Planning on where to go next? Why don’t you try visiting the beautiful archipelago down Southeast Asia?
The Philippines is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia, situated in the western part of the Pacific Ocean. Being widely known as an archipelago, the Philippines is home to 7,641 beautiful islands, three of which are the country’s main divisions starting from the north to the south, namely: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Out of the many islands, sceneries, and tourist spots the country has to offer, Tagaytay has got to be the very first destination to tick off of your list. The City of Tagaytay is located on the island of Luzon, specifically in the province of Cavite. Cavite is comprised of several towns and cities, and Tagaytay is one of its components. For most Filipinos, Tagaytay has easily become a favorite weekend getaway place. The city is most popularly known for its mild climate as it sits on top of a ridge above Taal Lake, overlooking the beautiful views of the Taal Volcano. Today, Tagaytay is considered as one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations primarily because of its proximity to the metro, with only about an hour to an hour and a half drive from Manila.
Want to know more? Let’s get started! Here are a few reasons why Tagaytay should be your first destination in the Philippines:
The View and The Experience
For those who seek adventure, Tagaytay has got to be one of the places in the Philippines you should definitely visit. A half-day of trekking down the rim of the Taal will inevitably trigger an adrenaline rush. In fact, if you’re visiting Tagaytay, you shouldn’t miss this! One of the most popular things Tagaytay has to offer is its beautiful view of the active volcano that is Taal Volcano, surrounded by the vast Taal Lake, which is home to one of the country’s most renowned natural resources, the tawilis.
More than the view, you get to treasure the experience of a 30-minute motorboat leisure ride across Taal’s freshwater lake and trekking or riding a horse upon reaching the summit. On top of all that, it’s the breathtaking 360-degree view of Taal’s hidden lake on top of the crater that makes your half a day journey all worth it.
The History
Aside from the beautiful view of the Taal Lake and Volcano, Tagaytay also offers a panoramic and picturesque landscape of the entire city, also overlooking some parts of Batangas. The People’s Park in the Sky is a popular park located on Cavite’s highest point, which is Mt. Sungay. The park was formerly called the Palace in the Sky, built during the time of Marcos. It was intended to be a [presidential] mansion, hence its name. During that time, former President Marcos ordered the construction of this site to accommodate former US President Ronald Reagan’s visit. However, the construction halted when President Reagan’s trip got canceled.
Today, the park is open to the public every day from 8 AM to 6 PM. An entrance fee of Php30 is collected to help rehabilitate and maintain the entire area. Aside from indulging yourselves in the stunning views of the entire town, you can also bring in some food and drinks, and rent tables and cottages if you wish to spend and eat your lunch here.
The Luxury
Although located in the province, Tagaytay does not disappoint. Today, the city continues to improve and make developments in terms of real estate properties. For one, Tagaytay Highlands has always been the best and most luxurious real estate in the city that offers world-class facilities and amenities for all their guests. Aside from real estate, Tagaytay also continually develops commercial spaces and businesses like shopping centers, grocery stores, restaurants, and a lot more!
With that, you wouldn’t really be missing out on a lot despite visiting a province because of how developed and improved Tagaytay has been over the past years.
The Diversity
Want to go on an adventure? A picnic? A food trip? A pilgrimage? A shopping spree? Well, whatever it is you want to do, Tagaytay definitely has that for you!
Aside from its chilly weather, the view, the history, and the luxury, Tagaytay is also known for its diversity as it caters a lot of needs and wants of every tourist. Seeking adventure? As mentioned, you can trek your way to Taal Volcano’s crater and hidden lake. To add to that, you can also try heart-stopping rides at Tagaytay’s amusement park, which is Sky Ranch. It’s also home to Tagaytay’s Sky Eye, which is believed to be one of the highest Ferris wheels in the country.
Want to go on a chill Saturday afternoon picnic? Don’t worry, you can do that here in Tagaytay too! The city is known for its Picnic Grove where you can rent tables and cottages if you ever wish to stay for breakfast, lunch, or an afternoon snack. For a more picnic-y vibe, you can also bring your own mat and basket so you can recreate a picnic setting just like what you always see in the movies. Picnic Grove also has zip lines and trekking activities should you want to trigger your adrenaline rush.
Wrapping Up
All in all, Tagaytay is home to a lot of fun activities that people of all ages will surely enjoy. The city dwells in a variety of churches, shopping malls, picnic spots, and restaurants that you can visit and go crazy with! If you’d ask me, Tagaytay is definitely one of the places in the Philippines that you should never miss out on.
Have you visited Tagaytay before? Did you like it?
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Learn more about Angelo Castelda
Angelo Castelda works as a contributor for a news magazine in Asia. He loves to learn and understand diverse cultures and aims to share through his writing his experiences around the world.
I have several friends from the Philippines, but have yet to get there for a vacation. Over 7,000 islands is crazy, although I’m sure a lot of them aren’t inhabitable. This island looks absolutely amazing. I would definitely love to visit it.
Tagaytay sounds a perfect destination for a vacation. I like the convenience that a metropolis has to offer but I love the serenity and simplicity of the countryside/province. Tagaytay sounds a mix of both… I feel I’d love the place.
This looks like such a gorgeous destination! I can see why lots of tourists just hop on the metro to go and visit. The lake is stunning! I’ve never been to the Philippines, but I hope to get there someday.
Tagaytay is one of my favorite spots in the Philippines. I feel like destinations like Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines are way too touristy I mean way overboard, which is the part that I despise the most. I love those countries but because of the increasing numbers of visitors these past decades I highly doubt that I would want to visit it anymore. But nonetheless, Tagaytay is one of the few place the Philippines that you wouldn’t see hordes of people so often, and the best tip is to visit it in an offseason.
I still haven’t made it to the Philippines but am seeing more and more reasons to book a flight ASAP! Tagaytay looks like the perfect destination for me – I am such a sucker for nature. It looks like there’s something there for everyone, too, so it shouldn’t be too hard convincing my friends/family to go with me!
Tagaytay really looks worth visiting in Philippines as the view of Taal volcano from the ridge of mountain is really stunning. I never nknew that Philippines is archipelagic and it has more than 7000 islands. I was thinking to visit this beautiful country in near future so adding Tagaytay in my itinerary as it very close to Manila also.
I have never been to Tagaytay but it is great to learn about the place. This will surely help me understand that I must spend some time in Tagaytay when in Philippines before anywhere else. I am highly impressed by the diversity of the region.
I would love to hike down the rim of Taal Volcano and that lake looks gorgeous! I’ve been to the Philippines but very few cities and I plan to return one day, especially to visit Cebu and Siargao. It seems like Tagaytay could be a great addition to my itinerary as well.