A travel & adventure blog by Kara Santos
A year before the most recent eruption of Taal Volcano and the start of the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns in 2020, we rode our motorcycles from Metro Manila circling Laguna Lake and Taal Lake. Back then, it was just for the thrill of the joyride and so we could hike to the crater lake on Volcano Island afterwards.
Last year, as pandemic restrictions and border checkpoints started easing, we started biking more to the outskirts of cities whenever possible. One of the most memorable rides we did last September 2021 was to Mt. Parawagan in the area of Rodriguez (formerly Montalban) in the nearby province of Rizal, one of the most popular hiking and mountain biking destinations near Manila.
Mt. Parawagan, which stands 480 meters above sea level, is classified as a beginner-friendly hike for mountaineers, and offers a fun and rewarding ride for mountain bikers.
Continue reading “Biking to Wawa Dam & Mt. Parawagan in Rizal”While the pandemic has kept most of us grounded compared to years of travel in the pas, it’s been a good time to rediscover the city and nearby destinations on two wheels. We’ve been biking for years long before the pandemic, and even short errand rides around the neighborhood has kept us sane throughout the different levels of quarantine restrictions we’ve had over the past two years.
Once travel restrictions eased and destinations started opening up again in the last quarter of the year, we started going on longer bike rides revisiting top biking destinations near the metro including Wawa Dam, Mt. Parawagan, Camp Sandugo, and Puray Falls, which ended up being my first Century Ride (over 100 km long).
Continue reading “Travel Guide: Biking to Mangantila Cafe and other scenic spots in Baras, Rizal”Wawa Dam in Rodriguez, Rizal is a favorite weekend destination for mountain bikers based in Manila. Situated in the 360-meter high Montalban Gorge or Wawa Gorge, a water gap in the Sierra Madre Mountains, these headwaters of the Marikina River used to be the primary water source of Manila before La Mesa Watershed. The scenic destination is roughly just an hour’s drive away (depending on the traffic) from the big cities in the East of Manila.
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