Exploring Luzon Island Beyond Manila

By Anna Purpurpurpur

Have you ever planned to explore Luzon, the largest island of the Philippines where Manila is located?

Numerous natural spots are available for admiration there, including waterfalls, volcanoes, and beaches, and we have just scratched the surface of the spots you can easily reach from Manila. See them below!

1. Caleruega and Batulao Scenery

The Philippines is famous for its views, and one of the most amazing places to see there is Mount Batulao, an inactive volcano located in Batangas province.

One of the spots to observe it from is Caleruega.

The Caleruega Church is named after a town of the same name in today’s Spain where Saint Dominic, the founder of the Dominican Order, was born. It’s famous for its Transfiguration Chapel, and it’s a popular wedding venue.

But besides that, it’s a wonderful green space overlooking – again – Mount Batulao, with gardens, a rope bridge, a theatre, and koi ponds. This multilayered system of ramps over the interconnected koi ponds with waterfalls is genius.

For this view of Batulao Mountain, come to Batulao Road nearby around the Blue Leaf Arillo venue.

The scenic multilayered panorama is absolutely stunning!

2. Pineapple Plantation

Visiting a pineapple plantation is a must in the Philippines – and additionally don’t forget about the degustation: you can buy fresh fruits from the stalls along the road during your trip too!

Actually, although pineapples originate from South America, they are very loved in Asia too, and the Philippines is the Pineapple Capital of Asia. We headed to the plantation close to the Amadeo coffee plantation – you can learn here about different stages of this tropical fruit development.

It was a really unusual sight – and you’ll be really surprised if you haven’t seen how pineapples grow before. Of course, I had to wear a pineapple dress for this occasion.

3. Twin Lakes Tagaytay

The Twin Lakes Tagaytay is a redeveloped area with a vineyard, hotels, shops, cafes – and scenic views! We came here to see the view over Taal Volcano. Taal Volcano is an active volcano in Batangas province surrounded by a lake of the same name – and it has a tiny lake within its caldera too!

But don’t be mistaken by this serene, idyllic scenery – Taal Volcano is actually pretty dangerous; it erupts frequently: around a dozen small eruptions happened only in 2025, and in the last few years, people were evacuated from the area a few times!

And I think I’ve just found the most scenic Starbucks in the world here too – with a view over volcano as well!

4. People’s Park in the Sky

There are numerous observation points in Tagaytay to see Taal Volcano, and we visited a few of them.

And we headed to the People’s Park in the Sky, the highest observation point too. This area is famous not only for the views but also for its mansion, called the Palace in the Sky, and The Shrine of Our Lady, Mother of Fair.

However, the People’s Park in the Sky looked like this. Maybe you’ll have better luck!

5. Patungan Cove

Patungan Cove is a beachfront facing the entry to Manila Bay. We came there just to enjoy the views, which are pretty spectacular, with all the boats gliding through the clear turquoise water.

We arrived from the rocky side, but if you’d like to have a proper dive, come to the sandy beach a bit further – this place is said to be great for swimming and snorkeling. I was able to spot some marine life even from the shore (but yes, there’s a bit of trash left on the spot there too).

6. Meeting the Macaques

On our way to Patungan Cove from Manila, along the Ternate-Nasugbu road, we spotted quite a large group of wild macaques which seemed to be pretty used to receiving human attention.

They were not aggressive and even gentle in a way; however, I wouldn’t approach them closely and would keep your belongings safe just in case.

7. St. Francis Xavier Parish Church

St. Francis Xavier Parish Church in Nasugbu was first erected at the very beginning of the 19th century.

It was located in a different location and was burned down by the Spanish during the Filipino revolution in the late 19th century. Later, the church was rebuilt and now commemorates those who lost their lives during the uprising against Spanish control.

The current building dates to the mid-20th century. Admire the stained glass, altar piece, and a large bell at the church entrance.

8. Kawit Independence

If you’d like to explore more of the history of the Philippines during your trip, head to Kawit (it’s located pretty close to Manila) because a rare spot beats it in terms of political significance.

Exactly here, in Kawit (previously known as Cavite el Viejo), on 12 June 1898, General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed Philippine independence from Spain after three centuries of their rule. It was a glorious achievement with huge help from the United States after the revolution started in 1896.

The event took place in Emilio Aguinaldo’s ancestral home, which is now declared a shrine and turned into a museum, and the tomb of Emilio Aguinaldo, who became the country’s first president, is located there in the garden. You can visit the museum there and explore a bit of Kawit too – for instance, they are famous for their oysters!

Where to Stay? Conrad Manila

One of our hotels in Manila was the Conrad Manila – and we had the best stay there!

Technically, it’s not Manila as Manila is tiny, but it’s part of the Metro Manila area, as well as, for instance, Makati and Pasig, and the majority of luxury hotels sit outside the old Manila area itself.

Our hotel was located near Manila Bay on Seaside Boulevard and close to the airport (it took around 30 minutes for us to get here, but without traffic, it could easily be 15 minutes). It’s also the location for a few restaurants such as China Blue by Jereme Leung and The Brasserie.

Our room looked very stylish, the skincare was from Byredo, and the staff was very friendly. Besides that, it’s located right inside the Mall of Asia!

Our breakfast selection at the Conrad was just incredible: they have various Asian and Western cuisines, lots of veggies, fruits, fresh juices, and of course local specialties: Adobo (marinated meat), Pancit (Filipino noodles), Tsokolate (thick hot chocolate drink), Ensaymada (sweet cheese buns) and Taho (tofu dessert with sago and arnibal, local brown sugar syrup) are just a few examples of iconic Philippine dishes here.