San Carlos City Hotels

Experience the rustic lifestyle in San Carlos, Negros Occidental. Have fun immersing yourself with beautiful sceneries, historical attractions, and natural wonders. Set your next out of town trip to San Carlos and have the best time of your life.

San Carlos City may not be a popular destination, but a quick research will tell you of its own hidden treasures that are worth visiting. Enjoy natural sceneries and beautiful man-made creations.

San Carlos was once called “Nabingkalan,” which has two stories to tell: 1) it was derived from the name “Nabingka” who was a beautiful princess who ruled the place for a long time and when she died, the inhabitants of San Carlos then mourned her death for two years and 2) it referred to the Negritos settlement of locals from the towns of Western Coast of Cebu Island who came to Negros.

 

How to Go

By plane

You can take a one-hour flight from Manila to Bacolod. Cebu Pacific and Philippines Airlines offer daily flights. From Bacolod, hop on a bus going to San Carlos City. Travel time is approximately three hours and a half. But if you have your own vehicle, reaching the place can only take two hours.  

By boat/ferry

You can get to Negros via ferry from Manila with a travel time of 18 hours or from Iloilo that dock at Bacolod City. From the port, you can hail a cab and ask to take you to the Ceres Bus Terminal and ride a bus going to San Carlos City.

 

Getting Around

You can get around to most places in San Carlos City via different modes of transportation. The most convenient way to check the city is riding a pedicab. You can also ride jeepneys for far destinations in the city.

 

Tourist Attractions

A visit to the Sipaway Island will take your breath away. A white sand beach known as “Refugio Island” in maps, is less than a 15-minute boat ride from the San Carlos port. Boaters charge P10 per person. If you’re up for some adventure, a visit to Cave Lapus is a must. A cave located within the mountains of San Carlos is magnificently structured with rock formations, stalactites, and stalagmites, and an underground river passage that will make your trip even more exciting.

Your trip to San Carlos City wouldn’t be complete without visiting the San Carlos Rice Terraces. This attraction is carefully engineered by the local farmers. See this majestic place whenever you’re in Barangay Quezon, Codcod, and Prosperidad. Also, don’t forget to check out the Prosperidad Trail where you can see hills, cave, and a heart-shaped lake.  Visit People’s Park for amenities like swimming pools, picnic areas, playgrounds, cafes, and more if you just want to relax for the day.

Aside from the natural wonders, San Carlos City also has historical attraction waiting to be discovered. A visit to the Broce Ancestral House or the San Carlos Borromeo Cathedral should also be on your to-do list.

 

Top Things to Do

Dive into the crystal clear and azure waters of Sipaway Island. Enjoy water sports and other recreational activities like scuba diving, kayaking, snorkeling, or even just simply swimming. Trek to the Choco Hills and Codcod Rice Terraces. You can also visit San Carlos during the Pintaflores Festival, held every 1st week of November.

 

Where to Eat

Of course, a visit to every new place wouldn’t really be fun and complete without a taste of its own cuisine. To start, try out Tatay Apin’s Famous Chorizo. Their food is pure pork meat and has no preservatives. Next on the list is Sir Chief’s Stuffed Burger. Indulge yourself to their thick and juicy stuffed burgers.

If you suddenly craved for a foreign cuisine around town, try the Recipes of Holland. Now, if you want good food with a beautiful view, head on over to Cloud 16 Food Station and enjoy a hot bowl of their tasty native chicken tinola. Fukien Food is home for Chinese cuisine.

 

Nightlife

San Carlos isn’t much for a nightlife, but there are a few places you can visit and stay at if you’re still up and about after dark. A fair number of bars with live bands and karaokes are open and can be found in Center Mall. Or you can go to Cloud 16 Food Station where dining is taken to a new level after dark, coupled with cool jazz or live bands performing while you enjoy an iced cold beer.

 

Where to Stay

You can find a lot of hotels in San Carlos, Negros Occidental. One of the many is the Skyland Hotel and Restaurant. Its rooms are furnished with double beds, equipped with televisions, air conditioning, and hot showers. Their room rates start at Php 650 to Php1,000.

Yoyong’s Travellers Inn is located where you can easily access bus terminals, port, and downtown area. They have budget-friendly and air-conditioned rooms with flat-screen TVs, cable, and free WiFi access.

La Vista Highlands Mountain Resorts may be a bit pricey but you will get what you pay for. They offer a variety of amenities, such as zip lines, cable cars, horseback rides, and karaoke. Each has their own rates, though. They offer a variety of rooms. Their room rates start at Php 2,500 and can be as expensive as Php10, 800 if you are a group of 9.

 

Travel Tips

• Make sure to get the contact numbers of your ride, you’ll never know when you will need it.

• Do your research and plan ahead before visiting Negros, especially if you’re going solo.

• If you get seasick easily, the best option to get to Bacolod is via plane.