Day Hikes Near Manila: Mt. Maynoba with Trail Adventours

It has been a while since a new, beginner-friendly trail opened up when hiking near Manila so it was exciting to hear that the trail up Mt. Maynoba opened just a few months ago!

Mt. Maynoba is located in the popular hiking destination of Tanay, Rizal. At just a few hours outside of Manila and with the novelty of a new trail, this was always destined to quickly become a hotspot for budding hikers.

Mt Maynoba Trail Adventours

Mt Maynoba Trail Adventours

We began our trek relatively late, at nearly 7 o’clock in the morning. The ease of the trail – just a steady gradient heading up – quickly brought us to the ‘summit’ of Mt. Cayabu. We didn’t really feel that Cayabu was a separate summit though, as a very short and shallow ridge connected it to the peak of Mt. Maynoba.

Mt Maynoba Trail Adventours

Mt Maynoba Trail Adventours

As expected, the trail up was a traffic jam of hikers. The trails, while narrow to minimize environmental impact, were one-way only and the hundreds of hikers who turned up that day ensured the hike was at a snail’s pace. My recommendation for those looking for some peace and quiet is to book a private trip on a weekday to avoid the huge crowds.

Mt Maynoba Trail Adventours

For all of its jam-packed trails, Mt. Maynoba’s views were sights to behold. The sunrise afforded us a ‘sea of clouds’, as low and fluffy clouds were trapped in between the ridges by the topography. Look back every few minutes while hiking up, and you are sure to spot a fantastic photo-op (and the pyramid summit of Mt. Cayabu).

The Mt. Maynoba hike is done as a circuit and in less than six hours we were more or less done with the hike. We spent a lot of time at the small summit area, 728 meters above sea level, since there were lines (I kid you not) to have photos. Probably best to find a spot around the summit to have your picture taken and be off!

Mt Maynoba Trail Adventours

Mt Maynoba Trail Adventours

There are side trips to several waterfalls, but they aren’t exactly glorious, raging waters. Though they’re best for relaxing along the trails, more than anything else. As with the rest of the trails, be prepared to encounter crowds.

Mt Maynoba Trail Adventours

At the summit!

All in all, a hike up Mt. Maynoba is a pretty easy one for beginner hikers and probably a nice and easy ‘chill hike’ for more experienced ones. The sea of clouds is worth making the trip for and, for the best experience, I reckon booking a private weekday trip should be strongly considered.

Mt. Maynoba has a difficulty rating of 3-4/9. Trails can be wet and muddy, so proper hiking footwear are recommended.

 

Mt. Maynoba with Trail Adventours

Get in touch with Trail Adventours and book your first hike or a chill trip near Manila!

All photos and footage by Jason Cruz.
Instagram: @jsncruz
License – CC: Attribution, non-commercial.
Transparency disclaimer: Adventure sponsor by Trail Adventours