Ride to Wind Farm in Pililla, Rizal

The weather in Metro Manila and all through Manila East Road was bright and sunny, but just as we got to the foot of the wind turbines in Pililla, Rizal, the rain started to pour. Howling wind sent small stones and gravel from the rocky terrain flying in the air, showing us just why this elevated spot was chosen to be the site of a wind farm project. But despite the threatening grey skies and rain, the windmills were impressive, towering over the rugged landscape. There were only three turbines standing during our exploratory bike ride last Valentine’s Day 2015.

pililla wind farm rizal motorcycle

pililla wind farm bicycleFirst visit to the wind farm by bike (rainy ride)

Three weeks later, I went on a solo motorcycle ride to get better photos and was even more impressed. From the highway, I counted at least 10 visible turbines on the hills.

pililla wind farm turbines hills

Just like the Bangui Wind Farm in Ilocos Norte that attracts tourists from all over the country and abroad,  you can tell this spot is going to be very popular once it’s completed. When I got to the site, there was already a crowd of bikers and riders, all eager to get souvenir shots. Locals were hiking up the road, while tricycles were kicking up dust in the trails. A few came in private cars armed with their families and iPads.

pililla wind farm rizal bikers pililla wind farm rizal rider pililla wind farm rizal riders

Encountered the riding group Viajista while visiting the wind farm; they later went to Buruwisan Falls in Siniloan, Laguna

As of March 8, there were 12 wind turbine generators already standing out of the 27 to be constructed along the ridge of the mountainous Rizal province for the Pililla Wind Farm Power Project (PWFPP). Each turbine can produce 2 Megawatts each of renewable energy for a total of 54 MW. The wind farm, operated by Alternergy Wind One Corp., is expected to provide the additional energy needs of the Luzon grid.

pililla wind farm windmill travelup

According to news reports, the wind farm has already been successfully interconnected to Meralco’’s 115-kilovolt Malaya-Caliraya-Kalayaan transmission line.

Once completed, this will be the second wind power facility in the Philippines, aside from the one in Ilocos Province. Aside from harnessing alternative sources of energy, the wind farm project is also expected to boost tourism in the town.

pililla wind farm rizal turbines

According to the guard on duty during our first visit, they expect the windmills to be completed by April or May, but they’ve already been getting a steady stream of visitors from the metro, all eager to see the windmills up close. The windmills are already visible from Antipolo and from Laguna across Laguna Lake, so it’s pretty hard to miss.

manila east road big bike

Spotted this cool big bike on my way back to Manila

Pililla in Rizal has long been a popular destination for road cyclists and riders because of its smooth, paved roads and natural and historic spots nearby. The wind farm offers another unique destination relatively near the metro that you can easily visit during a half-day / day trip.

wrangler true wanderer campaign philippines travelup windmills

UPDATE: As of 6/7/15, all 27 wind turbines are up, though 6 more will be constructed. There are 3 main clusters of windmills, which you can reach via Manila East Road or Sampaloc. Unfortunately, you can only take photos by the entrance and you won’t be allowed to go through the road to make a loop (yet). According to the security guard on duty during my 3rd visit there, there will a Bulalohan restaurant put up this year near the Sampaloc cluster for visitors 🙂

UPDATE 2: As of September 2015, you can now enter to make a loop of the windmills! Check out new photos here.

pililla windmills rizal tanay travelup

Third visit (solo ride) in June 2015 to check out the alternative Sampaloc route. Very cloudy and overcast.

rizal wind farm motorcycles royal enfield testride

Fourth visit (with Outside Slacker to test out a Royal Enfield demo unit) in September 2015.

Check out my previous post on Where to Eat along Manila East Road.

OTHER AREAS OF INTEREST NEARBY:

HOW TO GET THERE:

Via private transportation: 

Manila East Road:

  1. Follow the Manila East Road all the way to Pilillla. The Manila East Road passes through the towns of Taytay, Angono, Binangonan, Cardona, Morong, Baras and Tanay before Pililla.
  2. From Quezon City, we passed through Antipolo via Sumulong Highway to get to Manila East Road.
  3. When you reach a fork in the road, take the left fork going towards Mabitac, Famy & Real, not towards Jala-Jala.
  4. This is an uphill road. When you reach the overlooking point of Laguna Lake, you’re relatively near. You’ll pass a power plant.
  5. Turn left along the highway when you see a wide gravel area leading up to the windmill’s major construction site (there’ll be a guy flagging you).
  6. There’ll be a short stretch of mostly rough road. This is accessible to all types of vehicles including cars, tricycles, motorcycles and bicycles. Watch out for construction trucks.

Marilaque with shortcut through Sampaloc: (longer but more scenic route):

  1. By motorcycle, I prefer passing the Marilaque route that connects to Manila East Road.
  2. When you get to Pranjetto Hills, take the road on the right leading to Tanay.
  3. When you get to the intersection, go straight towards Regina Rica, Camp Capinpin & JE Camp (Erap’s Place).
  4. You will see Sampaloc Inn on the left. On the next small road after Sampaloc Inn, turn right on the corner with an Ynares Waiting Shed. (Note: “My Little Store Pasalubong Center and Coffee Shop” is no longer on the corner. If you reach JE Camp, lumampas ka na.)
  5. Turn left at the first corner and follow the small road.
  6. Some portions of the road are still unpaved, steep & narrow, but it’s accessible to motorcycles, bicycles, tricycles and 4 x 4 vehicles (only one vehicle can pass at a time in some portions). Be careful driving on the dirt road portions. WARNING: Can be hard to drive if the road is muddy.

Marilaque and Manila East Road: (joyride version)

Alternatively, you can also connect to Manila East Road via Marilaque, by turning right on the intersection towards Daranak Falls instead of going straight.

  1. Once you reach a gas station, turn left heading to Pililla. This is Manila East Road. You’ll pass by several restaurants along the road and can see the windmills along the highway.
  2. Take the left fork going towards Mabitac, Famy & Real and continue uphill until you reach the windmills.
  3. The road here is mostly paved except for the last portion near the entrance to the windmills. This is a better option for those with cars and sedans.

marilaque travelup ride road

Photo from a fellow rider I met on the road. Thanks, Michael!

Via public transportation: 

  1. From Starmall FX / Van Terminal in Shaw Boulevard or Araneta Center, Cubao, you can ride a jeep or van going to Tanay, Rizal. From Starmall, the vans GT-express fare is P70.
  2. Get down at the junction or the Tanay Public Market in Sampaloc. Travel time is about 2-3 hours depending on traffic.
  3. Hire a tricycle going to the Wind Farm. Rates are negotiable. It’s better if you’re in a group so you can split the costs.

62 thoughts on “Ride to Wind Farm in Pililla, Rizal”

  1. Pingback: Road Trip Restaurants: Manila East Road | Travel Up

  2. Great post Kara! Nice meeting you in person too! How I’d wish you could mentioned our group in your popular travel blog haha! 😀

  4. Pingback: Just Ride | Travel Up

  5. hello kara when i read your post about your Ride to Wind Farm in Pililla, Rizal, it gave me an idea for my next adventure…so last 28 March 2015 – went there too using my motorcycle..Travel pa more!

  7. Meron daan via sampaloc tanay, rizal bago dumating ng camp capinpin. MTB and motorcycle lang pwedeng dumaan

  8. Hi Spiderme. Narininig ko nga na may daan via Sampaloc, but haven’t tried going from there yet. Can you share specific directions, para ma-add ko yung info? Salamat.

  9. yes Kara, amazing ang view sa pililla wind mill, libre pa ang face powder, hahahaha..pero wait ko pag naitayo na lahat ng windmill at sementado na daan, babalik ulit ako..

  10. Hi Kara!

    Great post!

    Is the dirt road leading to the windmills passable by car, via the Manila East Road? I saw the windmills and the entrance last weekend, on my way back to Antipolo coming from Pagsanjan but didn’t attempt to enter. Have you seen cars go thru the dirt road?

    Thanks for the feed back.

  11. Hi Eduardo. Yes, the road is passable by cars via the Manila East Road. There were several cars during my first 2 visits there. The route through Sampaloc may be a bit too narrow, so it’s better for bikes, motorcycles and trikes (at the moment).

  12. Hi Kara ! i was amazed by your post about your travel tour in wind mill at pililla and it makes me more excited to visit the place. I, my husband together his uncle and friends take a 2 times summer vacation in tanay we visited “daraitan” one of the beautiful spot on that place of tanay. But now me and my office mates are planning to visit the wind farm and the other nearby areas there. Thanks to your post it will guide us well ! 🙂

  15. Hi Kara! Thank you for sharing this. Upon arriving at the Wind Farm, are there long and/or uphill walks? We plan to go there with my parents and they are a bit old. Well, not that old but I’m concerned if they’ll be able to walk with us to get close to the wind mills. Thanks in advance!

  17. Thank you very much! I’ll blog about it after our visit and will put a link to your blog as well.

  18. Hi Miss Kara. Gaano po kaya kahaba yung dirt road? Uphill ba siya at matutulis ba ang bato? Baka kasi kailangan ko nang magpalit ng gulong. Hehe 🙂 Thanks for this entry, it continues to inspire me to travel and ride! More power!

  20. Hi Kara, thanks for the info! What’s the best bike route going there from Pasig or QC and how many kilometers? We plan to ride going there. Thanks!

  24. Hi… start searching regarding to this wind farm and brought me to your blog… thanks for some nice pictures of it! Since I’m living along Laguna Lake this wind farm/ turbine visible to my place… Its like seeing Ilocos near my place… hope to see this place closer… thanks again!!!

  28. Hi Mam Kara,

    Nice ride, travel blog and pics.. Thanks for the info on how to get to Pililla Windmill.

  30. Pingback: Rizal Windmill Loop Ride | Travel Up
  31. Pingback: Pililia Rizal Wind Farm: Windmill Wonder near Manila - Ironwulf En Route Travel Blog Philippines and Beyond

  32. hi miss Kara! Nice Post! Thank you, my narrow routes pla, saan maganda dumaan if you plan to go there with car?

  37. Great pics and very detailed ang how-to-go there instructions!
    If I may ask, meron ba kayong napansin na restaurant na malapit sa mga windmills?

  40. Hi Jane, so far entrance to the wind farm is free though twice na kami hiningan ng “voluntary donation” or community fee of P20/person when we visited. Other times, pina-diretso lang kami inside.

  42. hi . advisable po ba sa tulad kung commuter ?? lang walang private vehicle =) =) =) meron na po bang kainan dun o canteen =) saka may trike bang mag hahatid papunta sa wind mill ? salamat po ng marami =) =) plan po kasi namin mag commute ng mga kasama ko papunta dyan …

  43. It’s more convenient if you have your own transpo, but it’s possible to go there by public transpo. There are tricycles for hire in Tanay public market in Sampaloc going to the Wind Farm. They charge P300 one way di kasama waiting time. Negotiate rates for RT kung gusto niyo balikan kayo kasi walang sakayan ng trikes sa loob. There was a small canteen at the visitor’s center last time we visited in January 2016. There are other places to eat along the way, but not near the windmills itself. Check my post: Road Trip Restaurants: Manila East Road.

  44. I’m planning to go there tomorrow, commute lang! What if I’m coming from pasig, do I need to go to Cubao para dun sumakay? Thanks!

  45. Hi po plan kasi namin ng mga friends ko to get there pero balak po sana namin na dumaan muna ng daranak falls before pumunta dun.. ano po kayang magandang way? from LRT 2 Santolan Station to Darank Falls? and to Daranak Falls to Pilillia Windmill?

  46. Hi,

    If mag cocommute kami, paano kame sasakay palabas ng wind farm? San po ba sakayan ng tricycle palabas?\

    Thanks

  48. If by a small car and we’ll take the Manila East Road, approximately, how many hours will it take if galing kami sa Antipolo Church? Actually, to be exact, sa Pinto Art Museum kami manggagaling. Thanks in advance

  50. good evening mam ask ko lang po pano po pag galling ka po ng sabihin nanatinnn sa roxas blvd or baclaran san po mas applicable na route?

  52. thnx po sa reply mam ask ko rin lang po kung applicable po ba yun route nabinigay nio po sa motorcycle?? chineck ko po may tollgate po kaya napaisip lang po ako kung highway po ang madaanan ko saka mababa lang po ang cc ng motor ko thnx po

  53. Hi Kara! Thanks for this post and the updates…very helpful…hubby’s excited to take the whole fam to pillilia soon for the windmills. ?

  56. Pingback: Nature Road Trip in Laguna | Travel Up
  57. Pingback: Five Unexpected Places to Bike Near Manila | Multisport Philippines

  59. We’ve been there recently. The site is nice and the view is perfect. The windmills are relatively much newer than those in Bangui so they actually look better.

    After the trip uphill, one good way to celebrate your tour is to eat at the Bulawan Floating Restaurant. What’s good here is that, children can try to catch fish for themselves. 🙂

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.