7 new things to do in Nuvali, Laguna (2023)

While we’ve biked around some bike trails and attended a few sporting events and fun runs over the years, it’s been a while since I’ve revisited Nuvali in Laguna. Nuvali is a popular destination for day trips and as a stopover on the way to Tagaytay for dining and shopping for those based in the south of the metro.

Since we live in Quezon City in the north, I’ve always thought of Nuvali as a far destination. However, with new connections in Skyway from Quezon Avenue and P2P buses directly connecting the Ayala MRT to Nuvali, it’s very easy to get to just an hour away, making it a refreshing alternative for day trips and weekend stays compared to Tagaytay, which can experience bad traffic during the peak holiday season.

Located in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, Nuvali is a sustainable and eco-friendly city where people can live in harmony with nature while still getting all the modern conveniences. However, like many destinations around the country, tourist areas were hit by the pandemic.

Republic WakePark, a popular wakeboarding spot, and Camp N, an adventure camp that used to offer obstacle courses, hiking trails, wall climbing, bike rentals, and guided forest walks, closed down during the lockdown period. Many restaurants also closed, but have now been replaced with new dining and lifestyle options.

With the residential areas booming and tourism back in full swing, leisure activities are back. Nuvali is seeing an increase in tourist arrivals, particularly family staycationers, during weekends. With the holiday season coming up, more families will probably staying or passing by the area to enjoy the lush greenery, lakeside dining, and open spaces that you can’t get in busier cities.

In case you’re traveling to Nuvali, here are some of the classic and new activities you can enjoy as of October 2023:

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Feed the fish at the koi pond

If you’re traveling with kids, one of the most popular activities to do in Nuvali is to feed the koi fish. Solenad, where many lakeside restaurants are located, has a large outdoor pond full of ornamental koi fish. Koi are omnivorous fish and help keep the lake water clean.

The koi food is designed to float which encourages the fish to come to the surface. To keep the fish at the lake healthy, visitors are asked only to feed them only the proper fish food, which you can buy for P20 a bag at a nearby stall.

Tuesday to Sunday – 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Rate: Fish food costs P20 per bag

Take a boat ride around the lake

The 4-hectare multi-functional lake feature of Nuvali doesn’t just add visual appeal to the place, but it also serves several practical purpose. It serves as a catchment for storm water run-off, a water reservoir, fire reserve and is a medium for alternative transportation.

Tourists can also enjoy leisurely boat rides around the Nuvali lakeside to enjoy the scenery and breeze. Life vests are provided for all those riding the boat. The boat drivers make it a point to give passengers a fun ride by drifting around the lake and passing under the bridge.

Tuesday to Sunday – 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Rate: P100 per person (min of 3 pax)

Bike around scenic spots

Bicycle rentals were halted during the pandemic and are no longer available at the Lakeside Evoliving Center. However, many bikers still come to the area bringing their own bikes on cars to enjoy cycling around the quieter roads and residential areas. Not a lot of cars pass through the complex, so the area offers a relatively safe place to bike around for fun and fitness.

Nuvali has a good network of paved roads that offer a lot of opportunities for leisurely road biking along the designated trails and tree-lined streets to visit the shops and restaurants. Hopefully, bike rentals will resume once tourists return if the demand is high.

Biking in Nuvali when trails were still open

No car to drive south? In case you didn’t know, you can take bicycles aboard the cargo compartment of P2P buses from One Ayala in Makati straight to Nuvali.

Walk or jog along the lakeside

While staying in Nuvali, you can enjoy simple walks or picnics along the lakeside. I noticed a few couples and families with pets having picnics on the grassy lakeside. With the green surroundings, kids and pets have some space to run around.

The left side of the lakeside trail (near Seda Nuvali) is currently fenced off due to ongoing construction in the area, while the right side across from the street facing the malls is still open to pedestrians.

Shop at outlet stores and nearby malls

Residents and tourists can enjoy retail therapy at the brand-name outlet stores and shops in Solenad 1, 2, and 3, which offers over 400 stores for retail, dining, and entertainment. The pedestrian-friendly shopping destination offers everything from shoes, athleisure, and streetwear. UNIQLO also opened a large roadside store in Nuvali in October 2022.

Ayala Malls Solenad offers quality shopping options for residents living in the South of Metro Manila, including those based in Tagaytay, Batangas, and Muntinlupa. Membership grocery stores like Landers and S & R are now in the area as well.

While staying in Nuvali, we went shopping for new shoes for Eli in one of the outlet shops since he outgrew his old Converse shoes. We also bought some snacks at the Landmark grocery, which had a decent beer selection including new craft cider apple cider from the Laguna-based brewery Crazy Carabao. Merry Mart Grocery, a full size eco-friendly supermarket branch is set to open soon in Ayala Nuvali.

Dine at al fresco restaurants

Nuvali is home to a range of dining options spread around the lakeside area, Evotech Picnic Grounds and Ayala Malls Solenad. Most have open-air dining areas, so visitors can enjoy al fresco dining. Some restaurants and coffee shops open as early as 8:00 am, though malls and lakeside dining open around 11:00 am, in time for the lunch crowd.

In case you’re traveling with kids and picky eaters who prefer eating in familiar restaurants and want fast food, you can find popular restaurant chains like Max’s Restaurant, BonChon, Pepper Lunch, Kenny Roger’s Roasters, Brothers Burger Express, and more. McDonald’s opened its 700th store in December 2022 in Nuvali.

The Solenad Lakeside has a Wiltlover Cafe, Starbucks, Shakey’s Pizza Parlor, Yellow Cab, Romantic Baboy, and Conti’s while the Evotech Picnic Grounds has a new restaurant called The Borough Pizza Pub.

New restaurants at Ayala Malls Solenad include Nono’s Comfort Kitchen, The Pigpen, Ebi 10, Mama Lou’s Italian Kitchen, Bistro Charlemagne, Burgoo, Amare La Cucina, The Morning After, and Nonna’s Pizza Napoletana, to name a few. Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf also recently opened their newest drive-thru store at West Nature Ave in Nuvali.

Nuvali is generally pet-friendly, but those bringing pets should still check if restaurants allow dogs inside.

Enjoy a leisurely staycation

To maximize your weekend, it’s best to stay the whole weekend. Those looking for hotels with family-friendly facilities with nature spots and a swimming pool for staycations can opt to stay in Seda Nuvali. While this lifestyle hotel has been around since 2014, in November 2022 they launched a second tower with an additional 200 rooms, huge new swimming pool, and family rooms with bunk beds for kids.

This hotel provides a relaxing and convenient place to stay in while enjoying Nuvali and other places to visit in Laguna. It’s a good option for families traveling with infants, small children, and seniors.

Seda has its own restaurant and pool bar called Misto, which offer a great place to hang out and eat with the family during weekends. From Nuvali, you can also take kids to Enchanted Kingdom or drive up to Tagaytay for the day. Read more about the hotel here.