking to experience a different side of the area.
Our main goal was to bike to Malabrigo Lighthouse in Lobo, Batangas by traversing the coastal road from San Juan. If you have more time to spare, it’s possible to do a longer loop and emerge all the way in Batangas City and circle back to Laiya again through the main highway. But for this trip, since we were staying overnight in a beach resort in Laiya, we decided to just bike to the lighthouse and take the same route going back for a chill and scenic ride.
I’m sharing our bike trip as a reference for those who want a semi-chill bike-cation or are looking for something new to do the next time they travel to Laiya. This coastal road is still relatively new, with some areas still under construction and not a lot of vehicles pass here, making it a great route for bikers.
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Where exactly is Laiya?
Laiya is located in San Juan at the easternmost part of Batangas province south of Metro Manila. North of San Juan is the neighboring town of Candelaria, with Malaking Ilog River defining its geographical boundary. Tayabas Bay lies east of Laiya. The hills on the eastern portion which used to separate San Juan from the towns of Lobo and Rosario in Batangas, is the route where we biked.
How to get to Laiya
By private transportation
Via SLEX
- From Manila, take South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) onwards to South Toll Road 3, to Star Toll, and exit at Ibaan/San Jose.
- Proceed to Rosario and continue along Rosario-San Juan-Candelaria Road until you reach San Juan.
- Upon reaching the San Juan Municipal Building, turn right to San Juan-Laiya Road which will take you to Laiya.
- The road is completely paved now.
NOTE: As an alternate route, you can also pass the Manila East Road route through Pagsanjan and San Pablo getting to Laiya just to avoid tolls.
By public transportation
Via San Juan
- The fastest way to Laiya is via San Juan. Ride an ALPS Bus from either from either EDSA Nepa Q-Mart, Araneta Center Cubao, or Alabang Grand Terminal to San Juan, Batangas.
- The drop off at the Bus Station in San Juan with a travel time of 3-4 Hours.
- In San Juan, right in front of the Municipal Hall, board a Laiya- or Hugom-bound jeepney. Take note that the last departing jeepney to Laiya leaves at 5:00 PM. Travel time to beach resorts is another 45 minutes.
- You can also charter a tricycle from the terminal to beach resorts, but expect the fees to be more expensive.
Via Lipa
- From Pasay Buendia, EDSA Kamuning, or Araneta Center Cubao, take Ceres Tours, DLTB, JAM, Batangas Star Express, RRCG, etc to Lipa City, Batangas. Travel Time is about two hours and the fare ranges from ₱135 to ₱150.
- From Lipa bus terminal, take a jeepney or van to San Juan, Batangas. The van is faster but will cost you much higher.
- From San Juan, take a jeepney or tricycle to Laiya.
Top things to do in Laiya
- Enjoy the beach
- Go banana boating
- Try kayaking
- Go on boating tours
- Get a massage
- Go on a Batangas food trip
- Go to Laiya Adventure Park
- Hike up Mt. Daguldol
Our bike itinerary
After having breakfast at the resort, we took off at around 9:00 am. The ride started immediately with a short but steep uphill at once going to La Luz Beach Resort and Palm Beach Resort.
The first 10 km of the bike route was very well-paved, with lots of scenic spots with coastal views. While there were a few uphills, in general the ascent wasn’t too steep and the terrain was rolling, so there was lots of time for recovery.
We passed a lot of smaller beach resorts and some communities by the roadside. But in general, there weren’t a lot of houses yet. The route was very quiet and scenic.
After the first 10km, the road started to get a bit more interesting. Pavement gave way to rough patches and gravel. I previously changed my bikes to thinner tires so my bike would lighter on pavement, but this made the terrain feel a lot more rougher than it would have with my thicker MTB tires.
We couldn’t help but stop to take a lot of photos along the route. It was great to see a different side of Batangas.
We passed a lot of quiet beachfront spots from Laiya to Malabrigo ideal for car camping, motocamping, or bikepacking if you like the “end of the road” feel.
For the most part, the weather was very sunny during our ride, but while passing one mountainous area, it suddenly rained very hard, so we had to stop to take shelter. The rain didn’t last too long and the sun came out again though.
We passed a beach area in Lobo with lots of pebbles and another one with a small rock formations. There are places nearby where bikers, hikers and riders can stay overnight in case you want to stay longer in a quieter area compared to Laiya.
By the time we reached the lighthouse, it was already 12:00 nn (the worst time to be biking).
The final stretch to the lighthouse, which has been paved already, was a very steep and painful uphill ascent by bike. After passing the road carved into the mountains, we were finally rewarded with the view of the iconic lighthouse.
According to the historical marker on the site, Malabrigo Lighthouse is a major lighthouse in the Philippines which has been around for over a century. Also known as the Faro de Punta de Malabrigo, the lighthouse was originally designed by Guillermo Brockman as a cylindrical brick tower with a metal staircase, adjacent pavilion and machine room in 1891. It was built by the Chinese contractor Jose Garcia in 1896.
The outstanding piece of architecture from the Spanish Colonial Period has served as a beacon to sea vessels at the Verde Island Passage and remains well-preserved to this day. The major lighthouse was declared a National Historical Landmark on November 27, 2006.
It would have been great to have a snack or coffee here, but there’s currently no place to eat yet in the area. According to the staff on duty, they eventually hope to put a cafe and souvenir shop there for visitors, but plans are still in the pipeline, as they there’s no bathroom yet or electricity here.
She shared a bit of history and trivia of the place and mentioned that most of the groundskeepers come from Lobo, because the road going in from San Juan is very new and it used to require a boat just to to get to the area.
The architecture of the lighthouse is beautiful. Visitors can walk around the main structure, but visitors are no longer permitted to go up the lighthouse itself because the metal staircase is fragile.
We rested in a grassy tree-covered area here for about 30 minutes before backtracking the same way route we came except for a few detours when the roads forked.
On the way back, we passed a new bridge that offers a beautiful view of the mountains. It’s a pretty steep descent with lots of gravel, so I ended up just walking my bike down the hill to be safe, as the thinner tires don’t have much traction.
The ride back was mostly enjoyable except for the heat while biking from 1 to 3pm, and we didn’t pass any place where we could get a good bite to eat for lunch, so just made do with softdrinks and snacks from a sari-sari store. We got back to our resort past 3:00 pm for merienda and before the rain started pouring again.
It was great to have a comfy room and shower to get back to, and be able to catch up with friends who drove from Manila that same night over dinner.
According to my Strava stats, our ride was about 43.43 km back and forth from Laiya with a 788 meter elevation gain, with about 4 hours and 29 minutes of moving time.
The total ride time was closer to 6 hours, because we had to stop when it rained mid-ride, we took a lot of photos along the way, and rest stops.
If you plan to do this, I recommend you start biking at around 6:00 am or 7:00 am to get to the lighthouse at around 9:00 am and back at your resort by lunchtime, so you can avoid the noontime heat.
Where to stay in Laiya
This bike trip coincided with our 12th wedding anniversary. Since we weren’t able to celebrate the past 2 years (including the 10th) because of lockdowns, the beach resort we picked was a bit of a splurge.
Our cozy base in Laiya was Sabangan Beach Resort, which offers lovely modern beachfront villas with a native feel. This is one of the more established resorts in the Laiya area and it’s ideal for families who want a bit of privacy. It’s pet-friendly too. Book here.
The 6,000 square meter resort offers guests a sanctuary enveloped in nature and rich in the comforts of home. The stays here come with full-board buffet breakfast, merienda and dinner, so you don’t need to think of what to eat during your trip.
There are a lot of other options to choose from in Laiya depending on your budget. Other popular places to stay here include Palm Beach Resort, La Luz Beach Resort, and Acuactico Beach Resort. For those on a budget, Beach House Laiya offers cozy rooms.
