Taal Volcano Adventure

Taal Volcano Adventure (October 30, 2010)

I have wanted to visit the Taal Volcano since studying postcard versions of it in my Civics and Culture classes in grade school. It’s one of those postcard-worthy Philippine tourist spots that you just have to go to at least once in your life. For years I’ve only seen the Taal Volcano from afar, more specifically from the Tagaytay ridge, but I’ve never actually set foot in it. Since I was in Manila for my mom’s birthday and the long weekend, this dream of visiting the Taal Volcano finally came true.

Taal Volcano is famous for its complex structure.  Its complexity stems from the fact that it's actually an “island within a lake within a volcano within a lake within a volcano.” They say that the Tagaytay ridge is actually the rim of the original Taal Volcano, and when it erupted, it created a huge caldera which is what we now know as Taal Lake. The volcanic island of Taal (what we see from Tagaytay as Taal Volcano) can only be reached by crossing Lake Taal through a bangka. Once you reach the volcanic island, there’s another lake inside, called the Crater Lake. This is Taal’s active crater and is not visible from Tagaytay. It is only accessible by trekking (or horseback riding) to the top, and once you’re there you’ll see there’s another tiny island, called Vulcan Point. This complex volcanic structure is what makes Taal Volcano so popular. Aside from that, it’s actually quite accessible from Manila, being only 50km away from the city.

T A G A Y T A Y

We made our way to Tagaytay at around 9 in the morning. It was a long weekend and All Saint's Day was coming, so everyone was going to the province. We ended up arriving in Tagaytay around lunch time because the traffic was so bad. Thankfully, the weather was sunny enough for a Taal volcano adventure. For lunch I took my family to try out Tagaytay's famous Mushroomburger, since they've never tried it before. At the Tagaytay ridge the wind was cool and refreshing, so it was the perfect way to start our little adventure.

Taal Yacht Club

After lunch we made our way to Talisay, which is a long spiral downwards road from the Tagaytay main road. We booked our Taal Volcano trip (bangka, guide, etc.) at the Taal Yacht Club and we arrived there a little after lunch. The weather was mainly sunny, although the waves were a little harsh because of the wind. By 1:30 PM, we were at Taal Volcano. 

Boat ride on the way to Taal Volcano

T H E  T R E K

From the shore of the volcanic island we made our way towards the crater. Although we could rent horses, we decided to do it through the trek.  This way, we get to walk at our own pace and appreciate the beauty of Taal Volcano more. 

Our guide leading us during the trek

Finishing the trek itself was also a challenge, as some parts were steep and hard to climb, but our adventurous selves loved the conquest. 

View from the top with some volcanic rocks

More volcanic rocks

The trek took an hour, but the sights that you see on the way to the crater are truly worth all the sweat. It was nice to be that high up, and the views of the surrounding landscape with the lush greenery, plus the distant Taal Lake and even the Tagaytay ridge can be seen from where we stood. We also passed by volcanic rocks and places where steam was coming off the Earth.

C R A T E R  L A K E

The Crater Lake, Taal Volcano

The Crater Lake up close

We finally reached the Crater Lake by foot, and the view was simply breathtaking – unlike anything I’ve seen in my life. The crater being active, we could see that some parts of the lake were bubbling with heat and steam. It was such a tranquil, picturesque lake though – with its deep green still waters. Here we took lots of pictures, and here we really concluded that the trek upwards was truly worth it.

There’s also another trek that will lead you to the crater itself, as some parts are actually good for swimming, even if the water is warm and has high sulfur content. This however is another trail and should be booked separately and beforehand. We were happy with the view we got from up there though, so we didn’t mind.

A closer look at the steam

We got back to the mainland at around 4:30, and finally, I could say that yes, I’ve been to real Taal Volcano, not just the one I saw in my grade school postcards.

Next stop, Mt. Pinatubo? :)