11 coolest towns in the Philippines

Some locals cope with the heat by hitting the sugary beaches.

Others turn air-conditioned malls into their second living room.

Then there are those who seek refuge in the upland barangays (villages), such as Bucari in Leon or Mantalongon in Dalaguete, where the elevation offsets the Philippines’ equatorial warmth.

In its provincial boondocks, the Philippines has the ultimate paradox: the cool tropical town.

Lower temps, however, aren’t the only things that make these towns cool.

1. Baguio

Inspired by the British Raj, American colonists built a sanatorium in the chilly heights of Benguet Province in 1903 for heat-oppressed, homesick soldiers.

By 1909, the place was transformed into an American town, Baguio, with the help of Flatiron Building architect Daniel Burnham.

For a few summers, the American governor-general would move the seat of government here from humid Manila.

At 5,200 feet above sea level, Baguio enjoys low temperatures — in 1961 it dropped to a recorded low of 43 F (6.3 C).

Even though the governors-general are long gone, the city remains a summer capital and vacation favorite, packed to the precipice, especially during Holy Week.

Tourists eat peanut brittle and strawberries fresh from the nearby fields of La Trinidad.

Getting there: From Manila, an eight-hour bus ride is the standard way to reach Baguio (flights are rare, save for the odd charter). Buses leave from Manila’s Caloocan, Cubao and Pasay residential areas.

MORE: 36 hours on a Philippine bus

Tourists can also settle for canoe rides with the T’boli, a tribe of weavers.

Weather-induced shivers are eased by their warm hospitality, if not the traditional cloth (t’nalak) that’s sold around town.

Getting there: Fly or sail to General Santos City, then take a bus to Koronadal. Ride another bus to Surallah, where vans and jeepneys shuttle you to Lake Sebu.

11. Itbayat

Itbayat is the only low-altitude town on this list.

But what it lacks in altitude it makes up for in latitude.

As the northernmost town in the Philippines, and thus the furthest from the equator, Itbayat experiences four seasons instead of two.

It can out-winter Baguio between November and February, when temperatures crash to 44 F (7 C).

Itbayat looks more like an English moor than a tropical island town. (English seafarers settled the area in the 17th century and called it Orange Isle.)

Ivatans, the native inhabitants of this frontier town, brave the cold winds with thermal garments called vakul and kanayi.

Their houses are built with sturdy walls of coral bound by lime.

Getting there: Flights from Manila and Tuguegarao serve Basco, Itbayat’s neighboring island, at least once a week.

A four-hour boat ride or 10-minute flight links Itbayat and Basco.

MORE: Philippine jeepneys nearing end of colorful road?

CNN