La Carlota City, a 3rd class city located at the Southwestern portion of Negros Occidental, is home to one of the oldest and most prominent sugar mills in the province. La Carlota is particularly popular for sugar-based food items, delicacies, and chicken “inasal.”

The rich cultural heritage of La Carlota is manifested through the celebration of the Pasalamat Festival, which falls every last week of April. The Festival is based on the tradition of giving thanks to gods of elements after a bountiful harvest by the ancient of Buglas. The city takes on a festive atmosphere during the week-long celebration, which culminates with a Mardi Gras like parade of floats and caricatures. Dancers flirtatiously move to the rhythm created by the drumbeaters using carabao leather drums and percussion instruments made out of indigenous materials.

There are quite a number of tourist attractions in the city. Two of the most frequently visited are the Guintubdan Pavilion and Mt. Kanlaon National Park. At the Guintubdan Pavilion, natural springs, waterfalls, giant trees, ferns, and caves among others are on site. Locals usually come in greater numbers than tourists. Guintubdan is a Sitio of Barangay Ara-al, situated at the easternmost part of the city. It is a tropical hideaway beneath a canopy of forest just 30 minutes ride from the City proper.

An active volcano, Mt Kanlaon sits at the heart of a national park that is popular with trekkers. It stands nearly 8,000 feet above sea level, making it the tallest peak in the Central Visayas. Excursions can be arranged through travel companies in La Carlota.

Like most towns and cities in the region, La Carlota is also home to a magnificent church which stood through time. More than a century old, the Church of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage stands at the heart of La Carlota City and has the distinction of being one of the very few churches of Romanesque Architectural design in the region. Features of this fortress church are the lavish use of red Silay bricks and coral stones from nearby Guimaras Island. The bricks and corals are bonded together with lime. It is believed that eggs were used as a binder for the lime, and labor was forced by the Spaniards to construct that wall of the fortress church.

Other cultural heritages of the city include an ancestral house named Balay Daku, the Muscuvado Mill Ruins, a train so-called “the Iron Dinosaur,” and the Central Azucarera del La Carlota.

Source:

Wikipedia

Official Website of La Carlota City

1stPhilippines.com

Also check out La Carlota City Website.