Prepare your trip so you don’t miss anything of the 7,000 islands… Here are the 10 most beautiful places to visit in the Philippines!
Summary
- 1. The rice fields of Banaue
- 2. Mayon Volcano
- 3. Siargao
- 4. Camiguin
- 5. Coron
- 6. Vigan
- 7. Batane Islands
- 8. Manila
- 9. Taal Lake and Volcano
- 10. The Chocolate Hills
Spreading its beauty over more than 7,000 islands, the Philippines is one of the most spectacular countries in Southeast Asia. The neon green of the rice paddies, the emerald lagoons, the lush vegetation, the broom, the bamboo banksas , the white sandy beaches speckled with palm trees, the rocks emerging from the sea… Many are the images that will remain etched in your mind like traditional prints. Without forgetting the warmth and kindness of the inhabitants, which alone are worth the trip. If every corner of the archipelago contains the soul of the country, some sites are unmissable.
Do you want to know the most beautiful places in the Philippines? Here are 13 places not to be missed during your stay!
1. The rice fields of Banaue
Photo credit: Shutterstock / Frolova_Elena
Do you know the eighth wonder of the world? The Banaue Rice Terraces span the Ifugao Mountains, located in the center of Luzon Island. They offer visitors a striking spectacle. Thousands of terraces sculpt a landscape that seems to come from another planet. Before your eyes, the sacred cultures draw curved lines and the dazzling greenery is sometimes crossed by shimmering water.
It was the ancestors of the Batad ethnic group who bequeathed this priceless heritage to the world more than 2,000 years ago. It bears witness to a natural, socio-cultural, religious, technological and political heritage that is unique in the world. This ingenious cultivation and irrigation system has been passed down from generation to generation for many centuries.
If this know-how is still in the hands of the Filipinos, globalization casts a shadow on its preservation. However, the stakes are high. The culture of the rice fields is alive and still today has a spiritual and mythological dimension for the Ifugao inhabitants.
2. Mayon Volcano
Photo credit: Shutterstock / Puripat Lertpunyaroj
The silhouette of the Mayon volcano has something to mark the spirits. Its almost perfect dome will perhaps remind you of Mount Fuji … Minus the Zen spirit. Indeed, Mayon is the most active volcano in the Philippines. Over the past four centuries, it has experienced around fifty eruptions! Despite its tragic history, the volcano’s tumultuous activity has shaped the surrounding landscape.
If you like hiking, we advise you to organize a trek to discover it and admire its sculptural beauty.
3. Siargao
Photo credit: Shutterstock / oneinchpunch
Capital of surfing in the Philippines, Siargao has many other things to offer than its vertiginous tubes. Indeed, this island has everything of a paradise destination. Water tinged with superb shades of blue, bumpy beaches with gentle hills, mangroves, immaculate white sandbanks… In particular, don’t miss a visit to the Sugba Lagoon.
In Siargao, locals and tourists cultivate a certain sweetness of life. If you want to dedicate your stay to idleness, lazy evenings and peaceful exploration, you’ve come to the right place.
4. Camiguin
Photo credit: Shutterstock / Adrian Baker
Nicknamed the island of fire, Camiguin is characterized by the large number of volcanoes it is home to. It is the island with the highest density of volcanoes in the world! Indeed, there are seven of them on an area of only 240 square kilometres. Not to mention the twenty craters that you can explore on site. Due to this extraordinary volcanic activity, the beaches of Camiguin are sometimes lined with black sand. They then offer visitors a unique landscape.
But Camiguin’s appeal doesn’t stop there. As the island is not easily accessible, it attracts very few visitors. The local population has organized itself not to open its doors to uncontrolled tourism. In this perspective, ecotourism has a special place. An ideal setting for exploring the many treasures of the island: waterfalls, hot springs, small wild islands…
5. Coron
Photo credit: Shutterstock / RM Nunes
For many, the island of Coron is the pearl of the Philippines. For others, it is simply the most beautiful island in the world. For us, it is therefore naturally a must during your stay in the Philippines. Here, dizzying rock teeth pierce particularly transparent waters. The turquoise lagoons teem with life. The Tagbanwa, tourists and monitor lizards share vast white sand beaches.
Board a banka , a small traditional boat, to explore Coron. And if you want to explore its seabed, know that it is an ideal snorkeling spot. Its clear and fishy water will offer you a real little moment of paradise.
Namely : Coron is often compared to El Nido. Indeed, the two destinations have similarities. If El Nido is also a superb place, we preferred Coron, which is less touristy!
6. Vigan
Photo credit: Shutterstock / Daniel Andis
Located on Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines, Vigan is a unique city. First of all, it is a very fine example of a 16th century Spanish colonial city in Asia. Its cobbled streets and old buildings are particularly well preserved. But Vigan also has a rich heritage that mixes various Asian and European influences. All of this has earned it a UNESCO World Heritage listing.
Staying in Vigan will feel like you’ve traveled back in time. Old-fashioned architecture, craft shops and horse-drawn carriages pounding the cobblestones set the scene. Moreover, the city has managed to preserve a real authenticity. The historic buildings have kept their uses and the new constructions are made in the traditional way. In short, this is a must-do during your stay in the Philippines.
7. Batane Islands
Photo credit: Shutterstock / Joseph Oropel
The Batanes Islands are a group of ten islands located in the far north of the Philippines. They offer a different landscape from what can be found elsewhere on the archipelago. Indeed, when visiting the Batanes Islands, you will often feel like you are in New Zealand ! On the program: wild and desert landscapes, dazzling shades of green and herds of animals roaming freely. If it is difficult to get there, the game is worth the effort. You won’t see many tourists there! Moreover, the majority of the Batanes Islands are uninhabited. The few inhabitants live mainly from hunting and fishing, and their culture is unique to the Philippines. A real parenthesis out of time during your stay.
8. Manila
Photo credit: Shutterstock / Joseph Oropel
If you are traveling by plane, it is very likely that you will land in Manila. The largest city in the Philippines has a bad reputation. Consequently, it tends to scare away tourists… However, its name has entered the collective imagination. Perhaps it awakens sulphurous and contradictory images in you. And for good reason, the sprawling City of Manila mixes a multitude of influences and cultures. Its neighborhoods are like cities within the city and its transport is chaotic.
And yet, Manila is a city that knows how to charm those who are ready to open up to it. We advise you to discover its human wealth, its excellent museums and its many tasty cuisines! A real adventure awaits you.
9. Taal Lake and Volcano
Photo credit: Shutterstock / Daniel Zuckerkandel
An island in a lake in an island in a lake in an island… Are you following? Set in a beautiful wild landscape, Taal Volcano is a huge caldera bathed by Taal Lake. The latter contains Volcano Island , an island that constitutes the active part of the volcano. You can go there by banka and admire the scenes of daily life of the local population on its banks.
You can also embark on its ascent! As the volcano is still active, you may come across some fumaroles there. Around you, a breathtaking panorama awaits you. The summit is occupied by a small turquoise lake, which bathes the crater of the volcano. Itself is surmounted by a rocky outcrop.
10. The Chocolate Hills
Photo credit: Shutterstock / Iuliia Shcherbakova
The history of the Chocolate Hills begins two million years ago. On this surface then bathed by the sea, successive layers of shells and coral form small mounds. When tectonic plates lift Bohol Island out of the water, these formations become weathered. Their gradual erosion will give them the appearance of small plump hills. In fact, if you ask a child to draw you a mountain, chances are they’ll paint you a picture of Chocolate Hill.
Today, if it is forbidden to hike between the Chocolate Hills, you can access a viewpoint to admire these curious hills during your stay in the Philippines. They are 1,268 to line the island of Bohol, drawing an extraordinary landscape.
11. Puerto Princesa Underground River
Photo credit: Shutterstock / r.nagy
After the eighth wonder of the world, here is the seventh new wonder of nature! The Puerto Princesa Underground River National Park contains one of the most extraordinary sets of caves. By going there, you can admire an unaltered primary forest and a unique biodiversity in the world. Among the emblematic species that you may come across are the Palawan Hornbill , the crab-eating macaque or the reticulated python. The river, along its 8.2 kilometers, is certainly the longest in the world. It passes through a cave before emptying into the South China Sea. A breathtaking spectacle that you must not miss!
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