Negros Occidental, Philippines

Experience a happy blending of cosmopolitan and rustic lifestyle in Negros Occidental, the sugar capital of the country.  Celebrate nature’s blessings: waterfalls, caves, mountains, rivers, springs and valleys.  Go hiking and camping, fishing and angling, scubadiving and snorkeling, mountain biking and sky diving with guidance from reliable locals.

Negros Occidental Location Map

Negros Occidental is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Bacolod City and occupies at the northwestern half of Negros island; Negros Oriental is at the southeastern half. Across the Panay Gulf and the Guimaras Strait to the northwest is the island-province of Guimaras and the province of Iloilo on Panay island.

Negros Occidental Provincial Capitol

At the turn of the century, the City of Silay was then known as the “Paris of Negros” – the center of arts and culture in the Province. Silay has been declared as a “living city museum” on the Philippines and one of the 25 anchor tourist destinations in the country.

Heritage Buildings in Silay City

The Negrense countryside is characterized mainly by the scenery provided by sugarcane plantations – the lifeblood of the negros economy. Go north of Bacolod and visit the Victorias Milling Company, one of the lagest sugar mills in the world or south where a visit to Bago will enable you a glimpse of the ruins of an ancient sugar mill or a ride in a vintage train that was once used to transport volumes of Sugar in Negros Occidental.

Sugarcane fields in Negros Occidental

At the highlands of Negros Occidental is a thick cover of rainforests that shroud the mountains with wonderful sights and a allure of mysticism. The whole island is capped by Mt. Kanlaon – the “sacred” volcano of his island. Murcia is a popular tourist destination because of the Mambukal Resort, where visitors can take a dip in its 7 waterfalls, swimming pools, or natural hot springs. There also also numerous other highland destinations in Negros that tourists can explore like Patag in Silay, Kipot Twin Falls in Bago, Mag-aso falls in Kabankalan among others.

Waterfalls in Patag , Silay City

At the northernmost and southern most points of Negros are its beach and island destinations. In the north, Sagay is home to an vast marine reserve called carbin reef and Cadiz has many excellent resorts. In the south, there’s Sipalay, which attracts a growing number of local and foreign tourists because of its white sand beaches and pristine waters.

Mag-aso Falls in Kabankalan

Most residents are of Austronesian heritage. Residents of Negros are called “Negrenses”. Negros Occidental is predominantly a Hiligaynon-speaking province. However, on the east coast of the island (Negros Oriental), facing Cebu Island, a few cities and towns are Cebuano-speaking. English is widely spoken in both sides of the island.

Bacolod, the capital of Negros Occidental, is one of the major urban centers in the Philippines

Source: Wikipedia, Negros Occidental Provincial Tourism Office