ECO-ADVENTURE
The vast plains and mountains of Tarlac make plenty of room for unique thrills. Its history has gifted it with landmarks vital to the country’s identity its landscape a playground for outdoor pursuits. It is a province constantly innovating itself to keep up with the fastmoving world.
The province may be the picture-perfect image of a quiet countryside with its rolling fields of crops but it is also a top destination for adventure-seekers. The western towns of Tarlac, particularly San Clemente, Mayantoc, and San Jose, are fertile ground for hiking exploration, because they are located at the foothills of the Zambales mountain range. These towns are the access points to the sought-after Mt. Tapulao Traverse along with Mt. Damas in San Clemente, and the San Jose Circuit, which combines three small mountains: Mt. Tangisan, Mt. Bungkol Baka, and Mt. Kawayan, to form a loop trail beginning and ending in Sitio San Pedro, Brgy. Iba.
BULSA RIVER WHITE WATER RAFTING
A recent discovery of kayaking enthusiasts, the white waters of Bulsa River provide both thrills in churning rapids and stretches of calm among the majestic mountains of the Zambales mountain range.
The adventure starts up on the village of Maamot, where the river originates, and meanders through the forests of San Jose. The rapids of Bulsa are categorized as Class II- smooth and gentle to moderately quick, a pace friendly to beginner kayakers. The sport is professionally guided by Rapid Stream Ecotours which is the sole operator of the Bulsa River Trips. Other activities available in the trip are cliff jumping and kayak surfing.
MT. PINATUBO
Mt. Pinatubo was once a feared figure of destruction. Now it stands as a scenic destination for adventure seekers. In 1991, this dormant volcano erupted after its 600- year nap, spewing tons of lahar that reached neighboring countries and dropped global temperatures for two years.
At present, the landscape that its destruction bore has transformed into a moon-like terrain of lahar and bouldered rivers now called Crow Valley. You can behold this beauty and pass by Aeta communities while riding a 4x4 Jeep then trek up to the volcano’s famed crater. Mt. Pinatubo’s crater lake proves a rewarding sight after the journey as it stretches in majestic sapphire or deep blue.
Jose V. Yap Sports and Recreational Complex
A sprawling center of outdoor activities, the Recreational Complex is meant to be enjoyed with friends and family. You can choose from an array of adventures both on land and in water.
The complex is outfitted with two large kiddie pools and an olympic–sized swimming pool. The numerous ponds are scattered in the park are open for kayaking and fishing.
The recreational complex welcomes campers to stay in the night and sleep under the stars. By daylight, activities like zip lining, mountain biking, airsoft, and dune buggy and ATV rides await.
SPORTS ADVENTURE
From highlands to lowlands, Tarlac is ripe with adventures!
You don’t have to trek heights to get your dose of nature at Jose V. Yap Sports and Recreational Park where you can try different outdoor sports, a haven for any sport aficionado. You can also opt to stay within the city and among the urban center, satisfy your need for speed at Kart City Tarlac.
Enduro
There are several trails that the province of Tarlac offers to adventure seekers. The Jose V. Yap Sports and Recreational trail is a good training ground for newbies. Moriones track within Mount Resurrection or the Monasterio trail is considered by riders a hidden gem with its steep section and blind corners. The Anzap enduro tracks is considered the best track complemented by its rocky descends and challenging lines.
Kart City Tarlac
Kart drivers can indulge their need for speed in Kart City Tarlac’s, or fondly called KCTs, 700-meter race track that boasts of its world-class racing facility and European-made go-karts.
Inside KCT are dining and hang out spots like Trackside Bar and Grill and the Game Room Sports Bar where you can compete with your friends in a game of billiards, darts, and even singing in their karaoke booths.
Kart City Tarlac
Kart drivers can indulge their need for speed in Kart City Tarlac’s, or fondly called KCTs, 700-meter race track that boasts of its world-class racing facility and European-made go-karts.
Inside KCT are dining and hang out spots like Trackside Bar and Grill and the Game Room Sports Bar where you can compete with your friends in a game of billiards, darts, and even singing in their karaoke booths.
Luisita Golf and Country Club
Located in Hacienda Luisita this club is surely one of the best championship golf courses in the country. It has a short driving range, pro shop, restaurant clubhouse, and tee houses with food and drinks at Hole numbers 5 and 9.
TASTES & FLAVORS
Tarlac’s strategic location makes it a one-stop-shop for all the flavors of Central Luzon. The lands’ bountiful produce translates to their plates and in to the many budding restaurants flourishing in every corner. Feasting on traditional cuisines and emerging new flavors becomes an easy delight in Tarlac.
Tessie’s Grills & Roasters
Tessie’s started from humble beginnings and has captured the Tarlaqueños taste. From a roasted chicken place to a family restaurant, Tessie’s has now emerged at the forefront of food and dining with its events center and restaurant. It serves both local and international cuisines with a distinct Tarlaqueño flair.
Tatun’s Kambingan
Kambing or goat’s meat takes centerstage at Tatun’s Kambingan. It hits the spot on making the hearty meat’s flavor shine in every Filipino dish possible. Patrons come back for dishes like Kalderetang Kambing and Papaitan, but the crowd favourite is the local Kampukan. The meat is grilled on charcoal for a smokey and charred taste that Filipinos are fond of. The grilled kambing is finally chopped and seasoned with sour vinegar, balancing the fattiness of the goat with tart acidity.
Isdaan Floating Restaurant
Step into another world as you dine in one of Tarlac’s most iconic sights. Isdaan Floating Restaurant is a dining institution you can’t miss when you drive by Gerona’s National Highway with its towering statues of wildlife and buddhas beckoning you to try Filipino seafood and other traditional cuisines. Isdaan is aptly named for its fish ponds filled with kois swimming around the nipa huts where guests dine al fresco.
D&C Cuisine
Standing for decades serving their famous tapsilog, D&C Cuisine is a proven place haven to Tarlaqueños, comforting, tired and hungry souls with their home-style Filipino offerings. For those who want home cooked & hearty meals, D&C is located in San Roque, Tarlac City
Plaza Mocha and Gourmet
More than a cafe, Plaza Mocha in Paniqui is where friends meet for a cup of coffee and indulgent dishes. Place Mocha is a quaint, neighborhood restaurant that serves comfort food. Popular to their patrons are the Crispy Green Salad with unique Passion Fruit vinaigrette, their large serving of Savory Baby Back Ribs, Nachos for sharing, and rice plates of Filipino breakfast fairs.
Tarlac is just as alive by sundown as it is on daylight. After 5 pm, the crowd gathers at the Bypass Road where many establishments have staked their claim in providing the best music, booze, and bar chow in the city.
Suluk Restobar
A hole-in-the-wall restobar found at the corner of R. Avenue along Bypass Road is the best spot after a day’s work. A great place to hang out with family and friends to enjoy a bucket of iced cold beer and salpicao.
The Borough Pizza Pub
Locally owned food outlet with a creative concept of British Food and ambiance. It entices youngsters to bring their friends and family to their innovative environment and try their signature pizza, famous fish & chips and a variety of healthy smoothies.
Popoy’s
Popoy’s Fiesta Food Park is a dining and entertainment center where friends and families come to eat, drink and be entertained by their live bands, DJ’s and singers. They have a variety of food stalls offering various cuisines.
The Woods
Can’t decide which cuisine to feast on? You can try The Woods food hall where options come aplenty! The right place to enjoy a night of good food and great music with your barkada.
Wolf X Whiskey
A newly-opened bar that aims to host musical fairs as well as good booze for the average Tarlaqueño who needs to decompress and enjoy the laid-back provincial life
Victor’s Barbecue and Lechon
Sisig One will never go hungry in Tarlac with the many roadside grillery peppered along its roads like the beloved local spot Victor’s Barbecue and Lechon Sisig. At Victor’s, you can order the favourite sisig, bulalo, and grilled innards. The dining experience is true to the Filipino “ihawans” where the meals are served with a free bowl of soup and tables are prepared with bottles of soy sauce, vinegar, calamansi and chillies.
Camiling Chicharon
Camiling Chicharon is the specialty of its namesake municipality. Hefty chunks of pork meat with its crackling skin are prepared by boiling the pork and dunking it into lard for crisp frying. The experience of eating this chicharon is completed by dousing it with bagoong, chopped red onions and tomatoes or the more popular spiced vinegar adopted from the Ilocanos.
Tupig
A pasalubong bundle from Tarlac is never complete without Tupig. Cruising along MacArthur Highway, you will be flanked by pasalubong vendors displaying heaps of sweet, sticky rice cake enclosed in inconspicuous newspaper wrapping. Tupig is made with humblest ingredients abundant in the region: glutinous rice, coconut milk, and sugar. These are mixed together, formed into logs and each covered in banana leaves before being cooked between lit charcoals.
Urdu Restaurant and Bakeshop
URDU was established in 1965 by business partners James L. Urquico and Renato Dungca- both Tarlaqueños. It was named from the first two letters of the original owners family names. It is known for its signature specialty which is their chicken barbecue. In 1992, they also engaged in bakeshop a business and soon became one of the favorite places of Tarlaqueños.
Cafe Isabela
Cafe Isabela features the same countryside décor like the Westwood Farm and offers a well-rounded selection of dishes. Among the favorites are: Prawn Con Aligue, Angus Beef Salpicao, Paella de Marisco, and Steak with Mashed Potatoes.
Betty’s Native Cakes
Before her name became synonymous to one of the best rice cakes in Luzon, Beatriz “Betty” Junio had her humble beginning of selling her delicacies on the sidewalk of Tarlac’s public market in 1972. People cannot get enough of her Putong Kapit, Bibingkang Nasi, Duman, Tibok-Tibok and her innovative takes on old recipes. Her version of the Kapit Roll which she served with latik as filling. Now, Betty’s Native Cakes has over 40 branches but the heart of her delicious success still remains in Tarlac.
HOTELS
Tarlac is just as alive by sundown as it is on daylight. After 5 pm, the crowd gathers at the Bypass Road where many establishments have staked their claim in providing the best music, booze, and bar chow in the city.
A day in Tarlac is never enough but you can rest your wandering feet under the roofs of the many welcoming hotels and resorts in the province. Accommodations that offer both rest and leisure are here so you can recharge for another day of adventure.
La Maja Rica Hotel
La Maja Rica is conveniently located along MacArthur Highway where it is a stone’s throw away from Tarlac’s commercial and business districts. This boutiquehotel serves as an affordable home-away-from home to corporate travelers and leisure backpackers in search of a comfortable stay and relaxation provided by its well-furnished rooms, outdoor pool and al fresco dining option.
Microtel Tarlac
This 50-room inn underscores the sensible charms of contemporary hotel living at the pulsating center of Tarlac city. It is simple and easy for travelers to do business or enjoy a leisurely holiday in town. From the thoughtfully decorated accommodations down to the free-flowing coffee at the lobby, the inn makes every amenity count.
Asiaten Hotel
Asiaten has been in the hotel industry for over two decades and continuously innovates to ensure excellent service to its patrons that extend even to visiting celebrities. It is located inside San Sebastian Village, Tarlac City. Its aesthetic is nature-inspired interiors that provides a relaxing atmosphere away from the modern city life.
L Square Hotel
Located along Km. 120 Manila North - Road in San Rafael, Tarlac, L Square Hotel is just a moments away from the Luisita Industrial Park. Its location along the main Highway gives guests easy access to restaurants, shopping malls, and the business districts within the area. The hotel is accessible via regular public transport routes.
Hotel Propicio
Sleek and modern with its style and design, Propicio Hotel and Resort is a peaceful refuge for both solo travelers and families. The hotel is situated a few minutes away from the provincial capital. All rooms come with complete basic amenities. Lounge by the garden or sunbathe by the pool and order your favourite drink from their bar and restaurant.
Asiaten Hotel
Asiaten has been in the hotel industry for over two decades and continuously innovates to ensure excellent service to its patrons that extend even to visiting celebrities. It is located inside San Sebastian Village, Tarlac City. Its aesthetic is nature-inspired interiors that provides a relaxing atmosphere away from the modern city life.
Top 20 Must Visit Places in Tarlac
Want to make the most out of your trip? Here are the top 20 must visit spots in Tarlac!
Monasterio De Tarlac – San Jose, Tarlac
Monasterio de Tarlac is the home of the Reliquary of the True Cross of Christ. The Relic of the Holy Cross, authenticated by a papal seal, is under the care of the Servants of the Risen Christ (SRC) Monastic Community and is encased in a golden Arquette.
Saint Josemaria Escriva Parish Church
It is the first Church in the Province dedicated to the saint, also known locally as Parokya ni San Jose Maria Escriva. The St. Josemaria Escriva Parish is unique for its “drive through” view of the Blessed Sacrament. The church was designed by Fr. Alex Bautista and was formally opened in 2013. It is also home to a relic of St. Jose Maria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei.
Santa Faustina Of The Divine Mercy Parish
A Parish church dedicated to St. Faustina Kowalska of Poland can be found at Barangay Canan. The parish church houses a Holy Relic of St. Faustina Kowalska, who devoted her life to the Divine Mercy.
La Sagrada Familia – Gerona, Tarlac
The La Sagrada Familia Church in Gerona is the emerging religious destination in the province of Tarlac. Just seven kilometers from the main MacArthur Highway, the church is designed by architect and priest Fr. Alex Bautista. The church is famous for its altar table, part of which was used by Pope Francis during the Papal Mass in Luneta when he visited the country on January 15 - 19, 2015.
San Sebastian Cathedral – Tarlac City
The San Sebastian Cathedral, also referred to as the Tarlac Cathedral, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tarlac. It was built in honor of Saint Sebastian in 1686. The Philippine Revolution Congress convened at the San Sebastian Cathedral in 1899.
Kape Agape – Anao, Tarlac
Nothing is more local than Kape Agape. All of their ingredients are sourced from the "best practices" of organic farming from every barangay in the vicinity. Their dishes do not only represent the humble cafe, but the entire agricultural identity of the town of Anao.
Tatuns Kambingan – Tarlac City, Tarlac
Goat meat itself is a delicacy in the province, but cooking it in the traditional sisig kapampangan style takes you on a different flavor ride altogether.
Jsj Goat Farm – Gerona, Tarlac
JSJ Goat Farm is considered one of the most unique farms in the province of Tarlac. The farm’s long standing credibility as one of the country's pioneer commercial goat breeders has been acknowledged by the Department of Agriculture. Their main products include goat's milk, Feta cheese, Kesong Puti and their famous Pastillas. JSJ Goat Farm also offers tours for visitors.
Dragon Fruit Farm – Victoria, Tarlac
Located in Victoria, Dragon Fruit Farm is a three hectare plantation boasting rich dragon fruit plants positioned 1.5 meters apart from each other. It is a must see tourist destination especially in the months of July – October.
Capas National Shrine – Capas, Tarlac
The Capas National Shrine in Brgy. Cristo Rey was built by the Philippine Government as a memorial to allied soldiers who died at Camp O'Donnell at the end of the Bataan Death March during the 2nd World War.
Jose V. Yap Sports And Recreational Park – San Jose, Tarlac
Built in 2008, Jose V. Yap Sports and Recreational Complex (JVYSRC) rests on 78-hectare land. Equipped with international standard facilities for different sporting events, JVYSRC hosted one of the country’s biggest sporting event, the 53rd Palarong Pambansa 2010.
Ylang Ylang Extraction Center – Anao, Tarlac
The only town in the country which produces Ylang-ylang oil extract, Anao produces a wide variety of products from the flower such as soaps, perfumes, insect repellants, car fresheners and aromatherapy oil.
Aquino Center And Museum – Tarlac City, Tarlac
Located in Hacienda Luisita, San Miguel, Tarlac. The Aquino Center and Museum is established as a tribute to the two icons of democracy. The late Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. and his wife, the late President Corazon “Cory” Aquino.
Goshen Resort And Hotel – Bamban, Tarlac
Goshen Resort And Hotel is conveniently located 15 minutes away from Clark Freeport Zone in Bamban, Tarlac. The resort’s Rome-like structures will truly make you feel that you experiencing an Italian holiday.
Museo Ng Tarlac – Tarlac City
Diwa ng Tarlac, located in the heart of Tarlac City, aims to highlight Filipino and Tarlaqueño arts and culture. It serves as a venue for local artists to showcase their talents, crafts, and masterpieces and is currently the home to the permanent Historical Dioramas of the province. The office of the Tarlac Provincial Tourism can also be found in the building.
Red Slab Pottery – Victoria, Tarlac
Red Slab is known internationally for its intricately made native ceramic goods. Its carbonized jar designs intersect traditional techniques with modernist silhouettes, and showcases stamp engravings and carbonized terracotta ware effects. The humble factory is also a tourist hotspot and offers free demonstrations for visitors.
Canding Falls – San Clemente
If you want to take a short trek with a fulfilling waterfalls destination, check out Canding Falls in San Clemente. The trek only takes about 20 minutes and even allows for a side trip to the hanging bridge.
Anzap Twin Falls – Mayantoc, Tarlac
ANZAP Twin Falls of the Matibya and Piccan Rivers stand at around 200ft. This Eco-tourism destination offers visitors a unique view of flora, fauna, and forest trails. The twin falls area was established during the 1970s. ANZAP has also been regarded as one Tarlac’s best hiking destination for its rich forestry.
Calao Falls – Mayantoc, Tarlac
A 30-minute river trek will bring you to the first of two 20-ft waterfalls in the Calao River. The abundance of fruit bearing trees, mahogany and tropical pine trees as well as flowers and shrubs during the trek will surely leave you in awe.
Abelling Eco-cultural Adventure – San Jose, Tarlac
The Abelling People are of Aeta descent and are known for their knowledge and familiarity of the vast forests of San Jose. Their community in Sitio Baag, San Jose, offers homestay options for tourists before and after their hike through the scenic panorama of the western portion of the province. Indigenous presentations from the cultural community are also showcased to visitors willing to stay overnight.