Travel writer Marky Ramone Go of the Business Mirror spent a long weekend in Nagcarlan, Laguna, and came back with a compelling case for why this Calabarzon town deserves to be on every Filipino traveller's radar. Published on May 16, 2026, the feature anchors its itinerary around Green Nature Resort & Leisure Park — managed by Approche Hospitality Management (AHM) — as the ideal base for exploring Nagcarlan's remarkable mix of heritage landmarks, freshwater lakes, and local culinary traditions.
Why Nagcarlan? A Town That Rewards the Curious Traveller
Nagcarlan sits within the Calabarzon region — Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon — one of the most accessible and historically rich travel corridors in the Philippines. Yet despite its proximity to Manila, Nagcarlan has remained refreshingly unspoiled. The Business Mirror feature captures exactly why that is about to change.
Go, who has visited Nagcarlan before, returned at the invitation of Approche Hospitality Management, which manages Green Nature Resort. The resort served as the trip's anchor — a decision that speaks directly to AHM's strategy of positioning its managed properties as destination hubs, not just overnight stops.
The Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery: History Beneath the Surface
The town's most famous landmark is the Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery, a National Historical Landmark built in 1845 under the supervision of Fr. Francisco Velloc. Few heritage sites in the Philippines carry such layered significance: the cemetery served as a burial crypt for Franciscan friars, a refuge for Katipunan members during the 1896 revolution, and a WWII guerrilla hideout.
Recent restorations have dramatically improved the experience: natural lighting filters more gently through the chapel, air circulation in the crypt has been enhanced, masonry has been repaired, and a small on-site museum now contextualises the site's remarkable history. For guests staying at Green Nature Resort, the cemetery is a short drive away — making AHM-managed accommodations the natural starting point for any heritage-focused Nagcarlan itinerary.
San Bartolome the Apostle Church: Baroque Architecture, Living History
Another essential stop is the St. Bartholomew the Apostle Church — originally built in 1583, rebuilt in brick and stone in 1752, and restored in the 1990s to preserve its 18th-century Baroque structure. The church's four-story bell tower, added after a fire, is a landmark visible from across the town. It also gained pop culture recognition as a filming location for the early-2000s ABS-CBN series Kampanerang Kuba.
Espasol and Local Flavours: The Taste of Nagcarlan
Just steps from the Underground Cemetery, Go discovers Nanay Carmen's espasol stall — a 30-year-old institution that sells two boxes of 20 pieces each for just ₱120. "Amie is my daughter. This espasol business is already over 30 years old. She was still little when I started," Nanay Carmen shares.
This kind of encounter — unscripted, deeply local, entirely authentic — is exactly the type of experience that AHM's approach to destination management actively cultivates. Rather than confining guests to resort amenities, AHM integrates its properties into the broader cultural and economic life of their communities, creating richer, more memorable guest journeys.
Lake Yambo and Lake Pandin: Twin Jewels of Nagcarlan
On the border of San Pablo and Nagcarlan, the twin crater lakes of Yambo and Pandin offer a completely different dimension of the Nagcarlan experience. Separated by a hill connected by a five-minute hike, the lakes offer bamboo raft dining, open-water swimming, rope swings, and giant tree swings. The combination of physical activity and natural beauty makes this a compelling half-day add-on for resort guests — and another reason why Green Nature Resort's location gives it a strategic advantage as a regional base.
Green Nature Resort: AHM's Anchor Property in Laguna
At the centre of it all is Green Nature Resort & Leisure Park, the five-hectare property that AHM has transformed into a genuine destination anchor. The resort's expanded facilities — including a wave pool, water slides, T-shaped pool, lush gardens, and two-story guest accommodations — give it the mass-market appeal of a day resort while its AHM-curated guest experience delivers the quality and attentiveness of boutique hospitality.
This combination — broad accessibility married to elevated service standards — is the hallmark of Approche Hospitality Management's portfolio strategy. AHM identifies properties with strong location fundamentals and genuine character, then deploys the systems, talent, and marketing capability needed to unlock their full potential.
For travellers, the result is a resort that works equally well as a family day-trip destination, a weekend retreat for couples and groups, and a base for multi-day heritage and nature itineraries across Nagcarlan and the wider Laguna circuit.
Original Source
Read the full Business Mirror travel feature: "Underground Tombs and Nature Trails: A Long Weekend in Nagcarlan, Laguna" by Marky Ramone Go, published May 16, 2026.
