Himamaylan Old Capital, Church & Hamungaya Campsite
Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental · about 73 km from 3ACs Apartment, Talisay City
The old capital of Negros: church ruins in town, a hilltop campsite above, seafood and mangos on the coast.
About
Himamaylan was the capital of Negros island in the late 1700s, and the stone ruins beside its San Isidro Labrador church are said to be the oldest historic ruin in Negros Occidental. Start with a slow walk around the church and plaza, then drive up to Hamungaya Campsite in Brgy. Calanci for cool air, tents and a wide view of the plains and the Guimaras Strait. Finish on the coast with fresh seafood and, in season, the sweet Himamaylan mangos the city is known for.
History
Himamaylan became the seat of the Spanish government of Negros after Ilog, before the capital moved north to Bacolod in 1849. Local historian Modesto Sa-onoy called its church ruin the oldest in the province.
Why visit
Heritage, a hilltop camp and seafood in one easy stop on the south road.
How to get there
Himamaylan city proper is about 1.5 hours south of Bacolod by bus; Hamungaya Campsite is in the uplands of Brgy. Calanci (tricycle or habal-habal).
- Ceres bus Bacolod–Himamaylan
- Habal-habal to Calanci
Prices (estimates)
- ChurchFree
- CampsiteAsk about entrance and tent fees
Hours / best time: Church open daily; campsite best at sunrise or sunset
Nearby places
- Mag-aso Falls — Twin falls dropping into a turquoise pool — 108 steps down into the gorge.
- Binadlan Falls (Bambi Falls) — Binalbagan's upland waterfall, now easier to reach on a new concrete road.
- Balicaocao Highland Eco-Park — Hilltop park with a sweeping view of Kabankalan, sunsets and city lights.
- Ilog — First Capital of Negros & Kisi-Kisi Festival — The town where Negros was first governed — famous for oysters and the shrimp-dance Kisi-Kisi Festival.
- Glory Hill, Isabela — A hilltop pilgrimage site with a 45-foot steel cross and wide views of the sugarcane plains.