Cagsawa Ruins and Ligñon Hill, Two Great Places To View Mayon Volcano in Albay

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Legazpi, Albay-- Mayon volcano or Mt. Mayon is probably the most gorgeous looking volcanic mountain in the planet. Having erupted 49 times in the past 400 years, it is the most active among active volcanoes in the Philippines. It  is most famous for its  symmetrical cone and is considered to be the world's most perfectly formed volcano.

Albay has an interesting mix of culture, history, and wonderful sights which makes it worth a visit anytime of the year. Now, if,  like most people, the main reason you wanted to come to Albay is  to see the grandeur  of  its most famous  landmark-- Mayon Volcano-- an anytime-of-the-year visit would always be applicable , except, probably on cloudy days. 

Although, the weather was generally fine during our short 3-days-and-two-nights stay in Albay,  Mt. Mayon  hid behind thick clouds, most of the time, which made getting a decent photograph of the volcano really hard. But, with enough patience and luck, I and Lakwatsera were still lucky enough to get an acceptable shot of the volcano before our vacation   was over.

 Lakwatsera and I  initially thought of going to Albay (with Mommy Lakwatsera ) via 12-hour  bus ride,  but since that would have been ponderous and time-consuming, and since we only had  3 days and 2 nights to spare for the entire trip, we decided to just take a 1-hour plane ride from Manila to Legazpi.

I immediately felt Mayon Volcano's imposing and looming presence the moment I stepped out of the plane and  into the tarmac.It was very sunny, the weather was fine, but, for some reason , the majestic volcano  had thick clouds all around it.

 

One thing nice about the airport in Legazpi City is its close proximity to hotels and major commercial establishments. We were able to get to our hotel in less than 10 minutes on a short tricycle ride from outside the airport to the Legazpi central business district.

We rested a bit and had a quick breakfast at the hotel, and, after a couple directions and recommendations on where to go in Albay from the hotel staff, we immediately set out  to see Mt Mayon in its full glory.

Getting around in Albay from its capital, Legazpi City, is a breeze.Every major destination is usually just one short jeepney ride away. Only problem was only the tip of  the volcano was visible at the time.

First place we went to was Cagsawa Ruins. Approximately 30 minutes  away via jeepney (around 8 km) from the Legazpi central business district, it is the most visited tourist spot in Albay.

Cagsawa Ruins presents the most iconic and recognizable view of Mayon Volcano. Here you'll get a beautiful  postcard view of  the ruins of the Cagsawa church belfry with Mt Mayon  looming on the background: although  picturesque , it's actually  a grim reminder of Mt. Mayon's most violent eruption to date. In 1814, more than a thousand people who took refuge inside the stone church of Cagsawa died when  lava and pyroclastic  flows buried the church's main structure.

The pictures posted here did not come easy. We arrived at the ruins late in the  morning. Endless line of thick clouds blanketed 80 percent of the volcano from view. We waited several hours inside the Cagsawa Ruins Park before the clouds covering Mt. Mayon  cleared for several minutes. Waiting inside the park wasn't that bad, we found plenty of souvenir shops ,eateries, and huge volcanic boulders scattered all over.  And, aside from the Cagsawa church's belfry, we also saw the ruins of an old convent ,or what used to be a convent according some local kids we met.

After we got our acceptable shots of the volcano from the Cagsawa Ruins Park, we went to Ligñon Hill to get a different vantage view of Mt Mayon.  From Casagwa , we rode on one of the tricycles parked just in front of the Park's main entrance and told the driver to bring us directly to Ligñon Hill.

At156 meter , Ligñon Hill, according to others, is where you'll get the best view of Mayon Volcano. I believe  it gives a fresh and unique view of the volcano, but to say that  you'll get  best view of Mt Mayon in this hill, I think, is an overstatement; one of the best , is probably a more suitable description. If you want to view the volcano from afar and get a different perspective, a deck view on top of Ligñon Hill will give you that. However, a nearer view on ground level from the Casagwa Ruins Park  gives the volcano more detail and character.  I guarantee both places to be  worth the visit when you come to Albay.

Ligñon Hill is where the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) observatory is, for years, and most recently, the Ligñon Hill Nature Park where visitors  can get a spectacular view of Mayon volcano and a bird's eye view of the surrounding towns.From the foot of the hill, it is a challenging 20 minutes uphill trek to the top. We initially tried going to the top of the hill on foot, but after more than 5 minutes of walking at a steep angle, we decided not to punish ourselves anymore by hitching a ride at the back of a motorcycle available for a fee, near the Ligñon Hill Nature Park entrance.  The view was awesome when we reached the hill's summit. It was late afternoon. The thick clouds covering the volcano was somehow gone.

Ligñon Hill Nature Park, aside from being a spectacular viewdeck to see Mt mayon, is also a place where you can do other activities such as ziplining. It also has a small indoor structure which I think is meant to house  shops and restaurants, but when we were there, I remember seeing  only  two or three counters of different food vendors; the only recognizable one  was  Chowking.

It was close to evening when we left  Ligñon Hill Nature Park. And, before going back to our hotel, we went to  Embarcadero, Legazpi's biggest mall and commercial center, and had our dinner. And we were able to take a picture of  Mayon Volcano from the Embarkadero before it totally got dark.

We stayed 3 days and two nights at the Legazpi Tourist Inn. It's right smack at the center of the Legazpi Central Business District and  walking distance from commercial establishments like malls, fast food restaurants,stores, jeepney and tricycle terminals. Jeepneys  bound to different towns in Albay also pass by in front of the hotel which makes going around the province easy and accessible.

The hotel is generally clean. Rates are fairly affordable and the inn provides good enough accommodations  and amenities: cable TV, free Wifi, AC Rooms, hot-and-cold shower and drinking water (1,200.00 pesos a night for AC rooms with 2 beds).But, never order food! IT'S RIDICULOUSLY OVER PRICED. How's 120.00 pesos for longganiza and 1 cup of plain rice? Better eat somewhere else.There are eateries or carinderias just outside of the Legazpi Tourist Inn. By the way, the free wifi also suck. You have to get out of your room to get a good signal.

It was a good thing that we were able to take decent pictures of  Mayon Volcano on our first day in Albay. It was very cloudy on our second day, we could barely see a silhouette of the volcano, and ,on our 3rd  and last day it was completely covered with clouds.

The experience was definitely unforgettable. But my Albay adventure doesn't end here.  My next post will be about Sto. Domingo beach where we spent most of our 2nd day in Albay. I just hope I'd be able to find time to make that post before the year ends...

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