3 Best Things to Do in Luzon, the Philippines

Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines; home to Manila, the capital; and the ideal starting point for a multitude of adventures in the archipelago.

You don't even have to fly from Luzon to be overwhelmed by the choice - the three activities we've listed below barely scratch the surface when it comes to island fun and adventure.

From hiking a volcanic lake to tours of UNESCO World Heritage sites, organize your Philippines itinerary around the activities listed below.

We hope you enjoy watching this video about The Best Places of Luzon, Philippines

Source: PH Dot Net

1. See the colonial side of Manila in Intramuros

The Spanish conquerors knew a good place when they saw one, and it was the native fort at the mouth of the Pasig River.

Fort Santiago and the walled city of Intramuros eventually emerged from this location and remained for centuries the center of commerce and culture in the Philippines.

Intramuros is the oldest part of Manila, and this is visible.

Devastated by WWII, Intramuros has been in a constant state of reinvention ever since.

A walking tour of the walled city will take you to Fort Santiago, a citadel turned museum; the neo-Romanesque cathedral of Manila; and the Iglesia de San Agustín, a baroque stone church built in the 17th century.

Museums like Fort Santiago, Bahay Tsinoy (dedicated to the Chinese community in the Philippines), and Destileria Limtuaco Museum (dedicated to the Filipino love of strong drinks) show visitors different facets of Filipino culture.

How to get there: Intramuros can be accessed by taxi, bus, jeep, or tram. Read about how to get around in Manila, Philippines.

2. Eat your way through Pampanga's food scene

Filipino food will look strangely familiar to fans of Mexican food. As you will find in Pampanga, Spanish rule (through Mexico) influenced local dishes, which later evolved to suit local ingredients and cooking techniques.

Then you get tsokolate, a thick hot chocolate drink mixed with ground peanuts; chicharron, fried pork rinds until crisp; turrones de kasoy, a nougat wrapped in rice paper adapted from the Spanish nougat from Alicante; and plantanillas, a sweet made from slowly boiled buffalo milk.

You'll experience this and more as you tour the sprawling cities of Pampanga, many of which were half-buried by the 1991 Pinatubo volcanic eruption. 6 meters of mud, though still in use today.

How to get there: Pampanga is a two-hour drive north of Manila and can be accessed by bus or rental car.

Use the places mentioned in our Pampanga food tour and the articles on food safaris in the Philippines as a helpful reference.

Reliable guides include OuterEater and Mangan Kapampangan.

3. Ride an ATV to the perfect cone of Mount Mayon

Proud of the southwestern province of Albay, the active volcano of Mount Mayon has one of the most perfect cones in the world, just like Mount Fuji in Japan.

You can see Mayon from almost anywhere in the nearby town of Legazpi. On good days, you can ride an ATV from Legazpi to Mayon.

Several trails cross the lower slopes, including a short walk that winds through the ruins near Cagsawa and a longer one that ends at the "Green Lava Wall."

You can't go wrong with the ten kilometers long "basic trail" that ends in a lava field. It's challenging enough for a beginning ATV driver, with the trail crossing streams and muddy fields to reach the lava field, your rest stop, and helipad.

How to get there: From Manila, you can take a bus or fly to Legazpi City via Legazpi Airport.

Several trusted providers offer ATV tours from the city to the volcanic slopes, including Your Brother Travel and Tours, Mayon SkyDrive, and Bicol Adventure ATV.

Did you find this post useful or inspiring? Save THIS PIN to your Travel Board on Pinterest! 😊

Once again, thank you for visiting our website!

We hope you've enjoyed exploring the content we've created for you.

Give yourself the chance to learn, get inspired, and have even more fun, keep browsing...