A Guide to San Juan, Laiya, Batangas, Part 3: Cafeño

My last few posts have been about some memorable cafes I've been to, so I thought I'd close out this series with an entry about a lovely cafe from my home province of Batangas.

Cafeño can be found at the heart of San Juan, Laiya's poblacion or town proper, right beside the gas station. It's a portion of a big ancestral house, and the cafe stays true to this with an old-world kind of feel, which I love:

That's my Mom and Dad! :)

My family always stops by here after a day at the beach, and our usual orders are the Adobo Flakes, Eggs Benedict Longganisa(done Filipino-style - on pandesal!) and the Kapeng Barako Ice Cream Sundae:





Apparently their specialty is Churros served with Spanish Cocoa, which sounds really delicious - I ought to try that the next time I visit.

On our beach trips, we usually leave San Juan at around sunset to head home, and on the particular trip when I took these pictures, the light was particularly warm and orange, and it was just perfect for pictures. So I'm throwing this in as the last photo, because I think it's rather pretty, and I'm calling it "Table for One" ('cause I'm cheesy like that :P):

Cafeño
No. 9 Cor General Luna and Rizal St.
San Juan, Batangas, Philippines
Phone (043) 575-5161
Open Monday-Sunday, 8:00 am to 8:00 pm
Cafeño Facebook Page

A Guide to Laiya, San Juan, Batangas | Part 2: "Peace Man" - Bamboo

I love this song and this video by Bamboo. It's really just footage of them going on a road trip to Laiya, San Juan, but the video fits the song perfectly.

"Supreme love and respect, peace, man."

Bamboo - "Peace Man"

A Guide to Laiya, San Juan, Batangas | Part 1: General Information & Getting There

I've been getting a lot of visitors to this blog looking for information about Laiya, San Juan, Batangas, so I thought I'd compile a (hopefully) comprehensive guide to this wonderful seaside town in the south of Luzon. I grew up in Batangas and have plenty of memories from spontaneous family trips to the beaches of Laiya on random Saturdays, so the place is pretty special to me.

I'll start this off with some basic (and admittedly boring) information about the place, and a few pictures (so that this entry isn't completely blah).

Located on the southeastern tip of Batangas, Laiya, San Juan is a relatively little-known beach destination, at least compared to the more popular areas of Anilao and Nasugbu, which are also in the province of Batangas.

Its serene and beautiful beaches, as well as its proximity to Manila, make Laiya an ideal weekend getaway for city dwellers. To date, a handful of beach resorts can be found in the area, as well as a number of private beach communities that are still under development.

Location and other Navigational information:

Info from waypoints.ph - click on the above image to visit the site for waypoint data and other vicinity information on Laiya, San Juan, Batangas.

Getting There (taken from the La Luz Beach Resort site, with some revisions)

For Private Vehicles:

1. Take South Super Highway to the end and get out at exit 50A that leads to Batangas, Lucena and Legaspi. (It is 39 kilometers from Magallanes to the end of the South Super Highway). This is also the exit for Calamba.

2. Upon exiting (Calamba), drive straight ahead to the Star Toll entrance. The drive is approximately 20 minutes or about 6.5 kilometers. Look for the Batangas Expressway entrance (STAR Toll), which leads to Batangas City. The sign is very visible and the entrance is on the right side after the First Philippine Industrial Park.

3. Drive 33 kilometers on the Star Toll way (STAR) and take the San Jose-Ibaan Exit (the 4th exit, it is also after the Lipa exit). After exiting, turn left and drive 2.5 kilometers. You will reach an intersection with a sign pointing to Rosario, at this point please turn left at this intersection. After turning left, the Municipal Hall of Ibaan will be on your right while a church will be on your left. After passing the church on your left you will reach a forked road. Turn right at the road sign pointing to San Juan. Drive 8 kilometers along this road to Rosario town proper. Upon reaching the Rosario town proper, there is a Jollibee outlet at your left. Drive past the Jollibee Rosario outlet and the South Star drug store outlet. This road leads all the way to San Juan town proper, which is approximately 23 kilometers away. You will pass a sign for the Batangas Racing Circuit along the way. Please veer left at this point.

4. Once in the town of San Juan, make a right after the Municipal Hall (you'll see a Petron Gasoline Station, a Frank’s burger Stall and a Dunkin Donut Store right before the Municipal Hall). Take a right on the corner where you'll see numerous placards and signs posted of the different Laiya resorts. Most of the beach resorts in Laiya are already along this long road, but it will still take you a good 20-30 minutes drive further down the road before you get to the resorts.

For Public Transportation:

Via Candelaria

1. Take a bus from Manila to Lucena (Jackliner, Tritran, BLTB, Jam, etc) but get off at the Town of Candelaria. (Approximately 2 hours)
2. Get off at Chow King right after the town proper of Candelaria.
3. Go to the nearest intersection, which is about 10 meters and take a jeep to the town of San Juan, Batangas. (Approximately 30 minutes)
4. Get off at the San Juan Town Market and take a jeep to Barrio Hugom which will pass through most of the resorts in Laiya, or get a tricycle to take you to the resort of your choice.

Via Lipa City

1. Take a bus from Manila to Lipa City (Jackliner, Tritran, BLTB, Jam, Alps, etc.) (Approximately 1.5 hours)
2. Get off at Bus Terminal near McDonalds, Jollibee, and Shakey’s.
3. Take a tricycle to the jeep terminal located at the City Market (approximately 10 minutes)
4. Take a jeep bound for San Juan, Batangas. (Approximately 45 minutes)
5. Get off at the San Juan Town Market and take a jeep to Barrio Hugom which will pass through most of the resorts in Laiya, or get a tricycle to take you to the resort of your choice.