The province of Capiz in Panay Island is a rising eco-tourism destination that has a lot to offer for different types of travelers. History buffs can visit sites of historic and religious interest, nature-trippers can venture out and explore the off-the-beaten natural tourist spots like islands and waterfalls, while culture buffs can enjoy the province’s rich handicrafts.

Roxas City, the capital of Capiz is known as the seafood capital of the country, and one of the best places for foodies. From fresh steamed oysters to baked scallops drowning in garlic and butter to jumbo tiger prawns to crabs cooked in chili sauce, Roxas City offers the freshest and most affordable seafood and shellfish. Even if your itinerary involves visiting different sites, you’ll probably find yourself eating your way around the province.

Where exactly is Capiz?

Capiz is located in the Western Visayas region at the northeastern portion of the Panay Island, bordering Aklan and Antique to the west, and Iloilo to the South. Capiz faces the Sibuyan Sea to the North.

The province gets its name from capiz shells or placuna placenta, a marine mollusk similar to scallops. Though the meat is edible, it’s valued more for its translucent glass-like shell, which is used in many decorative household items. Capiz windows are an architectural design that can be found in many old Philippine buildings and houses.

How to get to Capiz

Travel time to Roxas City via Plane (Cebu Pacific & PAL) from Manila (3 flights daily) is 45 minutes. Roxas City is also accessible via 2GO Ro-Ro from Batangas (12 hours). By bus or private car, it is approximately 2 hours from Iloilo and 4 hours to Boracay Island by land.

Getting around

Buses, jeepneys, public utility vehicles (PUVs) ply the main streets and smaller roads between the different towns in Capiz. The province has a well-developed system of road networks connecting highways. Within the city, tricycles are the most common mode of transport.

Yellow tourist tricycles with fixed rates are being introduced for those who want to hire a ride for the day around the main tourist sights. For hassle-free tours around Capiz and the rest of Panay Island, contact Las Islas Travel & Tours.

What to do in Capiz

Go on a Seafood Diet

Roxas City in Capiz is known as the “center of seafood trip tourism” in the country and food-tripping should be at the top of your list of things to do here. There are a number of resorts and restaurants facing Baybay Beach, where you can get your fill of eat-all-you-can oysters, shrimps, crabs, shellfish, prawns, managat, and other seafood delights.

One seasonal delicacy unique to Capiz is diwal (angelwing clams), a type of shellfish that contains succulent and sweet tasting meat described as superior to oyster. Scallops are also a specialty in the whole province.

READ MORE: Food Trip: Capiz

Take a Heritage Walk around Roxas City

If you’re just in the Roxas City proper, there are lots of heritage sites all within walking distance from each other. Stop first by Ang Panublion (a Hiligaynon term meaning “heritage”), a museum that was converted from an old water tank. The museum managed by memorabilia of prominent personalities of Roxas City, religious icons, artifacts and artworks.

Here, you can get a handy Heritage Walk Pack, a DIY walking guide to all the historic spots in the city. The suggested stops include:

• Ang Panublion Museum
• President Manuel A. Roxas Monument
• Birthplace of President Manuel A. Roxas
• The Roxas City Bandstand
• Immaculate Concepcion Metropolitan Cathedral
• Roxas City Fountain
• Capiz Bridge
• Panay River
• Jose Rizal Monument
• Capiz Provincial Capitol

Rates: No entrance fee for the Panublion Museum. The museum is open Mondays to Saturday 9am – 6pm. Viewing schedule outside regular museum hours may be arranged with the staff. Email: panublionmuseum@gmail.com

Relax by the beach

Baybay Beach is just three kilometers away from the Roxas City proper. During the day, locals head to this black-sand beach to go swimming, skimboarding or boating.

At night, locals like to hang out at the plaza and restaurants found along this strip of beach. You can get a nice view overlooking the coast from Culasi Point, a lighthouse reachable by a 20-minute hike from Culasi Port.

READ MORE: Baybay Beach & Grand Gazebo in Capiz

Visit the Santa Monica Church & Pan-ay Bell

Built in 1774, the lovely Santa Monica Church in Panay, Capiz is one of the oldest churches in the country. The church, which was declared a national landmark by the National Historical Institute of the Philippines, is also home to the largest Catholic Church bell in its five-story belfry.

The Panay Bell was said to be cast from 70 sacks of coins contributed by townsfolk and is weighs an astounding 10.4 tons. The bell, which measures 7 feet in diameter and has a height of 5 feet, is surrounded by eight smaller bells.

Rates: No entrance fee to visit the Santa Monica Church and Panay Bell. A token or tip for the guide / donation for the church is voluntary. Look for Randy Glimer at the Museo de Santa Monica right next to the church.

Take a relaxing river cruise

Capiz offers river cruises aboard bamboo raft huts through the mangrove-rich forests of the historic Panay River. There are currently three spots around Roxas City where river cruises are offered:

• The Palina Greenbelt River Tour
• Cadimahan Libotong River Cruise
• Culajao Mangrove Eco-Park

What makes the river tours unique is that you can choose what kind of experience you want. Get serenaded by local musicians with Capisnon folk songs, indulge in a seafood lunch, learn more about the local plants, try your hand at age-old fishing methods, or even get a traditional massage (hilot) or spa foot massage/ manicure/pedicure treatment while cruising down the river.

Cadimahan River Tour is located in Sitio Lawis, Baybay, Roxas City and is oprated by the Lawis Baybay Small Fisherfolk Association of Roxas City (LABSFAR). River tour starts at 8am – 4 pm. The 2-hour river tour costs P750 to P1,800 depending on the size of the raft. Some small rafts are good for 10 people, while the other rafts can fit as many as 40-50 pax. Arrange for additional services beforehand like food or bring trained spa therapists on board. Foot spa P150, Traditional Filipino Massage P300 (whole body). For more information, contact: 0907-2865835 (Shiela), 0910-2033229 (Jho)

Hike to waterfalls

The province of Capiz is home to many hidden and secluded waterfalls, including the scenic Malinamon Falls. This wide waterfall that cascades over a rocky riverbed is only one of 7 discovered waterfalls located inside Camp Peralta, a military reservation in Jamindan, Capiz. With an area of 33,000 hectares of unspoiled forests, mountain trek ranges, bike trails and camping sites, Camp Peralta is being eyed as an eco-tourism destination in the province.

For security purposes, pre-arrangements (at least one week) need to be made through the Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office (contact details below) for all potential visitors.

READ MORE: Malinamon Falls in Capiz

Another waterfall that can be found in the town of President Roxas is Liktinon Falls. To get to the falls, one must cross a couple of riverbeds, hike through deeply forested areas and clamber over huge boulders. Locals like to slide down the stones of the small waterfall into the cool basin at the foot of the falls.

Visit caves and natural springs

Suhot Cave and Spring in Dumalag, Capiz is a popular tourist spot for locals who want to go on weekend picnics. The cave boasts of a series of interconnected caverns of different sizes, while a pool of clear water fed by a spring from within the cave can be found right by the entrance.

A less explored cave with impressive stalactites and stalagmites is Lahab Cave, which can be reached by a scenic 30-45 minute trek through rice fields and bamboo forests from Suhot Cave.

Buy crabs in Pontevedra

Once a popular trading post because of its location near the river, the town of Pontevedra remains to be the mud crab capital of Capiz. 

According to vendors, they supply fresh seafood daily to popular tourist destinations in nearby province like Iloilo and Boracay.

Go on a pilgrimage to religious sites

In 1569, Capiz became the second Spanish settlement in the country (after Cebu). As a testament to their pre-Hispanic and colonial past, you can find many sites of religious devotion all around the province.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus Shrine is a giant statue of Jesus Christ located on a hilltop in Lawaan, Roxas City. Constructed just this 2015, the 132-foot (40 m) monument (102 ft mounted on a 30 ft.-high pedestal) is said to be the tallest of its kind in the Philippines.

Other sites of religious pilgrimage include the Agtalin Shrine in the town of Pilar, where an 80-foot tall statue of the Virgin Mary stands majestically atop a hill and the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto Meditation Hills in Sitio Bangkal, Brgy. Maninang, Sapian, a grotto and cross on top of a hill where visitors can get a lovely view of the rolling hills and mountain ranges below.

Go island-hopping

If you have more time to spare, you can go island hopping to secluded islands like Olotayan Island, a 53-hectare island blessed with white sand beach and serene shores. Visible from the shoreline of Baybay Beach is Mantalinga Island, said to be a good diving spot and rotunda for sailboats as well as kayaks during races.

For hassle-free island hopping trips, contact Las Islas Travel & Tours, a travel agency that organizes tours all over Panay Island. They can also arrange day trips and overnight tours to Islas de Gigantes located off the shore of Carles and Estancia in Northern Iloilo, but which is geographically closer and more accessible through Roxas City. Travel time to Gigantes Islands is 3 – 4 hours from Iloilo City, while only 1 hour and 45 minutes from Roxas City.

Where to stay in Capiz

There are numerous hotels all around Capiz, particularly Roxas City. During different trips to the province, I’ve had the chance to stay in several hotels.

Roxas President’s Inn is an elegant Spanish-Filipino hotel where each room is named after a past president. This hotel, which is located in the heart of the city center, is good for business travelers.

Urban Manor Hotel is a hotel located right across the public transportation terminal and about 10-15 minutes drive from from the airport. Interiors are a very modern, while rooms are basic but clean and comfortable.

Hotel Veronica is one of the newer hotels in the city, located near Robinson’s Place and the emerging business district of Pueblo de Panay. Good for business and leisure travelers, or those who want to enjoy some night life in the city.

Grand Gazebo Inn & Dormitel is a resort that offers private and dorm rooms, located right across Baybay Beach and the strip of barbecue grill/restaurants there. Good choice for those who want to be near the beach.

Maribert Inland Resort is a resort situated among rice fields with a huge swimming pool with its own poolside bar. Good for special family or business events, conventions or R & R activities.

Here’s a more detailed directory guide of Where to Stay in Capiz with addresses and contact numbers for reference.

What / where to eat in Capiz

You won’t run out of places to eat in Capiz. Popular establishments like Bitoy’s Balay Barbekyuhan, RML Manokan House and Roxas People’s Park & Seafood Plaza can be found along the beachfront and are good places to get freshly cooked seafood. Resorts like San Antonio Resort, Maribert Inland Resort and Espacio Verde serve good a more upscale and unique take on seafood and Filipino food.

In the city proper, be sure to check out Spanggo, a homegrown cafe that serves Spanish-Ilonggo cuisine. At night, head to Cafe Terraza, the first restaurant in the city to offer a scenic hilltop dining experience.

Diwal or angel wing clams is one of the prized shellfish specialties in Capiz. Locals say that the meat is sweet and succulent with a taste superior to oysters and mussels and a more delicate texture. Another unique delicacy I’ve found in Capiz is puyoy or grilled eel.

What to buy in Capiz

Capiz gets its name from capiz shells, which are widely used to make decorative items like chandeliers and lampshades, windowpanes and traditional Christmas lanterns. Be sure to take home capiz products from Kapis Atbp., a local business in Brgy. Banica, Roxas City. For inquiries, contact: (036) 6210482.

Mardebb Gift & Souvenir Shop sells native souvenirs and gift items made of wood and shells, like keychains, ref magnets, pencil holders, native bags and customized souvenirs. For dried and bottled food products and pastries, visit Spanggo Cafe & Pasalubong Center, where you can buy canned seafood, Kapis Aligue, Buko pie and cookies.

Festivals

Once known for celebrating the Aswang Festival (a Halloween-like celebration which featured ghouls and witches from local folklore), Capiz aims to shed that image and has shifted its festivals to celebrate the vibrant seafood industry and other religious commemorations.

The CAPIZtahan is a grand festival which celebrates the province’s abundant seafood while the Sinadya sa Halaran (which means “joy in sharing and thanksgiving”) is celebrated for the patroness of Roxas City, Our Lady of Immaculate Conception, and highlights the festivals of various towns.

Many thanks to the Capiz Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office and Las Islas Travel & Tours for showing us the beauty of Capiz! For inquiries and tours, contact:

Capiz Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office

• Address: 3/F, Provincial Capitol, 5800 Roxas City
• Facebook: Capiz Tourism and Cultural Affairs
• Tel. (036) 621-0042 local 133, 221
• Email: capiz.tourism@yahoo.com

Las Islas Travel & Tours

• Address: Pueblo de Panay, Roxas, Capiz, Philippines
• Facebook: Las Islas Travel & Tours
• Instagram: @LasIslasTravelandTours
• Email: lasislastravelandtours@gmail.com