Mandayao Panorama Park at La Castellana

Marked as K73 L11, Mandayao Panorama Park is a fast-developing destination for bike riders and those on short weekend getaways. Located at Barangay Mansalanao in the municipality of La Castellana, it sits out at the highest point of Mandayao Legacy Park. With an elevation that is sandwiched between two spectacular views: the south-west face of Mt. Kanlaon at one side, then parts of the sloping plains of La Castellana, hill ranges of Central Negros, parts of Moises Padilla, the coast of Hinigaran and Binalbagan right down to the Strait of Guimaras on the other. On clear days you should spot the islands of Guimaras and Iloilo where you can witness spectacular sunsets. 

There you will find an array of affordable restaurants that serves a variety of dishes, from the classic Pinoy favorites like batchoy, silog, pancit, inihaw, crispy pata, kare-kare, and even boodle fight meals. If you want to try foreign-inspired dishes some restaurants also serve localized versions of Japanese maki, Taiwanese hot pots, American burgers, Italian pizzas, and gyros. Each restaurant has its own edge, be it from the food that they serve or the ambiance that they set. Almost all of the restaurants are managed and manned by their respective owners, thus making your experience a little better. The laid-back setting tends to match with their service as waiting time can get apparent once their places reach a certain capacity. There will be days when a couple of their menu items won't be available, especially on weekdays...but for the most part, people do tend to go there to unwind more than go on a gastronomical journey. Get a cup of native coffee or open a bottle of beer, then take your time to sip them while gazing at the unobstructed landscape. 

Witness those natural wonders of nature.

Take as many photos as you can!

This picture does not compare to the sight you'll behold.

Parking's a bit of an issue since it's right on the curve.

Sit on bamboo floor and watch the world fly by.

Special assorted maki from Tuburan Cassandra.

Crispy Pata and Chopsuey at Martin's.

Native Chicken Binakol at XiZack Cafe.

Garlic with a bit of bangus at XiZack Cafe.

  

Halo Halo sa buko at XiZack Cafe.

Find yourself staring out at the foggy view at times.

My batchoy soup was flying off my spoon from how windy January was.

Getting There:

Driving there from Bacolod will take you between 1hr30mins to a little less than two hours. Our typical route from Bacolod city is to take the Murcia-Bago city road, pass through La Carlota city that will take us through the La Carlota-La Castellana road, then turn left at the fork to La Castellana-Canlaon road. This route is a scenic route that will be an alternating series of rice fields and sugarcane fields in parts of Murcia and Bago. The backdrop of those haciendas will be transitioning from Mt. Silay to Mt. Kanlaon at a certain point. Ma-ao leading up to La Carlota will lean more into small barangays and sugarcane fields. La Carlota city has a small city center where you can walk from the city's public market to the historical Our Lady of Peace parish. I recommend you do a stopover for dinner at La Carlota Plaza's night market where you can feel that East-Asian vibes. 

The other route you can opt for is to take the National Highway from Bacolod. This will take you through a more populated route with the occasional sight of rice fields and the waters of Guimaras Strait. You'll pass through Bago for the most part including the infamous Bago bridge. You can make a quick stop at Bago highway for some watermelons, cantaloupes, and tomatoes. At Valladolid, you can get some really good mangoes at the side of the road right after the bridge at the end of the coastal road. Go straight past San Enrique up to Pontevedra where you'll take a left at the church. Pontevedra is the municipality next to La Castellana with lots of sugarcane plantations in between. It'll be a bit of an uphill ride that will take you to a different fork at La Castellana. The road of the two given routes is fully cemented but with a couple yet short steep climbs.

Mt. Kanlaon is reputable for its shy nature, hugging itself with clouds most hours of the day.

But in those few moments when she does show herself, she is beautiful.

This is one of the best angles of Mt. Kanlaon.

Those are hill ranges of Central Negros at a distance.

The yellow dash lines is the panoramic range of Mandayao Panorama Park. The sun rises at the back of Mt. Kanlaon and sets at the horizon of Guimaras Strait.

These are my two suggested routes getting to Mandayao Panorama Park from Bacolod.

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