San Fernando (Pampanga)

San Fernando is a city and capital of the province of Pampanga, known as the Christmas Capital of the Philippines.

Understand

While surpassed by Angeles as the largest city and commercial center of Pampanga, San Fernando is the political, administrative, religious and cultural center of Pampanga. It is rich in culture and history, with a downtown filled with historic buildings.

San Fernando is also the "Christmas Capital of the Philippines", and every December, it holds the Giant Lantern (Parol) Festival, showcasing the handmade star-shaped Christmas lanterns created by local crafters. The city also has a Christmas-themed park, which is open all year round.

San Fernando is named after King Ferdinand II of Spain, also the patron of the city.

Get in

By bus

Victory Liner, Genesis Transport, Bataan Transit and Philtranco have buses from Manila westward towards Bataan, Olongapo, and Zambales. There are no buses to Ilocos that stop here.

  • 🌍 San Fernando Central Bus Terminal, Jose Abad Santos Avenue (After Lazatin Boulevard). Open 24 hours. San Fernando's central bus station, serving all bus companies with the exception of Victory Liner and Bataan Transit. (updated Oct 2023)
  • 🌍 Victory Liner, Jose Abad Santos Avenue (Station near the Hyundai dealer). Travels from their terminal in Caloocan to Iba, Santa Cruz, and Olongapo. Buses arrive every 5-15 minutes from both directions. (updated Oct 2023)

By car

San Fernando lies at a major highway crossroads; the toll North Luzon Expressway, and national highways MacArthur Highway and Jose Abad Santos Avenue meet here.

By plane

The nearest airports with passenger flights are Clark International Airport (CRK IATA) in Angeles and Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA, MNL IATA) in Manila.

By train

Rail service ceased on the late 1980s. While the tracks have long been dismantled, San Fernando's heritage station remained, and is preserved as it is the endpoint of the Bataan Death March (find at #See). The Manila-Clark Railway (under construction since 2018, though still in the clearing process) is planned to open by 2022 or 2024 (from Malolos to Clark Airport), and the new San Fernando station will be somewhere near the heritage station.

Get around

By jeepney

You can hop onto a colorful jeepney which takes you most corners of the city, but most run only at major roads

See

San Fernando has a historical downtown district, containing many heritage buildings dating back to both the Spanish and American colonial eras. There are 32 historical buildings and structures contained in that district, some of them damaged by neglect, repairs, or squatting.

  • 🌍 Metropolitan Cathedral of San Fernando (San Fernando Cathedral), Consunji St. cor. Gen. Hizon Ave. A Neoclassic church that serves as the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Fernando. Originally a wooden church with a thatch roof built in 1754, it was burned by the Filipino revolutionaries under General Antonio Luna, and a Neoclassical church building was built on its place during the American era. It was again burned in 1939, and restored by the Kapampangan architect Fernando Ocampo. (updated Jul 2020)
  • 🌍 Paskuhan Village (WOW Philippines Hilaga). Christmas-themed park, open all year round (updated Dec 2018)
  • 🌍 Pampanga Provincial Capitol, Capitol Boulevard. American-era Neoclassical building housing the offices of the provincial government of Pampanga (updated Dec 2018)
  • 🌍 San Fernando Station. A restored train station along the abandoned Philippine National Railways northern main line. It served as the endpoint of the 102 km (63 mi) Bataan Death March. The restored station houses a well-preserved wooden boxcar used on the "death trains" that carried surrendered soldiers, both Filipino and American, to the rural municipality of Capas in Tarlac. (updated Jul 2020)
  • 🌍 Sky Ranch Pampanga, ☏ +63 45 963-7681. M-F 3PM-midnight, Sa-Su noon-midnight. Part of SM City Pampanga, it houses Pampanga Eye, a 65 m (213 ft) high Ferris wheel providing a 360-degree view of Pampanga, including San Fernando itself, Mount Arayat and Mount Pinatubo (updated Dec 2018)
  • 🌍 Governor Macario Arnedo Park, Capitol Drive. Historical and good for unwinding even though the place is simple. Free. (updated Sep 2023)
  • 🌍 Heroes Park, City of San Fernando, Pampanga, Lazatin Boulevard. 6AM–6PM. This is a must visit landmark as it is full of history and heroes. Inside the compound are statues of our national heroes mostly was born in Pampanga. (updated Sep 2023)

Do

Festivals
  • Ligligan Parul (Giant Parol Festival)(December)

Religiously observances
  • Crucifixions at San Pedro Cutud (Good Friday) - realistic reenactment of the crucifixion of Jesus, where penitents, usually men, are crucified on the hill in the barangay of San Pedro Cutud.

Sports
  • 🌍 Bren Z. Guiao Sports Complex and Convention Center. A giant arena with a seating capacity of 30,000 people, used for conventions, concerts, sports, beauty pageants (updated Dec 2018)

Buy

Eat
  • 🌍 The Orange Bucket, Cajun-Fusion Restaurant, MacArthur Highway. Open 24 hours. a Cajun-Fusion seafood restaurant. (updated Sep 2023)
  • 🌍 Funside Ningnangan-San Fernando Branch, MacArthur Highway. 10AM–11PM. Very affordable place if you want high quality seafoods. It's super Pinoy. (updated Sep 2023)
  • 🌍 Baja California Foodhouse. Mexican food restaurant. ₱600–800. (updated Sep 2023)
  • 🌍 Jeju Island Korean Restaurant, MacArthur Highway (located in: Kingspire Business Centre). noon–10PM. (updated Sep 2023)
  • 🌍 Shrimp Avenue San Fernando Branch, #16 Kalayaan Service Road. 11AM–9PM. Authentic Cajun seafood and baby back ribs. (updated Sep 2023)
  • 🌍 Yoshimeatsu San Fernando, MacArthur Highway (in C3 Dash Building). 11AM–9PM. (updated Sep 2023)
  • 🌍 Grumpy Joe, #140 MacArthur Highway. 10:30AM–9PM. (updated Sep 2023)
  • 🌍 Aling Lucing Sisig - San Agustin, MacArthur Highway. the inventor of the famous Sisig. Up to ₱199. (updated Sep 2023)
  • 🌍 The Royal Place by JPS, #699 Don Ramon Ave, San Agustin. 10:30AM–10PM. America/Italian food restaurant. This place offers foods and beverages. it also caters for small events in their second floor as long you put a reservation. (updated Sep 2023)
  • 🌍 Cheryls Kitchen and Bakeshop, Lebanon Street corner Milano, St. Dominic Villa. 9AM–6PM. (updated Sep 2023)
  • 🌍 Hungry Neighbors PH CSFP, MacArthur Highway. 11AM–11PM. American food restaurant. (updated Sep 2023)
  • 🌍 Souq Pampanga, Lazatin Boulevard. 10AM–9PM. Filipino food restaurant. Try the Lechon Kawali Kare-Kare, Okoy, or Crispy Sisig. ₱400-600. (updated Sep 2023)
  • 🌍 Laqui Tyan, Lot 7, Block 3, Lazatin Boulevard. 7:45AM–9:30PM. Filipino food restaurant. Cheaper than Souq Pampanga. ₱200–400. (updated Sep 2023)
  • 🌍 Pipanganan Capampangan, #2000 MacArthur Highway. 9AM–8PM. Filipino buffet restaurant. (updated Sep 2023)
  • 🌍 Onyangs Chicken Bagnet, MacArthur Highway. 4–10PM. (updated Sep 2023)

Drink

Sleep

Go next
Routes through San Fernando
Manila ← San Simon ←  S  N  → Angeles
Malolos ← Santo Tomas ←  S  N  → Angeles
Gapan ← Mexico ←  E  W  → Bacolor → Olongapo



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