Roxas City, Capiz Travel Guide

Just came back from our 3 week travel around Visayas and Mindanao. One of the places we visited was Roxas City coming from Iloilo because I want to show the girlfriend “The Seafood Capital of the Philippines”

Here’s our simple travel tips and recommendations on Where to Eat, Where to Sleep and What to do in Roxas City:

Where to Eat in Roxas City?

Breakfast: Usually hotels offer breakfast but if you want to try local, go to the public market and look for ibos (suman in Tagalog). This is a sticky rice cooked in coconut milk dunk in brown sugar and best enjoyed with kapeng barako .

Lunch: El Circulo Convention Center (see previous 2 photos), which is inside Pueblo de Panay. Dine with the freshest seafood the city has to offer and a 360-degree view of the city. A public jeepney/shuttle goes around the township so you don’t have to worry if you don’t have a service van.

Merienda: Spanggo, a mix of Spanish and Ilonggo cuisine. Highly recommended their Buko Pie , growing up in Los Baños, I have a high standard of buko pie. Plus the girlfriend has higher standard on desserts, she said one of the best pies in the Philippines. Not too sweet and 90% filled with coconut. Almost taste macapuno. Go there, it is also near Pres. Roxas Ancestral House and Museum.

Dinner: Baybay Ihaw-Ihaw and Seafood Paluto. Look for Bitoy’s Bbq order a bucket of oyster and kinilaw while watching the sunset over Panay Sea. The gentle waves will surely lull you to sleep after you drink 2-3 bottles of Gold Eagol beer . They have hammocks too. Relax. #RELAX!

Where to Sleep in Roxas City?

We sleep at Lawaan Garden Inn which is 2 kilometers away form downtown Roxas City. What we love about this hotel is the garden at the back of the establishment, very well-maintained, the room we stayed at is very clean and they even offered us welcome drink and complimentary breakfast. Price is fair and staff very courteous.

Official website here: www.lawaangardenhotel.com.ph

What to do in Roxas City?

Baybay Sunset. I always say that my experience of Capiz won’t be complete without the sunset dinner at Baybay seeing the changing colors of the sky while opening a bucket of oyster with a bottle of cold beer.

Fish Drying at Banica. Discover where your tuyo (dried herring) and daing comes from.

Palina River Tour. Every Saturdays and Sundays, the offer the river cruise for only Php100 with snacks of suman. You can book your tour directly by contacting 0910-609-7475 or 0948-131-4147.

El Circulo. A new and chick place to eat while overlooking the city. Located at the Pueblo De Panay township project.

Visit the Santa Monica Parish Church (Panay Church) where you can see the biggest Church Bell in Asia. Did you know? They have to melt 70 sacks of old coins from the locals in order to cast this big church bell?

Just so you know…

A lil bit of history: Capiz was the former name of Roxas City, in the island of Panay which is actually proclaimed the capital of the whole island when Miguel Lopez de Legazpi sent a delegation from Cebu during the early 16th century. This was because of the excellent location of the city to build a port. In the late 16th century, the Navy of Acapulco, Mexico made Capiz port its arsenal (naval yard) where they can seek shelter when the sea was rough. Capiz grew into a bustling port and several houses of stones were built. The social and political status enjoyed by the native chieftains of Capiz often resulted in mixed marriages with the Spaniards. The mestizo descendants became the base of the principalia or influential citizens. Their privileged positions allowed them to build houses around the favored square of the poblacion – around the church and the government complex.

Extra Travel tip: Consider to fly in or out of Roxas City, Capiz if you’re visiting Boracay. Caticlan is about 4 hours away from there. It is usually cheaper and less congested airport. There is also a 2GO ferry that leaves Manila twice a week. A slow way of travel gives traveler a different perspective. Plus you get to see 2 provinces in one trip too and spread out the spending thereby helping less visited communities.

For more info about Roxas City and Capiz, you can read my previous Travel Guide here: Capiz Travel Guide https://journeyingjames.com/2013/03/capiz-travel-guide-collab/

Enjoy The Seafood Capital of the Philippines and eat an oyster for me. Don’t forget to cheer with the cold beer!

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Contact Capiz Provincial Tourism for questions.

Website: Capiz Tourism
E-mail: capiz.tourism@yahoo.com
Landline: (036) 621-0042 local 133
Cell phone: +63921-3860210

I have written about Capiz in the past too:

• Capiz Travel Guide
• Exploring Lahab Cave in Dumalag, Capiz
• Bell, Seafood and Kayak
• Roxas City (Dried Fish) to Boracay Island (Sunset)
• Social Media in Marketing Hospitality and Tourism Talk at Roxas City, Capiz