Sariaya
Sariaya is a town of about 150,000 people in western Quezon. Along with neighboring Tayabas, it houses many Spanish-era cultural monuments and is nicknamed the "Heritage Capital of Quezon". Its seaside is filled with resorts, continuing from those in San Juan in Batangas.
Understand
Sariaya is 119 km (74 mi) from Manila and 13 km (8.1 mi) from the capital at Lucena. It is surrounded by Mount Banahaw to the north, Tayabas Bay to the south, the town of Candelaria to the west, and Tayabas to the east. Part of the municipality lies along the coast, and has the resorts.
Like its neighbor, Tayabas, Sariaya town center is known for its Spanish and American-era architecture, notably its Art Deco mansions. The municipality is striving to have the town center declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is working to restore its historical buildings.
The municipality has a growing number of beach resorts, concentrated at the seaside community of Guisguis, and the construction of the Quezon Eco-Tourism Road has helped improved access to the once-secluded beaches.
Get in
By bus
- DLTBCo., JAC, JAM and LLi, has frequent provincial service between Manila and Lucena, with most stopping in town. All buses by those companies have air-conditioning, but they can get crowded during commute hours, especially when leaving Manila.
- Supreme. Frequent service between Batangas City and Lucena via Rosario, San Juan, and Candelaria. Buses either AC or "ordinary" non-AC. ₱14 from Lucena terminal, ₱43.75-117.25 from Batangas..
- Non-AC buses from other companies with trips to and from eastern Quezon or Bondoc Peninsula like AB Liner and P&O Transport also stop at Sariaya.
Buses stop at a designated location along General Luna near the public market, between Petron and Jollibee.
By car
Sariaya is along the Maharlika Highway (Manila South Road, numbered Route 1/AH26) which also serves as the town's main street. The highway narrows down into General Luna Street, a two to four-lane street, and is a major bottleneck on the route in Quezon.
Sariaya will be served by one exit on the South Luzon Expressway extension to Lucena; opening is at around 2022 or 2023.
The beach resorts along the coast are accessible via the newer Quezon Eco-Tourism Road (Route 422).
By jeepney
Jeepneys connect Sariaya with Tiaong, Dolores, and Candelaria, as well as Tayabas and Lucena cities, and their terminals are at the same location as the bus stops. Beware though, as most services use cramped and unlicensed vehicles; taking the bus instead is cheaper, faster and more comfortable.
Get around
The town proper is fairly small, and easily explored by foot.
Tricycles connect Sariaya town proper with all other barangays, and there are terminals near the public market, and at Quezon Avenue and Magdami Street.
Along Maharlika Highway, you can take a jeepney.
See
The town proper has over 150 buildings that are declared heritage sites by the Philippine government (see Wikipedia for a list). Among the most notable are:
- 🌍 Gala-Rodriguez Ancestral House, Rizal Street, Poblacion. It is an Art Deco mansion built by the renowned Filipino architect Juan Nakpil for the opulent Gala and Rodriguez families in 1935. It is one of the three houses in Sariaya declared a Heritage Home in 2008.
- 🌍 Natalio Enriquez Mansion, General Luna Street (At the corner with Rizal Street, near the church). A 19th-century Beaux-Arts mansion built by a former governor of Quezon, Natalio Enriquez. It is declared a Heritage House by the Philippine government in 2008.
- 🌍 Saint Francis of Assisi Parish Church, General Luna Street, Poblacion (Across the street from Rizal Park). A Barn-style Baroque church that forms the center of Sariaya's historic downtown. It was first built in 1599; the present stone church building was built in 1748, to replace one destroyed by earthquakes and flooding.
- 🌍 Villa Sariaya, Daliz Street, Poblacion. The ancestral home of Don Catalino Rodriguez, built in Bahay na Bato (stone house) style. It was built in 1922.
Eat
- 🌍 V&V Pizza, 12 Magdami Street, Poblacion, ☏ +63 42 525 7231. Pizza (house special, ham and cheese, Hawaiian, and pepperoni), sisig and shawarma. The location is small, and orders are done in a kiosk. ₱98-192.
Sleep
- 🌍 Balai Sadyaya Resort, Kamagong Road, Balubal, ☏ +63 42 651-2359. Has a restaurant open 9AM-10PM.
The coastal barangays of Sariaya, to the south of the town proper, has a string of resorts along the coast of Tayabas Bay. The beaches are made of black sand of volcanic origin, so don't be fooled by the images of the resorts presenting a white-sand beachfront. Their locations are quite secluded, but you can find any of them by following the signs placed along the Eco-Tourism Road.
- 🌍 Villa del Prado Resort, Bignay II (Follow the signs along Eco-Tourism Road), ☏ +63 42 525-6311.
Go next
| Routes through Sariaya |
| Tayabas ← Lucena ← | E W | → Candelaria → San Pablo |
| Lucena ← | E W | → San Juan → Rosario |