The first hour-and-a-half of the trail was composed of bamboo-lined forest paths. What I personally like about Mt. Tagapo is that despite its proximity to Manila, it is nowhere nearly as crowded as Mt. Batulao or Mt. Pico de Loro – with much easier and straightforward trails than both mountains. It doesn’t take long one reaches a clearing, thus beginning another hour to hour and a half of trekking across exposed trails. The first part of the hike can be humid and shaded, but be sure to apply plenty of sunscreen for the second leg!
The summit of Mt. Tagapo is unique in that it is a completely 360-degree summit – meaning the view from the top is unobstructed all around. Squint a little and Manila can even be seen from the summit! This is pretty amazing, considering that at just 438 meters above sea level (MASL), Mt. Tagapo is nowhere near the other giant mountains of Luzon. The summit also had a gaping hole up top, supposedly when the locals attempted to dig rumoured treasure on Tagapo!
Heading back down was a simple backtrail affair, and in just an hour or so we were back to our jump off point at Talim Island (not in Binangonan). We hopped on our boat, and enjoyed a relaxed ride back where several of us took a well-deserved nap. All in all, Mt. Tagapo is a highly recommended hike for newbies who do not want the crowds but want to check a “hike a mountain” bucket list item off.
Photo by Badit Cuason
Mt. Tagapo has a difficulty rating of 2/9, meaning it’s a good first hike for most people. Please make sure you’re wearing proper clothes like technical or athletic shirt (no cotton tops and bottoms), adequate sun protection (hat and sleeves plus sunblock), proper shoes (trail runners are great here, but hiking shoes are even better), and of course, plenty of water and snacks.
Get in touch with Trail Adventours and book your first hike with them at Mt. Tagapo!
All photos and footage by me.
License – CC: Attribution, non-commercial.
Transparency disclaimer:
This hike was generously sponsored by Trail Adventours.
