Nasugbu Summer Escapade: Our 3D2N Stay in Canyon Cove Hotel and Resorts

My children did very well in their study during the recently concluded academic year. That’s why me and My Beloved Wife Lei decided to reward them with a 3 days and 2 nights stay in our “suking resort”: Canyon Cove Hotel Resort in Nasugbu, Batangas.

I said that Canyon Cove is our “suki” because we visited this resort for the third time already.

Our first visit was in 2015 while our second visit is in 2023.

The reason why we keep on coming back to this resort is that it has swimming pools and access to the sea.

A view of the swimming pools in our room.

Canyon Cove’s swimming pool is big and can accommodate a large number of guests. The pool is divided into shallow sections for toddlers and kids. Then the biggest section of the swimming pool is for adults.

My kids had a blast swimming in those pools. We had a hard time pulling them out of the water because they really enjoy swimming a lot.

Unfortunately, the pool has no slide. I guess other resorts that we visited like Woodside Water Park and La Vista Pansol are better in this regard.

The beach is the highlight for me and my wife. Walking on the sand a swimming in the salty sea are better than swimming in the chlorinated pool.

The beach in Canyon Cove is not fine like the sands of Boracay but not as rough as those in Calayo Beach in Nasugbu, Batangas. The beach is well-maintained and clean of trash unlike the other beach that we visited in Batangas.

My kids also enjoyed the beach by building sand castles and digging the sand. In the afternoon, our family enjoyed watching the setting of the sun. The red ball of fire is great to behold as its sinks to the West Philippine Sea.

Many people stay at the beach at dusk just to watch a beautiful sunset. The ones that we saw while at Canyon Cove are indeed beautiful. My wife and I had good photos with the sunset at the background.

What I like with Canyon Cove is the large portion of sea grass in the sea fronting the resort. Colorful fishes can be seen in the sea due to these sea grass “forest” that serve as the home of sea creatures. This means that the ecosystem in the area is still healthy, which is a good thing for ecotourism. 

A sort of sea plant at the beach of Canyon Cove.

My Eldest Son complained that something was biting him while swimming in the sea. He said that jellyfish stung him. I did not believe my son but a long look in the sea revealed plenty of “baby” jellyfishes floating.

I immediately told the father swimming with his baby about the presence of the jellyfish. I was worried for the baby because many jellyfish have stings that are deadly to humans. My Only Daughter was so terrified of the jellies that she vowed that she will not swim in the sea again.

Baby jellies that we captured in Canyon Cove.

I actually enjoyed hunting jellyfishes I had no fear touching these sea critters and putting them in a bottle. I took them home with the intention of keeping them in an aquarium. I researched about the jellies that we captured and I was horrified when I discovered that the ones we caught could've killed me.

There is a possibility that the jellies that we caught is just a thimble jellyfish that can cause rashes but not fatal, or a box jellyfish that could kill a human. Well, the jellies died when we got home so we had no chance of putting them in an aquarium.

A tip for swimmers in Canyon Cove or in other spots in Nasugbu, please check the sea first if there are jellies before dipping in the water.

Our Room in Canyon Cove Hotel

We booked a family room during our latest stay in Canyon Cove. The room was located at the far end of the hotel so it was a pain going to the swimming pool or the beach as the only access is at the central part of the hotel. Canyon Cove should really consider providing access to the pool and beach from the far ends of the hotel.

Our room is very big as it has a living room and kitchen. The room is OK but has seen better days. The wooden panels in the bathing room were collapsing because of the termites. The room is also full of mosquitoes.

The bathroom sink with wooden parts breaking off.

The best part of the room is the view of the pool and the beach.

Our sunbed with a great view of the sea.

Despite our complaints we still had a good sleep during our stay in Canyon Cove.

Dining in Canyon Cove

Breakfast for two was included in our hotel stay. So we had to pay 350 pesos for breakfast for each of our two kids. Our youngest child eats free.

The breakfast is OK but nothing to gush about. They have the typical Filipino breakfast like dried fish, hotdog, tocino, eggs and rice.

Our family just went to Nasugbu for lunch and dinner despite Canyon Cove offering such a meal.

Guests dining at Canyon Cove at night might get a chance to watch a fire dance. Our family was lucky to see some fiery performances.

Canyon Cove has changed compared to our first visit in 2015. Canyon Cove then has a more high-end atmosphere and caters more to families. The hotel now expanded by catering to tour groups and corporate outings. The result is that the hotel is now more crowded and noisy. Well, it is understandable since Canyon Cove is still a business and their goal is to earn money.

Final Say about Canyon Cove

The main lobby of the hotel still gives the high-end atmosphere but the room that we had shows that the hotel had to renovate to please its original clientele.

Our family truly enjoyed our swim in the pools and the sea but it remains to be seen if our 25 thousand payment for 3 days and 2 nights stay will still be reasonable in our next family outing.

.

Visita Iglesia: National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio (Santo Tomas, Batangas)

I have been listening to podcasts about Padre Pio of Pietrelcina lately. What struck me is that Padre Pio seems to have existed in a plane beyond the physical realm. He saw angels and devils, he perceived the state of the souls of the people he met, and he was able to see the impact of human actions not only on his or her soul but also to others.

That’s why I am blessed that I was able to visit the National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio last year.

National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio in Santo Tomas, Batangas

The Shrine is a “rotunda” or round church architectural style that is made to look like a giant “salakot”, which is the conical hat worn by Filipino farmers. The Padre Pio Shrine has similar architectural style as UP Chapel and the Greenbelt Chapel.

Atop the roof is the statue of Mama Mary whom Padre Pio loves very much. It is said that the padre is so devoted to Mama Mary that he prays the rosary multiple times each day. There was a time when he admitted that he prayed the Rosary 34 times on that day! He considered the Rosary as his weapon in his spiritual battles.

A short distance from the Shrine is the bell tower with its own salakot.

The National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio began as a small chapel under the Santo Tomas Parish of Santo Tomas, Batangas. The chapel was elevated to a separate parish in 2003 to cater to the large number of Catholics in the area. The new parish was dedicated to Padre Pio because of the first-class relic of the saint received by the Archdiocese of Lipa for the creation of the said parish.

First-class relic and glove worn by Padre Pio.

It was further elevated into a national shrine as approved by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) in 2015.

I was amazed by the shrine’s premises. The place has ample parking space for cars. Then aside from the main church there are other chapels and facilities. And, of course, the main church is huge!

The builders of this church rightly predicted that many would come to visit the church dedicated to Padre Pio. They made the church spacious enough so as to accommodate all the devotees and pilgrims coming to ask for Padre Pio’s intercession.

Hanging from the center ceiling of the church is the image of crucified Jesus being held by God the Father. It is an image that reminds us that the Father was also deeply affected by the sacrifice and death of His only Son.

Behind that image is the image of young Jesus with His earthly parents: Joseph and Mary.

These two images, which are connected by the cross, show the Divine and human nature of Jesus.

We were fortunate because there was a Holy Mass during our visit to the National Shrine of Padre Pio. It was a perfect time for us to receive graces from God during mass and also ask for Padre Pio’s intercession.

The altar of the National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio uses bamboo as the backdrop. At center is the crucified Jesus then at the sides is Mama Mary with baby Jesus, and Saint Joseph. Also standing at the altar is a statue of Padre Pio.

Our visit to the National Shrine of Saint Pedro Pio was one of our stops while on our way to a beach resort in Batangas. I am glad that our family decided to drop by and say “hello” to this holy servant of God. I am hoping that Padre Pio interceded for our family, not only for our temporal concerns but, more importantly, our spiritual concerns.

- - -

Mass schedules in National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio:

Monday to Friday: 6 AM, 8 AM, 10 AM, 12 Noon, 2 PM, 5 PM

Saturday: 6 AM, 8 AM, 10 AM (Healing Mass), 12 Noon, 2 PM, 5 PM (Anticipated Mass)

Sunday: 5 AM, 7 AM, 9 AM, 11 AM, 2 PM, 4 PM, 6 PM

Note that the Healing Mass is every Saturday at 10 AM

Confession is every Saturday 8 AM to 12 Noon and 2 PM to 5 PM

- - - 

Visita Iglesia is the Filipino tradition of visiting churches during the Holy Week. This virtual Visita Iglesia is my own tradition wherein I post about one church each day of the Holy Week.

- - -

References

1. Faith in City of Sto. Tomas website

2. Padre Pio and the Madonna in Franciscan Media

3. Padre Pio Shrine in Wikipedia

Visita Iglesia: Caleruega’s Transfiguration Chapel (Nasugbu, Batangas)

From a church in San Mateo, Rizal that has a red brick facade let us now do a virtual Visita Iglesia to a famous chapel in Nasugbu, Batangas that stands out because of its red brick walls. This chapel is popularly known as the best church for weddings in Nasugbu: the Transfiguration Chapel a.k.a. Caleruega Church.

Our family visited this church on a whim enroute home from a beach outing in Calayo, Nasugbu. It is on our way, so why not visit this church, right? Turns out that it was a good decision for us because our visit to Caleruega became a memorable part of our family trip.

Caleruega is not just a church but a spiritual retreat center for the Dominicans. The center’s motto is “closer to nature, closer to God” as the lush scenery of Batulao Mountain Range gives the priests a good place for meditation and contemplation. This lush scenery gave our children a chance to experience nature.

Our first stop was the Dominicum, which I thought was already the Transfiguration Chapel. I was wrong because it is just a retreat house.

What I noticed immediately at the Dominicum are the pineapples on its facade. I wonder why they placed pineapples there? Is it because this part of Nasugbu has pineapple plantations?

Inside the Dominicum is the beautiful replica of Our Lady of Manaoag.

The image of our lady is present in Caleruaga because her basilica in Manaoag, Bulacan is under the care of the Dominicans.

I guess Our Lady of Manaoag is telling me to also visit her in Manaoag.

The Dominicum also features Saint Dominic, who is the founder of the Dominican Order. His relic is also on display.

Saint Dominic is called “de Caleruega” because the small town of Caleruega in Spain is his place of birth.

According to Shoestring Diary, the Caleruega Retreat Center was established in 1994. It was developed with as minimal disturbance to the environment as possible. In fact, the designer of this retreat center, Arch. Yolanda D. Reyes, was awarded with the 1996 Design Awards in Architecture for her “graceful blending of man-made structures with the natural curves preserved through careful architectural handling and biotecture planning”.

We walked around the Caleruega Retreat Center before climbing up to the Transfiguration Chapel. We looked at images of the saints amidst the greenery.

Our kids experienced crossing the hanging bridge with much fear and trembling. My wife and daughter enjoyed the beautiful flowers planted around the retreat center.

Climbing up to the Transfiguration Chapel is difficult and a little bit exhausting because we walked up through a steep set of stairs dubbed as the Dominican Steps. My kids are as energetic as ever because they bet on who can reach the chapel first. They were up the stairs in no time! It is enviable to be a kid sometimes.

My exhaustion was blown away when I saw the Transfiguration Chapel.

The red brick walls really made the chapel stand out from the surrounding greens.

The Transfiguration Chapel is of Spanish-Moorish design as can be seen in its use of horseshoe arch on the doors, facade, and windows.

Unfortunately there was a wedding during our visit so I was not able to explore inside the chapel. It is difficult to explore this chapel peacefully because it is one of the popular churches for weddings.

I think the name “transfiguration” is apt for this chapel. Just like the apostles who experienced the transfiguration of Jesus up on a hill, the bride and groom in this chapel experienced similar transfiguration in front of the altar. They are “transfigured” from two separate persons into one body after their wedding ceremony.

Our visit to Caleruega Retreat Center and its Transfiguration Chapel was a good sidetrip. It allowed us to experience God in the nature that He created and also with the beautiful chapel that draws hundreds of pilgrims every year.

- - - 

Visita Iglesia is the Filipino tradition of visiting churches during the Holy Week. This virtual Visita Iglesia is my own tradition wherein I post about one church each day of the Holy Week.

- - -

References

1. St. Dominic of Guzman, Priest, Founder of the Order of Preachers in Vatican News

2. Caleruega Church and the Scenic Views of Mt. Batulao in The Shoestring Diaries

Visita Iglesia: The Sad History of Nasugbu Church

The town of Nasugbu in Batangas is our beach getaway. This is where  we go whenever we crave for a swim in the sea. In fact, we already went to Nasugbu’s Canyon Cove Resort twice.

The beach is not the only place that we visited in Nasugbu because we also dropped by the Nasugbu Church.

There are two parishes in Nasugbu. The parish church dedicated to San Antonio de Padua is located in Barrio Kaylaway. The church that we visited is at the poblacion and is dedicated to Saint Francis Xavier.

What immediately caught my attention when I entered the Nasugbu Church is the painting of angels on the ceiling above the altar.

The altar is quite impressive to look at too.

It was in the middle of hot afternoon so there were very few people inside the Nasugbu Church during our visit. Less people means a silent time for us to pray.

Nasugbu Church's ceiling also looks good and it reminds me of the beautifully painted ceilings in San Agustin Church in Intramuros.

The ceiling features the image of St. Francis Xavier, a Jesuit missionary who preached in India, Indonesia, and Japan. Saint Francis Xavier became the patron saint of Nasugbu because the town was once entrusted to the care of Jesuit missionaries. The parish was established by the Jesuits in 1852.

The dome of Nasugbu Church is adorned with images of the Old Testament prophets. Just below the church are the images of the New Testament evangelists.

Above the front door of Nasugbu Church is a pipe organ.

The pipe organ was the main musical instrument of the church in the past. Nowadays, the main church musical instruments are guitar, keyboard, and tambourines - which I believe do not fit the solemnity of the Holy Mass.

I believe that Nasugbu Church is picturesque enough to be a good place for weddings. However, another Nasugbu church - the Caleruega Church - beat them in the top list of wedding venues.

The town of Nasugbu has been in existence since the Spanish Period so I wonder why their church look modern. Where is Nasugbu’s old church?

My online research brought me to Pepe Alas’ blog post about the old Nasugbu Church. There he revealed that the old Nasugbu Church, known as Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Escalera or Our Lady of the Staircase, is located outside the poblacion and is in ruins!

Some historians claim that the old Nasugbu Church was burned by the Spaniards during the Philippine Revolution. Pepe countered this theory and said:

This 19th-century church was said to have been destroyed during the skirmish between the Spanish troops and the Filipinos (Katipuneros). In the Nasugbú Tourism Quarterly (April-June 2000 issue), Francisco Villacrusis wrote that after imprisoning the townsfolk inside this church, the Spaniards burned it down, killing the people inside. But Villacrusis did not cite any reference. And his claim is preposterous. Here are my reasons:
1) The Spaniards, being devote Catholics, would never have done such an atrocity.
2) There were only a few Spaniards in the Philippines, from start (1565) to finish (1898). As a matter of fact, during that time, the only “white face” that one usually encounters in far-flung villages is that of the friar.
3) To the best of my knowledge, there was no other instance of “church-burning” that was instigated by the Spanish troops in other places in the country outside of Násugbu.
The only church-burner that I know of are the Katipuneros themselves. Andrés Bonifacio was a church-burner himself. As a matter of fact, he attempted to burn the church in nearby Indang in Cavite province. And he did considerable damage to the church.
In view of the foregoing, all accusing fingers should point to the Katipuneros, not the meager Spanish troops.

I agree with Pepe on this one. Church burning is more likely to be committed by the anti-Catholic and masonic Katipuneros.

Nasugbu is now one of the progressive town of Batangas but in the past it experienced brutality from the hands of the so-called liberators. The ruins of the old Nasugbu Church is the testament to the town’s sad history. 

---

(Source: Wikipedia)

Saint Francis Xavier is the patron saint of Catholic missionaries, specifically for those in the missions in Africa and Asia.

Here is the prayer that you can say if you seek the intercession of Saint Francis Xavier:

Lord God,

by the preaching of St. Francis Xavier

you brought many nations to yourself.

Give his zeal for the faith to all who believe in you,

that your Church may rejoice in continued growth

throughout the world.

May this prayer fill us with the same love

that inspired Francis Xavier to work for the salvation of all.

Help us to live our Christian calling

and to inherit the promise of eternal life.

We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.

.

La Familia Ahab’s First Grand Outing: Overnight Special in Canyon Cove Beach Resort in Nasugbu, Batangas

Having a child is different than during our early months of our married life. In the past, Lei and I go out every month for a date. Now, we have to consider Little Ahab first before going out of a date. Our baby is the reason why we didn’t have any vacation during our first year wedding anniversary last January. In fact, our last outing was during our honeymoon in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

So, for our anniversary as a couple, we decided not repeat what happened last January. We decided to go a beach resort nearest to Laguna and that is Canyon Cove Resort in the town of Nasugbu, Batangas.

Canyon Cove Beach Resort is nestled in one of coves in the Batangas town of Nasugbu. I believe that it was envisioned to be a private residential resort like Punta Fuego but very few people bought residential units that’s why we were welcomed with this:

Beside the gate is an unfinished condominium building. There are around 10 of such empty buildings near the hotel. However, don’t let those empty buildings scare you. The facilities of Canyon Cove Beach Resort are not as dilapidated.

How to Go to Canyon Cove Beach Resort

Canyon Cove Beach Resort can be easily reached by car. Go north along J.P. Laurel Street from Nasugbu town proper until you see the gate of Canyon Cove to your left. You will feel that you’re in the middle of nowhere while going to the resort because of the grass fields and trees along the way.

For the poor commuters like me, Canyon Cove Beach Resort can be reached by riding a tricycle from the poblacion. We paid 100 pesos for the special trip. Tricycles are also parked outside of the resort so it’s easy to go back to Nasugbu.

Tricycles are prohibited from entering the resort so we had no choice but to walk around 200 meters from the gate to the lobby. It’s hard, mind you, carrying the super-heavy and super-likot Little Ahab and our bags during that length of walk.

Welcome to Canyon Cove

I knew that our overnight stay in Canyon Cove Beach Resort would be good the moment I entered their lobby. The place is comparable to good hotels that I previously visited.

The sound of the sea is calling us. I really wanted go to the beach and dip to the sea rather than wait at the lobby.

We came around 3 PM, just in time for check-in. Lei and Little Ahab busied themselves by taking selfies while I processed our check-in. The lobby receptionist was quick so got our key card after a few minutes of waiting. No long queues – this is the benefit of going to resorts during weekdays.

The room that we got is nice too. Lei instantly liked it. Little Ahab, on the other hand, instantly liked the soft bed where he bounced without fear of bumping his head.

We booked the Superior Room with one king-sized bed and this day bed…

…which I think is for the children.

What we liked the most with our room is the view of the sea.

I guess all of the rooms have a veranda facing the beach. This is the perfect place for watching the sunset.

Meeting the Sea of Canyon Cove Beach Resort

We didn’t go all the way to Nasugbu just to stay in the room so we immediately changed to our “swimwear” outfit and then go to the beach.

Lei said that she liked the beach of Canyon Cove. She even said that it is better than the beaches of Laiya in San Juan, Batangas.

We purposely went to Canyon Cove Beach Resort during the weekday to avoid the weekend crowd. The result is that we have the whole beach for ourselves. It is as if we were in a deserted island. (Well…almost)

One of my intentions for going to Canyon Cove Beach Resort is I wanted to see Little Ahab’s reaction when he meets the sea for the first time. And his reaction is funny and will forever be imprinted in my memory. My Little Ahab is afraid of the sea. His I-wanted-to-cry face pleaded Mommy and Daddy to carry him away from the sand.

I think our baby was alarmed with the way the sand gave way in his every step. He is so accustomed with the stable concrete floor in the house.

The sea is a different case. Little Ahab likes dipping in the salty sea, as long as his head is above water.

The beach of Canyon Cove is protected by breakwaters so the waves reaching the beach are not that high.

We had a very good time in the sea. I’m glad that our baby is having fun.

Lazying by the Pool

If you’re tired of the salty water and the sand then you may opt to dip in chlorine…err…I mean in the swimming pool.

We tried Canyon Cove Beach Resort’s swimming pool the morning of the next day.

Since we’re with Little Ahab, we just dipped in the Kiddie Pool.

The pool is quite big so Lei and Little Ahab enjoyed “swimming” around without bumping another guest. Despite the size, I believe that the pool can be crowded during weekend and holidays.

There’s nothing much to see in the swimming pool area of Canyon Cove Beach Resort. There are sunchairs, which is perfect for selfies. There is also a playground where toddlers can enjoy the slides and the swings.

Our check-out time is 12 Noon but we were told that we could stay in the room until 1 PM. We were also told that we can go to the beach or to the pool until 5 PM. As much as we wanted to return to the beach, we decided to leave Canyon Cove around 1 PM because we want to reach our home before twilight.

Our stay in Canyon Cove is very brief. Nakakabitin, ika nga. Thankfully, we enjoyed our time in this resort. Maybe we’ll come back. If there is a promo (50% discount would be fine) then we will surely come back. (I do hope that the bosses of Canyon Cove read this).

My Verdict on Canyon Cove Beach Resort

On a scale 1 to 5, where 5 is the highest, I give Canyon Cove a rating of 4 because we truly enjoyed their place. Lei and our child had a good time in their pool and in the beach. All the hotel staff that we met was courteous.

The room that we got is well cleaned. Their water heater is convenient for us in preparing Little Ahab’s milk. There were signs of aging, especially in the bathroom but that can be overlooked.

Canyon Cove Beach Resort source their food from Max’s Restaurant so the food is expected to be good. Too bad that they only offer selected items from Max’s menu. Our free breakfast is limited to fried rice partnered with tocino, egg, etc. We have no complaint about that. We’re not that picky when it comes to food.

My major complaint is that their gate is very far from the hotel. This is inconvenient for us poor guests who do not own a car. This made me think that Canyon Cove Beach Resort is only for the rich.

.