Pakil, Laguna: Small Town with a Larger Than Life Gems

I'm sure a lot of us have heard of Pakil, Laguna but haven't actually set foot on it. Well, this blog is hoping to inspire you to visit this hidden gem of Laguna and see how its treasures shine so bright even on a Good Friday.

Pakil or Paquil in Laguna is one the many Laguna provinces that is laying right beside the famous Laguna de Bay. With San Pedro de Alcantara Church at the heart of this town, Pakil is enriched with wonderful religious and historical stories that I heard right from the very mouth of the people who were born and raised there - an experience I wanna do over and over again.

During Holy Week, I'm one of the many Manilenos who were stuck here in the metropolis. Thankfully, I have some good loving friends who took me with them last Good Friday to experience the Holy Week in this heart-warming Pakil way.

Pakil is a 2-hour drive from Manila if you're taking the east route, and probably a 3-hour drive if you take the south route. That's one good thing about Laguna provinces, you have options on which route you'd like to take. That day, we took the east route, which thankfully clear from traffic, so everything went smoothly.

We arrived in Pakil, Laguna just in time for lunch. By the way, my friends who were born and raised in Pakil came from a reputable family. They own the Dalena House, so if you've been to this place, you'll know how wonderful their place is, but if not, well, here's a glimpse of their house. I'm actually planning to put up a separate blog about their artsy house since it is so amazing and so lovely. Hihi.

Going back, after having a hearty lunch courtesy of the Dalena's, my friends took us to their astonishing church - San Pedro de Alcantara Church.

To be honest, I've never heard of their church before, I don't have any idea as to what Turumba is and I didn't know that they have this very captivating church. And after seeing and hearing all of those sites and of those stories, I can't help but to be so grateful about this experience. I know it is not good to have fun on this sacred week, but visiting San Pedro de Alcantara Church is one Holy Week treat that I would love to experience again, especially with the Turumba Festival coming in a few more weeks.

After some more heartwarming stories and leisure walks, my friends took us to Pakil's another priced gem, the Turumba Spring Resort.

It is like a community pool, only the water that they have there comes from the mountain behind it. The miraculous mountain is called Bundok Pingas, which is said to be the center of pilgrimage for the Nuestra Señora de los Dolores de Turumba.

Since, we were not dressed for that refreshing treat and for hiking Bundok Pingas, the group opted to spend our remaining afternoon time with some Halo-Halo at The Beatles, a local eatery that carries the name of the famous '60s band.

A little expensive for its taste, but its okay. :-)

By night, we spent our remaining time watching the Soledad procession which is composed of a dozen of saint's replicas and some men penancing with bamboo made whip.

I'm not really that satisfied with what I saw that day because I know that there are still a lot to see here, but I'm more than happy to get out of Manila to witness and experience a Good Friday at Pakil, Laguna. Super duper thanks to my superfriends and to the Dalena Family for the very warm accommodation. Thanks too to Kuya Nelson and Ate Kathrene for that wonderful church tour. I promise to be back with my my hiking shoes to see Bundok Pingas, swimwear to dip into that Spring Resort and dancing shoes to join the Turumba Festival!

Thank you, Pakil! See you again soon!