Bacolod City is the capital and largest city of the province of Negros Occidental. Having a total population of 499,497, according to the 2007 census, it is the most populous city in the Western Visayas Region. It is notable for its Masskara Festival held during October. Known for being a relatively friendly city, it bears the nickname "City of Smiles" and the "Football (soccer) City of the Philippines". Bacolod City recently topped a survey by MoneySense Magazine as the "Best Place to Live in the Philippines".

The city's name is derived from the Hiligaynon word bakolod – meaning "stone hill" – since the settlement was founded in 1770 on a stony, hilly area, now the district of Granada. Due to Muslim raids in 1787, Bacolod was relocated towards the shoreline. The old site is now called Da-an Banwa, meaning "old town".

Along the highways leading into and out of Bacolod City, sugarcane plantations are a typical scene, comprising nearly 85% of the total land mass in the area that is used by agriculture. The remaining 15% is utilized for the cultivation of rice, assorted vegetables, coconut, banana and corn. The people are also engaged in livestock, fishing and pottery.

The history of the Masskara Festival dates back during the 1980’s when the whole province of Negros Occidental suffered the effects of a sudden slump in the price of sugar on the international market. Many Negrense were left jobless and workers in the sugarcane plantations suffered with hungar as the whole province primarily relied on its main product of sugar. In April of that same year, the inter-island ferry, Don Juan, sank and many Negrense died and more families were left mourning for the loss. Thru the combined efforts of local artists, clergy, public officials and business leaders, the idea of holding of a festival was born, in an attempt to erase and move beyond the sad and gloomy atmosphere that the city and the province was thrust into. Then came the birth of the Masskara Festival that signaled a declaration from the people of Bacolod City and Negros Occidental of their willingness to rise up from the rubbles of economic downturn and their determination to survive and become victorious once again.

In 1897, a battle was fought in Bacolod, at Matab-ang River, by the Filipino resistance against the Spanish Occupation and government. A year later, on November 5, 1898, the Negrense "Revolucionarios," armed with knives, bolos, spears, rifle-like nipa stems, and carts armored with pieces of sawali and amakan, captured the convento where Colonel Isidro de Castro y Cisneros well-armed cazadores and platoons of civil guards surrendered. Two days later, on the 7th, most of the revolutionary army gathered together to establish a Provisional Junta and to confirm the elections of Aniceto Lacson as president, Juan Araneta as war-delegate, as well as the other officials. The success of the revolution in Bacolod was attributed to the low morale of the local Spanish detachment, due to its recent defeats in Panay and Luzon, and to the psychological warfare waged by Generals Aniceto Lacson and Juan Araneta. In March 1899, the American forces led by Colonel James G. Smith occupied Bacolod, which had become the revolutionary capital of the Provisional Republic of Negros.

In World War II, Bacolod City was occupied by Japanese forces on May 21, 1942. The Japanese commanding general seized the Mariano Ramos Ancestral House, home of the first appointed Presidente Municipal of Bacolod, which served as the seat of power and a watchtower over city. The city was liberated by joint Filipino and American forces on May 29, 1945.

The Panaad Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in the city. It is currently used mostly for football matches, and was used for the 2005 South East Asian Games. It was the venue of the pre-qualifiers of the 2007 ASEAN Football Championship (ASEAN Cup), in which the Philippines, Cambodia, Timor Leste, Brunei and Laos participated. The stadium has a seating capacity of 15,500, but holds around 20,000 people with standing areas. It is unofficially designated as the home stadium of the Philippine National Football team.

Bacolod Public Plaza is one of the notable landmarks in Bacolod City, which is found right in the heart of down town area, very near to the city hall and right across the San Sebastian Cathedral. The plaza is a trapezoidal park with a belt of trees all around the periphery and a gazebo/bandstand at the center. Scattered within the trees are four circular fountains. The Plaza was constructed in 1927 as a place for recreation, political, spiritual and cultural activities and has become a popular site for outdoor picnics and concerts. The gazebo/bandstand is inscribed along the sides of the roofing with the names of western musical composers Beethoven, Wagner, Haydn, and Mozart as a symbol of respect for the European composers. The plaza is the celebrated place of the Masskara Festival. Bacolod public plaza is the final destination of the Masskara street dancing competitions which are the highlight of the celebration.

The Capitol Park and Lagoon is a provincial park located right in the heart of Bacolod City. One of the landmarks of the park is the carabao (water buffalo) being pulled by a woman. This carabao is located at the northern end of the lagoon. On the other end, there is also another carabao sculpture but the carabao is being pulled by a man. This is believed to symbolize that both men and women equally and voluntarily serve a role in community development and government.

The Ports of Bacolod are a major seaport and have daily ferry trips to Iloilo City and Guimaras Island. The ferry crossing to Iloilo City is about 45 minutes and is boarded at the port of Dumangas, just outside of the city proper.

Although we are mainly just passing thru Bacolod City on our trek to Boracay, and staying for the night on our return leg, we will try to make at least a drive-by of the more notable landmarks mentioned above.