Sights in Southeast Luzon
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Donsol Visitors Center
The Donsol Visitors Center, situated 1.5km north of the river bridge (by tricycle from town), is the place to go. The experience is quite regimented – it has to be, given the well-being of the animals, the number of visitors and the need to rotate boat crews fairly – and access to the whale sharks is limited to a maximum of 25 boats. During the busy Holy Week, you will be lucky to get a look in; so it is best to avoid this time if you can. This is how the process went when we visited. First, pay your registration fee (Filipino/foreigner P100/300). Second, book a boat. This costs P3500 for a maximum of seven, and includes the services of a Butanding Interaction Officer (BI…
reviewed
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Cagsawa Church
About 8km northwest of Legaspi, the remains (basically the belfry and tops of walls) of the sunken Cagsawa Church are a popular tourist attraction with a terrific view of Mt Mayon. Twelve hundred people who took refuge here during 1814’s violent eruption were buried alive, but this is no peaceful memorial. The site is bustling with ice-cream stands, souvenir stalls and restaurants, but – if you can get a moment away from the hawkers – it’s a strangely beautiful and eerie place. Next door, a couple of big clean swimming pools are refreshing before the return jeepney trip.
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Mt Isarog National Park
From Panicuason (pan-ee-kwa-sone), a steep, half-hour walk along a rough road (passable by some vehicles if it’s very dry) leads to the entrance of Mt Isarog National Park. There is an admission fee, which – depending on who is at the gate to collect it – varies between P50 and P100. To the right, a short walk leads down some very steep stone steps to Malabsay Falls, where you can swim with a view of Mt Isarog. Long-term locals reckon this is the experience not to miss!
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Bulusan Volcano National Park
About 16km southwest of Barcelona is Bulusan Volcano National Park. Just inside the park, Bulusan Lake is a popular picnic spot, and there’s a 1.8km walking trail around the crater lake. When the mist is lying low over the surrounding forest and the birds are singing, it’s a lovely, peaceful spot and the clear, still water makes for an inviting swim or a relaxed hour’s fishing for tilapia. There are no visitor facilities of any sort apart from the track around the lake.
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Mayon Planetarium & Space Park
In the (the never-opened and now derelict) Mayon Skyline Hotel (810m) on the northwestern side of Mt Mayon, the Mayon Planetarium & Space Park houses an eclectic array of NASA photos and volcano information.
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