La Mesa Ecopark: Ecotourism in the city

Hidden in a secluded area in Quezon City is this ecotourism haven which I finally got to see today, along with the million other people that also decided to come and hold a party in every nook imaginable within the 2000-hectare forest that surrounds the dam. Well, at least it wasn't only me who suffered from the heat of the "kwaresma sun".







For those not familiar with the La Mesa Dam, here is a quick backgrounder: It is THE supplier of drinking water to the entire 12 million residents of Metro Manila. Therefore it is very important to every resident in the Metro and each resident should contribute towards it's preservation and maintainance for a sustained drinking water supply. It went into a state of disrepair due to many factors, among them, illegal logging (I knew it) and lack of funds (where'd it go?) Fortunately for us Filipinos, concerned NGOs came together to promote its rehabilitation and today, only about 1/10 of the original area needs to be planted.



Going around the 2000-hectare Eco Park can be challenging to your leg muscles, but these colorful shuttles can ferry you if you want to enjoy the swimming pool, the butterfly hatchery, fitness trail, horseback riding and the flower terraces.









For the fitness buff, the Petron fitness trail is the treat for you where specially created wooden exercise equipments can be found. An example is this set where one can jump over a la parquor.










or the chin raise equipment which can be used by either tall or the vertically-challenged.












The midday sun too hot for you? Tired legs? You can avail of the P50 horsedrawn carriage to take you around the Eco Park.











For the avid gardener or plant collector, the flower terraces offers rows and rows of flowering plants that go up the hill overlooking the La Mesa Dam.










What would the essence of an ecopark be without trees and other seldom seen vegetation? Here's a photo of an unusual banana species. The color of the banana blossom is pink, contrary to the red ones that we commonly see in most bananas, or I could be ignorant and this is not a banana after all. Who knows?







On some occasions, the butterfly hatchery is open for public viewing.

















Time to flex your arm muscles at the Boating Lagoon.












This lagoon is bigger than the man-made Burnham Park lagoon in Baguio City and only a handful boats are docked so you can maneuver around without having to worry you'd hit another boat and capsize, because the water looks really deep. So you also need to bring your swimming knowhow along. Just in case.








This is my favorite amongst the recreations in the Eco Park. The Zipline. It does not really make use of a board where one is harnessed in and slides down to the opposite end, but it is still scary even when done in seating position. The zipline costs P100 per head.








Feeling combative? Try playing paintball with friends. For only P350/per head (gear and 50 bullets) or P500/per head (gear and 100 bullets) you can release your pent up aggression till it drains.









A view of the pool from a distance. For only P80 per head, you can head to the pool and cool down.




How to get here: If you are taking public transportation: Take any Fairview bound bus, jeepney or fx and get off at Winston St. or Pearl St. at Regalado Avenue. Take a specdial tricycle ride for P20 to take you inside the Eco Park.

If you have a private ride: Turn right on Winston or Pearl St. from Regalado Avenue. From Winston St, turn left on the first corner and turn right on Dunhill St. straight up to the entrance of the Park.

For inquiries you may call: 430-40-51.