The Top 5 Family-Friendly Places To Visit In Quezon City For Communing With Nature [Travel Guide]
March 10, 2023
Here are 5 awesome spots in Quezon City for a quick dose of the great outdoors.
Communing with nature is an awesome activity to escape the pressures of the urban jungle. Even so, it might not always be a practical way to relax because you would have to travel out of town to get a dose of the great outdoors. However, you do not always have to go far to commune with nature because there are spots right in Quezon City that will allow you to do so.
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| Inside La Mesa Eco Park |
The Top 5 Family-Friendly Places To Visit In Quezon City For Communing With Nature [Travel Guide]
About Quezon City
Fast-paced and highly-industrialized are just two of the adjectives that aptly
describe Quezon City. The biggest City in the Philippines in terms of land
area and the population is home to diverse establishments and institutions
such as government offices, business process outsourcing companies,
institutions of higher education, and small and medium enterprises.
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| La Mesa Eco Park |
It's hard to imagine that there are other sights to see beyond the bright city lights and the busy streets filled with all sorts of vehicles. There are,
however, many areas in Quezon City that provide an escape from the city’s hurried pace. Take, for example, historic landmarks, museums, parks, and places of worship.
Places in Quezon City for communing with nature
What’s even better is that in Quezon City, enthusiasts may easily enjoy the calmness of nature without having to go too far.
Here are 5 spots in Quezon City for a quick dose of the great outdoors:
1. La Mesa Watershed and Eco Park
Location: East Fairview
La Mesa Watershed and Eco Park is home to a protected area where the only major watershed in Metro Manila can be found. Inside it is a vast rainforest,
said to be the last remaining tropical forest of its size in Metro
Manila.
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| Green grass |
La Mesa Watershed itself is 2,700 hectares in land area but the Eco Park, the area that is open to the public, is only 33 hectares in size. The water reservoir within it is 70 feet in depth and is the primary source of drinking water for Metro Manila.
If you are thinking of spending the whole day here, then don’t worry because
there is a long list of activities that you can pre-occupy yourself with aside
from basking in the unadulterated beauty of your surroundings.
For one, you may opt to bring picnic goodies with you. There’s no better way to enjoy your favorite meal or snack than to have it while marveling at the beauty of the greenery around you. After your meal, you may opt to take a
laid-back walk along the shaded paths amid tall trees and flowering plants.
Biking is also allowed inside; you may either bring your own bike or rent one.
Visitors may also opt to cool down with a dip at the swimming pool, a
saltwater pool that is the only one of its kind in Metro Manila. Instead of using chlorine as a water purifier, it uses salt granules which are considered safer and less toxic.
Other activities that can be enjoyed inside La Mesa Eco Park are horseback riding, rappelling, zip-lining, fishing, bird-watching, and paddle boat riding in the lagoon. You may also want to drop by the Eco-museum, an institution dedicated to environmental education and biodiversity conservation.
How to go to La Mesa Eco Park
- Take any van, bus, or jeepney going to Fairview (SM Fairview or Tungko). You may ask the driver to drop you off at Pearl Drive.
- From there, ride a tricycle that will take you to La Mesa Eco Park’s entrance. The admission fee is around Php50 for non-Quezon City residents while for residents, it’s Php10 cheaper.
2. Quezon Memorial Circle
Location: Elliptical Road
The Quezon Memorial Circle is perhaps best known as a destination for families
who want a leisurely Sunday stroll or even a picnic amidst the shade of trees.
It’s also a place where kids can enjoy a day of fun and recreation at the
public playground.
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| Bazaar inside Quezon City Memorial Circle |
The most striking feature of the park, perhaps, is the 66-meter shrine which stands magnificent against the Quezon City skyline. It is actually home to a
mausoleum, the final resting place of former President Manuel L. Quezon and
First Lady Aurora Quezon, and a museum. The construction of this shrine began in the 1950s.
The three vertical pylons of the shrine symbolize the three major island groups of the Philippines – Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. It stands at 66
meters in height, the age when President Quezon died.
According to the
Quezon City website,
the three mourning angels on top of the pylons were crafted by renowned
Italian sculptor Francesco Riccardo Monti who resided in the Philippines from
1930 until he died in 1958.
President Quezon’s catafalque (a decorated wooden framework supporting the coffin of a distinguished person during a funeral or while lying in state) was made in the likeness of Napoleon Bonaparte’s. President Ferdinand Marcos decreed the site as a National Shrine.
There are two museums located in Quezon Memorial Circle. One is dedicated to
priceless items and artifacts about Quezon City while the other is for housing
the memorabilia of past mayors.
How to go to Quezon Memorial Circle
- Take any bus, van, or jeepney going to Fairview (SM Fairview or Tungko). You may ask the driver to drop you off at any of the unloading points along the Elliptical Road.
- Some pedestrian lanes and underpasses will lead you to the park. If you are coming from Fairview, ride any bus, van, or jeepney bound for Quiapo.
- You may alight at Philcoa or at the Department of Agrarian Reform waiting shed. Just cross the Elliptical Road via any of the pedestrian lanes or underpasses to get to the Circle.
3. Ninoy Aquino Parks & Wildlife Center
Location: Quezon Avenue
A zoological and botanical garden, the 80-hectare park is home to various species of trees, wild animals, and a wildlife rescue center. The area occupied by Ninoy Aquino Parks & Wildlife Center was part of the former vast tract of land reserved for Quezon Memorial Circle.
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| Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife |
Park visitors may enjoy the vast playground, cottages, picnic groves, the Our
Lady of Peace Grotto, a tea house, a rock garden, and a 2.5-hectare man-made
lagoon for boating and fishing.
How to go to Ninoy Aquino Parks & Wildlife Center
- Take any van or jeepney bound for Fairview (SM Fairview or Tungko). You may ask the driver to drop you off at the waiting shed near the park’s entrance.
- If you are coming from Fairview, ride any bus, van, or jeepney bound for Quiapo. You may get off right at the park’s gate. The admission fee is less than P10 per adult.
4. UP Diliman
The sprawling campus of UP Diliman is a favorite destination for joggers and
for anybody else who would like to take respite from the daily grind and
breathe in the fresh air. The tree-lined academic oval and the Sunken Garden
are favorite destinations but there are also restaurants and street food
kiosks within the campus.
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| UP Academic Oval |
Perhaps one street food that UP Diliman is most famous for is the isaw or barbecued chicken intestines, best bought from Mang Larry’s isawan. If isaw is not your thing, then you may opt for fish balls, squid balls, cheese sticks,
or banana cue.
How to go to UP Diliman
- Take any bus, van, or jeepney going to Fairview (SM Fairview or Tungko). You may ask the driver to drop you off at Philcoa where you may take a UP Philcoa or UP Pantranco jeepney.
- If you are coming from Fairview, ride any bus, van, or jeepney bound for Quiapo then alight at Philcoa, cross the footbridge to the southbound side of Commonwealth Avenue and take a UP Philcoa or UP Pantranco jeepney.
- If you feel adventurous, why not walk or jog through University Avenue all the way to the UP Academic Oval?
5. UP Arboretum
Location: Commonwealth Avenue but still within the property of UP
Diliman
The UP Arboretum is one of the last few remaining rainforests in Metro Manila.
It’s actually a 16-hectare man-made forest located inside the UP Diliman
campus and was established by the Department of Agriculture in 1948.
It has flourished since then and has become home to exotic and endangered species of trees as well as birds and other animals. Inside the park is a
man-made pond where various aquatic plants thrive. This is also a favorite spot among visitors.
How to go to UP Arboretum
- Take any bus, van, or jeepney going to Fairview (SM Fairview or Tungko). You may ask the driver to drop you off at Philcoa or at UP Ayala Technohub.
- Cross to the other side (northbound side of Commonwealth Avenue) then ask a tricycle driver to take you to UP Arboretum.
- If you are coming from Fairview, get off at New Era University. From here, you may rent a tricycle going to the UP Arboretum.
Epilogue
The next time you crave the outdoors, consider any of the five places that I
have mentioned above. They are near and would not cost you too much when you do decide to go to any of these places.
Have you been to any of the places above? How was your experience?
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Great write up! Quezon City is a busy place for sure. Good to know there are places to get out of the busy world and back into nature.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much! Yup, these are great places to visit if you grow tired of malls or the usual hang-out places like bars or coffee shops.
DeleteWow! I love the way you find places of nature inside huge bustling cities! :)
ReplyDeleteI love discovering new places, especially those that are just within my neighborhood. Thanks, Timi!
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