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The Sierra Madre Hotel & Resort, Tanay

Kara Santos

With its refreshing view of the mountains and cool breeze, the Sierra Madre Hotel & Resort in Tanay, Rizal is a favorite stopover for motorcycling and mountain biking enthusiasts.

This homey resort is very easy to get to from Quezon City. Just take the Katipunan road heading towards Marcos Highway, straight on past Cogeo market, through the twisty mountain roads, and you’ll eventually find yourself at the hotel located along the highway. The road is very well maintained and not a lot of cars pass here, which makes the drive a very pleasant one.

I usually pass here during solo weekend rides to escape the heat and humidity of Manila, since it’s just a short drive. I find going here less stressful than heading to the mall for some air-conditioning. The lush surroundings and chilly mountain breeze beats malls any day. Just make sure to go early, so that the drive back won’t be too hot.

The place is a pleasant pit stop, with lots of photo-worthy spots. The pine trees and colder temperature may remind you of Baguio, so gearing up with jackets and boots here won’t look so out of place. There are lots of view decks around where you can get a great vantage point of the surrounding Sierra Madre mountain ranges. The downside is that you may have to wait till you get home to post your pics on Instagram, since the WiFi and 3G signals are pretty weak in the area.

Around the premises you can also find a small garden with a gazebo, several Greek statues, and marble columns. They even rent out the place as a venue for pre-nuptial shoots.

For those with kids, there’s a wooden hanging bridge, a zip line and a rope bridge that they can try out.

Rooms are basic, but decent if you want a group getaway relatively near Manila. It’s also a good place to stay if you’re participating in trail runs or nature activities early in the morning in the Tanay area. We stayed overnight here one night before Art’s Love a Tree trail run, and the rooms were comfortable enough. The place even has a swimming pool, if you can stand the cold to take a dip. Room rates range from P1,500 to P5,000 depending on the type or room, the number of people staying (largest room they have can accommodate 10 pax) and whether the rooms comes with a view. A cheaper alternative would be to pitch a tent and camp out here (camping overnight costs P350/head).

This is just an ok place for a breakfast ride, though the food quality could still use some improvement. Don’t expect anything fancy. Just basic tapsilog and rice meals. You can also bring your own food and have picnics here, though charges may apply. They also recently started charging an entrance fee for guests who just want to check the place out.

Sierra Madre Hotel & Resort is roughly about 58 kilometers from Katipunan to the Sierra Madre Hotel and Resort. By car or motorcycle, you can get here in 45mins to an hour and a half, depending on your pace and the traffic in the Marikina and Cogeo area. Mountain bikers may have a bit more of a challenge because of the steep uphill ascents.

Don’t forget to gear up for the ride. Aside from wearing a helmet, gloves are a must for rides like these to protect you against the elements. Reboot motorcycle helmet & REV motorcycle gloves from Spyder Phiilippines.

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