View From the Top: Ligñon Hill Nature Park

Ligñon Hill has every right to boast of the ultimate 360degrees view of the whole Albay province. Standing at 156 meters (511 feet) tall, the Ligñon Hill Nature Park is, absolutely, the best location to view the breathtaking perfect-cone shape of the Mayon Volcano as early as 7 o’clock in the morning.

Interestingly, there are a lot of joggers who frequent the park at the crack of dawn. The park opens at early as 5AM to accommodate the regular joggers who frequent the part at the crack of dawn. An entrance free of P20 is charged for non-Albay residents (P25 for foreign visitors). The entry of motorized vehicles is restricted during certain times of the day to make way for the visitors who opt to take the hike towards the Ligñon Hill View Deck, which is located at the top.

Upon entering the Ligñon Hill Nature Park, a tour guide would first take you inside the historic 40-meter long L-shaped Japanese Tunnel and another seven-deep tunnel that go back to World War II. Specific safety instructions and safety helmets are given to guests before entering the tunnels. Inside, it seems that you are transported to another area: the walls are dark and quiet; droplets of water sip through the ceiling; and the smell of moist Earth and the eerie stillness are quite overpowering for guests who are claustrophobic.

Impressively, the tunnels are quite spacious. The walls are made of what the locals call “Buhay na Bato.” Inside, several statues depicting the life of Japanese soldiers are strategically located in various points. Guests can take a few snapshots as the tour guide gives a brief, yet thorough background of the events that took place in the Japanese tunnel. Guests are also led through various areas like the “Burok-Burok”, “Kapit Tuko” and Wisdom trails for a more exciting hike up the hill.

The hike up Ligñon Hill usually takes 45 minutes to an hour. The trail may be strenuous for some but the view on top is definitely worth the wait and the muscle pains. The Ligñon Hill View Deck offers more than just a park where people can sit and view the majestic Mayon Volcano. A handful of food establishments offer visitors with food and beverages to replenish themselves from the hour-long hike. The Ligñon Hill souvenir shop has an interesting line of souvenir items and shirts on sale.

But real stars that can be found at the Ligñon Hill View Deck are the Zipline and the Rappelling facilities. The zipline stands at 160 meters from the ground and measures 100 meters long. For only P250, you can zip back and forth and get a totally breathtaking 360 degrees view of the Mayon Volcano and its surrounding scenery, plus a hard copy picture of your zipline experience as part of your souvenir.

The trek down will feel less strenuous compared to the former. If you leave the Ligñon Hill View Deck at around 6 o’clock in the evening, you can witness as the entire province light up in preparation for the night and it is, ruly, an amazing skyline to behold.