FOR CITY dwellers, Laguna is known mainly for three things: buko pie, hot springs and Calamba, the town where national hero José Rizal was born.
If we set aside an afternoon and make the two-hour drive from Nichols exit in SLEx to the province and its charming little towns, we will find there is more to it than those brief textbook entries.

Pansol’s hot springs are a good a reason as any to make the trek but those who love water sports can check out Republ1c Wakepark (republ1cwake
park.com) in Nuvali, Calamba, Laguna. It’s open daily at 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. on Mondays to Thursdays and 8:30 a.m.-10 p.m. on Fridays to Sundays.
Wakeboarding for beginners

The wakeboarding park has hourly rates (one hour, two hours, four hours or eight hours) as well as day and night passes.

Don’t have a wakeboard? You can rent boards out by the hour and get private coaching sessions.

If you think you’ll be too tired to make the drive back after all that physical exertion, you can pre-book an air-conditioned room at the site with creature comforts like a queen-sized bed and TV.

San Pablo

Prefer a more laid-back vacation?

The town of San Pablo offers two options: Villa Escudero has rates for day-trippers that include welcome drinks, carabao cart rides, use of outdoor recreational facilities and lunch at the waterfall restaurant.

Casa San Pablo Bed & Breakfast (Colago Avenue, Barrio San Roque, San Pablo City, Laguna) offers rooms for rent, hearty home-cooked meals and Instagram-worthy views.

Japanese Garden

Depending on your interests, you can visit the Japanese garden along Lake Caliraya in Cavinti.

The park was built by the Japanese government in the 1970s to commemorate its soldiers who died during World War II.

The garden has views of the man-made lake as well as the Sierra Madre range.

History buffs might want to check out the Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery built in the 19th century by a Franciscan friar. The burial site beneath the church is supposed to be the only one in the country. It was used as a secret meeting place by the Katipuneros and as a hiding place by the Filipino rebels during World War II.

In the nearby town of Liliw, you can buy beautiful beaded house slippers for your female relatives and close friends.

If you like looking at old houses that have retained much of their former glory, a visit to the town of Pila is a must.

The town was declared by the National Historical Institute as a heritage site. Many of the houses date back to the ’40s and line the plaza so you can spend about half an hour late in the afternoon when it’s not too hot just walking around the area.

Provincial delicacies

The different towns of Laguna are known for certain delicacies so you should make it a point to take frequent stops to stretch your legs, sample and stock up.

Sta. Cruz is known for its kesong puti—fresh, non-aged soft white cheese made from carabao’s milk, best sliced, stuffed in hot pan de sal and eaten immediately but if you plan to bring some home to share, pack a cooler with lots of ice.

Pagsanjan’s waterfalls might not hold as much allure now as in the past, while the town is still popular for its bibingka (native rice cake) and nata de coco with kalamansi.

Itlog ni Kuya in the town of Victoria is the place to go for kinulob na itik and salted eggs, while the monay (bread) in the town of Bay is best with kapeng barako.

For buko pie, Los Baños is considered the best, although bakers from the other towns might beg to disagree. What almost everyone agrees on is that the best-tasting chocolate cake is from Mer-Nel’s in Los Baños.

Merle and Nelson Balicao knew they had a winner when they first came out with their prettily frosted chocolate cake almost 40 years ago. The cake shop is known as “The Home of Famous Chocolate Cakes.”

There are two Mer-Nel’s branches in Los Baños, one is on Lopez Avenue on the way to University of the Philippines Los Baños, the second along Los Baños National Highway near South Supermarket.

Cora Relova, a resident of Pila, also shared her list of favorites: Aling Taleng’s Halo-Halo on Gen. Luna Street in Pagsanjan that has been open since 1933; Aling Emma’s Special Pasalubong also in Pagsanjan for bibingka and kakanin (rice cakes); Café Lago near Sampaloc Lake in San Pablo because it’s “charming, chic and unpretentious”; and Café Arabela at Plaza Rizal Street in Liliw, which serves the “best Italian fare in the area.”