Casa Corazon, Lemery, Batangas

Stop saying “I wish”. Start saying “I wheel.”

Fancy seeing a sleek and handsome 1960 BMW R60 with original Steib sidecar or a 1941 BMW R75, the most advanced and sophisticated motorcycle during WWII? Well, you don’t have to travel as far as Munich to see an impressive and rare collection of vintage BMWs. Head to Casa Corazon in Lemery, Batangas and experience an exhilarating joyride in a place known to be as motorcyclist’s heaven.

Casa Corazon, according to the caretaker, was named after the late matriarch of the place. Coincidentally, it is also a Spanish term for “House of Hearts”. And truly, everything about the Casa reflects the owner’s (Boy Tibayan) heart desires.

The two-storey ancestral house, mostly made of brick and hard wood, was converted into a B&B. The house is filled with antique wooden pieces and furniture, family heirlooms, and a women’s shoe collection, which is a little Imeldific. The master’s bedroom has a beautiful four poster bed.

Since the owner is also fond of birds, there is an aviary with over 200 rare and exotic birds, including parrots and hornbills.

The main attraction of the house is the motorcycle and car collection of Boy. They are actually housed in four stand-alone show rooms, and are still in good working condition, looking brand-new. Boy has been passionately collecting and restoring two (and three) wheels for the last two decades, and they have now reached to more than 180, some were even imported from abroad. The eye-catching of course are the BMWs.

There are also swimming pools for adults and children, as well as a nearby beach, making Casa a good venue for family outings or big group gatherings.

The result of the motorcycle addiction of Boy is quite amazing. He did not only establish the First Motorcycle Museum in the Philippines, he proved to everyone that hobbies can be lucrative, sort of saying if there’s a wheel, there’s a way. 

From Manila, Casa Corazon can be reached via bus commute. Take Lemery-bound bus; upon reaching Lemery, take another jeep going to Calaca. Tell the driver to drop you off at Casa Corazon, which is just along the highway. It is near the border of Calaca and Lemery, just a few meters before the Calaca arc.

Casa Corazon

Brgy. Calauang, Sinisian West

Lemery, Batangas