Attractions
General Jose Alejandrino Monument
Monument to Arayat's hero General Jose Alejandrino, propagandist and later senator and Pampanga governor, at the town hall.
Arayat
Town
Arayat
Town at the foot of Mount Arayat, with the national park trailhead at San Juan Baño and views over the Pampanga River.
Arayat is a municipality of 30 barangays with about 145,000 residents at the 2020 census. A large part of Mount Arayat lies within the town, and the mountain dominates every view across the plains.
Mount Arayat National Park, declared in 1933 and made a protected landscape in 2022, is entered at San Juan Baño. From there a trail climbs to the mountain's southern peak in about three to four hours. Local lore links the mountain to Sinukuan, a figure said to live at White Rock.
In the town center, the Santa Catalina de Alejandria Church is a heritage church with Renaissance-like features, and the Pampanga River runs along the town.
Good to know about Arayat
How tall is Mount Arayat?
Mount Arayat's summit is 1,026 m above sea level. It is an isolated stratovolcano that PHIVOLCS lists as inactive.
Where does the Mount Arayat hike start?
The southern peak trail starts at Mount Arayat National Park in San Juan Baño, Arayat, and takes about three to four hours. The higher northern peak is reached from Magalang.
Is Mount Arayat a national park?
Yes. Mount Arayat National Park was declared in 1933 and became a protected landscape under a 2022 law.
Things to do in Arayat
Attractions
Samia-Santos House and Santa Martina Chapel
Colonial-era Samia-Santos residence, known locally as Bahay Antigo, facing the Spanish-era Santa Martina Chapel.
Arayat
Attractions
Medina Ancestral House, Arayat
Spanish-era private residence from 1840 on P. Tan Street, also called the Calo-Medina house.
Arayat
Attractions
Pau Falls, Arayat
Small cascade at the foot of Mount Arayat in Barangay Baliti, near Gintung Pakpak Ecopark.
Arayat
Attractions
Gintung Pakpak Ecopark
Eco park at the foot of Mount Arayat in Baliti, with forest groves and a man-made reservoir.
Arayat
Attractions
Bale Batu, Arayat
Artist Jesus Padilla's 'Stone House' at the foot of Mount Arayat, built from cement and crushed mountain rock and modelled on Angkor Wat.
Arayat
Where to eat in Arayat
Bakeries
Balagtas Bread & Cake House
Arayat bakery named among the town's well-known food places.
Arayat
Bakeries
Agnes Pantig Puto Seko
Arayat maker of puto seko, listed among the town's famous food names.
Arayat
Budget Eats
Erwin's Sisigan
Sisig eatery in Arayat, named by Let's Go Pampanga among the town's well-known places to eat.
Arayat
Restaurants
Soupy Buns, Arayat
Taiwanese restaurant in Arayat's Poblacion serving xiao long bao, open 11am to 9pm.
Arayat
Where to stay in Arayat
Upcoming events in Arayat
Wed
25
Nov
Wed, Nov 25
Feast of Santa Catalina, Arayat 2026
Arayat's town fiesta on November 25 for its patron, Saint Catherine of Alexandria.
Arayat
Itineraries & guides in Arayat
Travel Guides
Where to eat in Arayat
From halo-halo and xiao long bao to puto seko and sisig: a short guide to eating in Arayat.
Arayat
Travel Guides
Mount Arayat National Park: visitor guide
Spring-fed pools, cottages and villas at the foot of Mount Arayat, plus what to check before hiking the protected mountain.
Arayat
Itineraries
A day in Arayat: old town, stone house and the foot of the mountain
A day in Arayat: the 1753 church and Paralaya's old houses, halo-halo, xiao long bao, then Bale Batu and Pau Falls in Baliti.
Arayat
Getting Around
How to get to Arayat
Arayat is reached via NLEX and Jose Abad Santos Avenue through Mexico and Santa Ana, or via Angeles and Magalang.
Arayat
Latest stories in Arayat
Culture
Arayat's old houses of Paralaya
Behind the 1753 church, a short street of colonial houses and a chapel tells Arayat's story as an old Pampanga town.
Arayat
Culture
Jesus Padilla's stone house at Bale Batu
How an Arayat artist built a home out of crushed mountain rock, inspired by the temples of Angkor.
Arayat
History
Bunduk ning Alaya: the mountain that watches over Arayat
Sacred to the old Kapampangans, a getaway for President Quezon and now a protected landscape: the many lives of Mount Arayat.
Arayat