Review ｜ Monasterio de Tarlac ★★★★★
The Monasterio de Tarlac, located 60km northwest of Angeles or 30km west of the small city of Tarlac, makes for a great road trip adventure. It’s just far enough away from Angeles to give you a feeling for what life is like away from the touristy centers without being obnoxiously far. It’s the perfect distance for exploring on a motorbike. While it’s not popular with foreign tourists, it is with locals. Do expect to see a fair amount of people here.
The monastery’s main claim to fame is that it houses a relic believed to be a fragment of the True Cross of Jesus, if you believe in all that. The real draw is actually the location. The church rests on a peaceful hilltop offering stunning views and a tranquil atmosphere, which are meditative to say the least. To be fully upfront, the church itself is not all the impressive. A bit too modern for my taste, but the area around the monastery more than makes up for that.
If you are doing your own road trip around the area, you might consider adding Mater Carmeli Monastery to your itinerary. It adds an additional 30km to the trip, but it will take you through more of the area. Mater Carmeli isn’t as significant, but it helps round out the trip a bit with an additional place to see in the area.
Expect to spend about sixty to ninety minutes here if you plan on hiking around a bit and exploring the mountain top.
Need more information about the Philippines?
Read our full write up on Angeles City HERE.
Mill over our full write up on Manila HERE.
Check out our full write up on Cebu HERE.
Look at our full write up on Laoag HERE.
View our full write up on Vigan HERE.
Peruse our tips on Palawan HERE.
Noddle over our notes on Negros HERE.
Contact & General Information
Price: Free
Hours: 7am-6pm
Website: Monasterio de Tarlac
Location: Google
