Lipa is a thriving city in the Batangas province, about two hours south of Manila, long known as the coffee capital of the Philippines. In the nineteenth century, Lipa was one of the world's major coffee producers, and while blight and competition devastated the industry, coffee culture has made a serious comeback. You will find local barako coffee everywhere, strong and aromatic, and several farms in the surrounding highlands offer tours.
The city sits at a pleasant elevation that keeps temperatures slightly cooler than the lowlands, and the surrounding countryside is genuinely beautiful, with views of Mount Malarayat and rolling green hills. The Carmelite Monastery and the centuries-old San Sebastian Cathedral are worth seeing in the city center. Lipa is also the site of a famous alleged Marian apparition from 1948, and the religious sites associated with it still draw pilgrims.
The Casa de Segunda, a preserved ilustrado heritage house on Rizal Street, offers a window into 19th-century provincial life. If you are traveling between Manila and the Batangas coast, Lipa makes a worthwhile stop for a meal and a walk around the old center, rather than just another town to pass through on the way to the beach.