If you’re a biker from the South, you definitely know that this place is a favorite destination for cyclists. It is situated on Barangay Casile, Cabuyao, Laguna. According to Wikipedia, “The mansion was built in the 1980s during the administration of dictator and Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos using funds stolen from state coffers.”

I met up with the Enriquez boys, along with other friends at Jubilation. It was still dark when we started to pedal our way to Nuvali, Sta. Rosa.

We reached Sta.Rosa before sunrise and we proceeded to traverse Nuvali Blvd to Barangay Casile.

After reaching the 1st rotunda, take the first right turn and you’re on the road leading to the mansion. It doesn’t say on Google maps what the road name is though.

After 2.67kms, you get to the base of the uphill climb going to the mansion. You can’t miss it as there is a sign pointing to Barangay Casile. (photo from Google Maps)

It was a gradual climb going up. Not as daunting as Davilan trails, but still presented a challenge. There was a queue of bikers going up, some struggling, others enjoying. You can hear the gears grinding as they try to find the best cadence for the climb. Further up the climb, you can see bikers off their saddles, resting, taking photos, having a drink, and others, who are already on the descent.

I pushed thru, I kept pedalling. I didn’t want to walk and push my bike up. I reached level ground, it was a short reprieve from the incline. I was able to catch my breath before another incline. There were several turns along the road, this added another challenge as it will make you lose momentum. As I was able to see the roof of the mansion, I had difficulty catching my breath. I had to stop and rest. I sat down on the side of the road and watched other bikers pass by, not realizing that I was already at the top.

The spot where I sat down was the last corner before you get to the mansion. After catching my breath, I pedaled the last few feet before arriving at the mansion grounds.

We headed back to Sta. Rosa after taking photos to grab some breakfast.

It was starting to drizzle as we descended but that didn’t stop us from taking more photos on the way down. We have a view of the Canlubang Golf and Country Club from where we were.

We had breakfast and coffee at Paseo de Sta. Rosa. Good thing we were already there before the heavy downpour.

We waited until the rain subsided before heading back to Biñan.

Till our next ride!