In comparison with many different cities all over the world, Metro Manila isn’t a bike-friendly vacation spot. The town itself, with the city sprawl, horrible visitors, and lack of protected and safe bicycle lanes, makes it fairly scary to discover on two wheels. Positive, you could find many areas for city biking within the metropolis however chances are high, these spots are tough to get to otherwise you’ll be uncovered to the polluted metropolis more often than not.
For many who need to bike safely someplace with a refreshing view of nature, there are solely a handful of locations in and close to the metro which have scenic trails and parks perfect for biking. These are just some of the perfect that I can personally advocate.
NOTE: This was initially written through the pandemic in 2020. Some areas round Metro Manila have developed higher bike lanes, whereas others have been paved over or privatized for business developments.
UP Diliman Campus, Quezon Metropolis
The 493-hectare campus of the College of the Philippines is a haven for joggers and cyclists. The State College is thought for its 2.2 kilometer lengthy tree-lined Tutorial Oval with a chosen bikers’ and runners’ lane, top-of-the-line locations to do rounds within the metropolis on any kind of motorbike.
On Sundays, the complete space is closed off to motorized automobiles so it’s a prime vacation spot for runners, bikers, longboard skaters and households who simply need to benefit from the shade of the timber.
Apart from circling the oval, you may as well discover quite a lot of large grassy areas and hidden trails across the campus together with behind The Science Advanced, Heartbreak Hill, College Avenue Pump Observe and Lagoon space.
Factors of curiosity in UP embrace the Oblation statue, UP Vargas Museum, public artwork installations, avenue meals and avenue artwork. Seasonal sights embrace the hearth timber (summer time), sunflowers planted alongside the College Avenue throughout commencement season and the Lantern Parade (Christmas). Sadly, the UP Bike Trails, the 2 quick XC tracks close to the Faculty of Human Kinetics (CHK) which used to function a venue of assorted races and bike occasions, has been changed into a baseball discipline.
TIPS & USEFUL INFO:
- Entrance price: None
- Bikes for lease: None. Carry your individual. The campus has a Bikeshare system for his or her classic commuter bikes the place you may join free (however I feel that is just for college students).
- Hours: The UP Diliman campus is open each day 24/7. The tutorial oval is closed to motorized visitors on Sundays.
- What makes it nice for bikers: Lovely surroundings and pure environment, devoted bike lanes, bike parking, plenty of bike-friendly spots to eat
- The place to eat: There are a number of locations for bikers to eat or purchase meals contained in the UP Diliman campus together with Gyud Meals Hub and Mang Larry’s Isawan close to the Faculty of Fantastic Arts; Artwork Circle Cafe and ROC inside Bahay ng Alumni; Nomu Cafe, Rodic’s Diner, and Snack Shack throughout the Bahay ng Alumni; College Resort which has a espresso store, bar and resto; plus the entire of JP Rizal Avenue, which is lined with budget-friendly eateries. You may as well discover few meals parks and many restos within the close by Maginhawa space the place you may deliver your bikes.
Quezon Memorial Circle
The Quezon Memorial Circle or QMC is a nationwide park positioned inside a big visitors circle generally known as the Elliptical Highway in Quezon Metropolis. QMC is thought primarily for the 66-meter tall mausoleum containing the stays of Manuel L. Quezon, the second official President of the Philippines, which is the primary landmark of town.
The QMC serves as the primary park of town, housing a shrine, museums, playgrounds, picnic cottages, and open areas for relaxation and recreation. The city park options a number of smaller gardens inside its grounds together with a flower backyard, a tropical backyard, and a demo city farm.
Apart from being a refreshing place to jog, stroll and go biking and have picnics, QMC can be an excellent place to purchase crops together with potted herbs, decorative crops, succulents, and different dwelling gardening necessities. A brand new Elevated Panorama Promenade is presently being constructed to attach Quezon Memorial Shrine to Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Middle, which is one thing to sit up for.
TIPS & USEFUL INFO:
- Entrance price: None
- Bikes for lease: Bikes can be found for lease on the QMC bicycle station.
- Hours: Open from 5:00 am to eight:00 p,
- What makes it nice for bikers: Enjoyable pure surroundings and environment. Bike ramps on stairs. To soundly cross the street by bike, use the underpass from Quezon Metropolis Corridor which now has bike ramps. A lot of benches and picnic tables to relaxation. Some bike-friendly restos.
- The place to eat: There are many meals stalls inside QC Circle together with CocoBistro (a resto that serves Coconut-based dishes and helps coconut farmers) and Simply Espresso, a brand new al fresco espresso store. You may as well discover a couple of eating places together with Max’s, Aristocrat, Kamameshi Home, and Tropical Hut.
Marikina River Park
The Marikina River Park is a system of parks, trails & open areas alongside an 11-kilometer (6.8 mi) stretch of the Marikina River within the japanese a part of Metro Manila.
This city riverside park covers an space of 220 hectares (540 acres) operating by a number of villages. Because the most important walkways are closed off to motorized automobiles, this affords a protected and refreshing space to get some train and contemporary air.
You will discover a brief tree-shaded bike path right here with statues of various animals and recreations of iconic landmarks from across the nation. A pleasant addition to the realm (put up throughout Christmas 2019) is a set of 16 Mosaic Artwork shows of nature scenes made out of supplies like glass tiles, bottle caps, stones, plastic bottles, foam bits, slippers, plastic clothespins & extra.
Nevertheless, as of April 2024, some sections of the Marikina Riverbanks had been broken by a storm whereas others are not accessible resulting from river dredging.
TIPS & USEFUL INFO:
- Entrance price: None
- Bikes for lease: Bikes can be found for lease on the Marikina Riverbanks space
- Hours: Open every day
- What makes it nice for bikers: Scenic riverside routes, bike lanes, plenty of bike-friendly cafes, public bike parking spots, pocket parks to relaxation
- The place to eat: There are a couple of picnic tables and cottages alongside the river banks and goto-type stalls alongside the river banks catering to bikers. Some notable eating places close by embrace Mama Chit’s, Sundays and Rustic Mornings close to the Marikina Footwear Museum. Different bike-friendly spots embrace Greg & Sally’s Tree Cafe and quite a few bike-friendly cafes across the aspect streets.
The Bike Playground at Circulo Verde
Hidden proper within the metropolis accessible by C-5 close to Eastwood and Libis is The Bike Playground in Circulo Verde. That is the nation’s first internationally-designed indoor bike park, which has a world-class pump monitor, a 1-km lengthy outside path and a child’s path.
The spotlight right here is the internationally designed pump monitor, constructed by Velosolutions headed by Swiss mountain biker Claudio Caluori. In contrast to different pump tracks, this one has a roof which makes it a great biking vacation spot even within the wet season. The pump monitor is product of asphalt, giving tires extra traction.
The outside path may be very quick, however well-designed and affords a couple of twists, ramps and jumps for a fast path biking repair. Bikers can deliver their very own mountain bikes appropriate for the path and pump monitor, however in addition they have bikes for lease. There’s a bathe room and lounge for bikers and many bike parking areas close to the eating places. Because the space is secluded, not quite a lot of automobiles cross right here, making it protected for teenagers to bike on the street.
TIPS & USEFUL INFO:
- Entrance price: P100 per hour
- Bikes for lease: YES. Mountain bikes and pump monitor bikes can be found for lease at P500 for two hours, whereas kiddie bikes value P350 for two hours.
- Working hours: The Bike Playground is open from 7:00 AM to eight:00 PM Monday to Sunday.
- What makes it nice for bikers: Availability of motorbike rental, bathe room, lounge for bikers, bike parking close to eating places
- The place to eat: There are a number of locations for bikers to eat in Calle Industria throughout the similar complicated together with McDonald’s, Chef & Brewer, Kambal Pandesal and Chill Prime Bar. Eastwood, Libis and the newly developed Bridgetown and Parklinks areas (which I’ve but to discover) are additionally very close to.
Intramuros, Manila
Intramuros is the oldest district and historic core in Manila, Philippines. It’s the one district of Manila the place you may see previous Spanish-era structure.
It’s additionally one of many few locations within the metro the place you may truly lease bicycles and go on bike excursions. Plus, you get to make use of Bamboo Bicycles crafted by a social enterprise.
For first-timer international guests who desire a fast tour of the historic sights within the metropolis, it is a good possibility. The route is generally paved, however you can be biking by cobblestone streets and a few scenic areas like Fort Santiago, a well-maintained park, the Baroque San Agustin Church and Manila Cathedral. As of 2024, higher bike lanes throughout the space are being developed.
There’s a community of motorbike lanes and pedestrian walkways being constructed as a part of the Pasig River Esplanade, with scenic areas behind the Manila Central Submit Workplace and good lanes crossing Jones Bridge and the Binondo-Intramuros Bridge.
TIP: Bambike additionally affords Bamboo Bike Excursions in several elements of town like Poblacion, BGC and affords bike leases somewhere else (Corregidor, Iloilo, Bohol, Baler, and so forth.)
TRAVEL TIPS & USEFUL INFO:
- Bikes for lease: YES. P100 per Bambike per hour (no information)
- Bike Excursions: Intramuros Expertise, a 2.5 hour lengthy tour to go to 10 key websites (P1,200 per particular person). The value is inclusive of motorbike & helmet rental, bottled water and entrance charges. The Specific Tour is a 1 hour tour the place you may select your individual journey for P600 per particular person per hour
- Tour schedule: 10:00 am – 12:30 pm and three:00 pm – 5:30 pm.
- What makes it nice for bikers: Availability of motorbike leases, bike lanes, parks, lovely historic buildings serving as nice photograph backdrops, bridges, bike parking, bike equipment on the market on the Bambike HQ, some bike-friendly cafes
- The place to eat: There are a number of bike-friendly locations to eat in Intramuros together with Barbara’s, Cafe Intramuros and Batala Bar throughout the Plaza San Luis Advanced close to the headquarters of Bambike. Different suggestions the place you may park bikes safely embrace Ilustrado Restaurant, Belfry Cafe and Papa Kape inside Fort Santiago.
La Mesa Nature Reserve, Quezon Metropolis
La Mesa Watershed Nature Reserve is a forest reserve with multi-use trails positioned northeast of Quezon Metropolis close to SM Metropolis Fairview. It surrounds the La Mesa Reservoir, which is the supply of a lot of the consuming water of Manila. Take notice that that is totally different from La Mesa Eco Park.
NOTE: La Mesa Nature Reserve and Laa Mesa Eco Park are presently closed, however they’re set to reopen in June 2024 below the administration of MWSS.
Sometimes called the final remaining rainforest in Metro Manila, La Mesa Watershed Nature Reserve affords 52 kilometers of fantastic mountain single tracks, grime roads and firetracks all inside a dense forest. La Mesa affords nice trails for each learners and superior riders. It’s a in style venue for bike races and duathlons. Carry a hydration pack with path meals sufficient to final you for half a day if you happen to plan to bike right here..
TIPS & USEFUL INFO:
- Entrance Charge: P200 per particular person for a minimal group of 5 (or P1000 per group) plus P200 per extra rider. In case your group has fewer than 5 riders, you continue to should pay P1000. Reservations are required to bike right here.
- Bikes for lease: None. Carry your individual.
- Services: Rest room, rescue automobiles, bike wash (P50.00)
- Hours: Open 6:00 a.m. to five:00 p.m. each day apart from Christmas and New Yr. In addition they shut the place throughout occasions so name them first earlier than making any plans.
- What makes it nice for bikers: Lovely pure surroundings and stress-free environment, protected place to bike away from visitors
- The place to eat: There is no such thing as a place to eat inside La Mesa Nature Reserve, so deliver your individual packed meals/snacks and drinks. Generally, roving distributors inside promote mild snacks & drinks on the Kawayanan space.
- For inquiries, name Bantay Kalikasan at:(02)410.9670 (02)415.2272 loc 4551 (Bantay Kalikasan Head Workplace) or inquire straight with Mr. Mar Zeri Ramirez at 0926.6700320 or 0908.493 8239. For more information, go to: the Bantay Kalikasan web site.
Heroes Bike Path, Taguig
Nestled proper smack between C-5 and BGC is Heroes Path, a brief cross nation monitor positioned inside a navy camp. It’s truly positioned contained in the Libingan ng mga Bayani compound, a cemetery. In response to bikers who frequent the realm, it’s fairly well-maintained, low-cost and comparatively straightforward to get to for many who stay within the space.
The Heroes Path could be ridden by riders of all ability ranges – from Downhill riders to newbies. It’s a great coaching floor for many who stay within the space and is used as a venue for biking occasions like Bike Demo Day.
TIPS & USEFUL INFO:
- Entrance price: P50 pesos (you may journey all day)
- Bikes for lease: None. Carry your individual.
- Services: Restroom, bike parking, typically drinks and bike accessories are offered by distributors
- Hours: Open from 5:30 am 5:00 pm every day
- The place to eat: Generally distributors arrange meals stalls throughout bike occasions, however it’s greatest to deliver your individual snacks or drinks.
C-6 Bike Lane, Taguig
The C-6 or Circumferential Highway-6 Bike Lane is a part of the Laguna Lake Freeway, a thoroughfare connecting Paranaque to the Metropolis of Taguig, Pasig, and the municipality of Taytay in Rizal. Whereas the primary freeway remains to be below building, there are some parts which are already open to cyclists and runners together with a 3-meter large bike lane and a 1.5 meter large sidewalk.
It could be a few years earlier than the entire route turns into totally operational, however this lakeside route appears to be like like a promising biking vacation spot and shortcut to the areas within the South like Alabang, Paranaque and Muntinlupa.
TIPS & USEFUL INFO:
- Entrance price: None
- Bikes for lease: None. Carry your individual.
- Services: Bike lane
Timberland Mountain Bike Park, Rizal
Mt. Maarat in Timberland Heights is sometimes called the mountain biking capital of the nation, providing a wide range of purpose-built mountain biking trails. Technically, it’s not in Manila, however it’s close to sufficient for a day journey. The park reopened in 2024, launching 12 trails with various levels of problem—that includes single-track, drops, rollers, and berms.
This space in San Mateo, Rizal simply on the outskirts of town was once an everyday coaching floor for path runners, mountaineers, and mountain bikers. Bikers coming from the metro often handed by Marikina to entry the primary entrance of Timberland Heights.
Bikers who need to take a look at their endurance uphill can scale “The Wall”, a 2 kilometer-long paved street ascending as much as the gates of Timberland. There’s additionally “Shotgun”, a good harder and longer climb which you could bike to totally free. However you would skip that and go on to the technical trails (which has a separate entrance price) by bringing your mountain bikes up by automobile.
Pattern the paths full of fireplace roads and singletracks on the Inexperienced Zone, Blue Zone and Black Diamond. Different factors of curiosity right here embrace the pine tree-lined avenue of the Roxas Primary Path, the Ten Commandments Statue in Mt. Sinai and the Sandugo BaseKamp Path and Pump Observe.
TIPS & USEFUL INFO:
- Entrance price:
None. No reservations required to bike at Timberland Heights. Simply go away your ID on the guardhouse.Beginning February 10, 2024, a day cross now prices P550 per rider - Parking price: P30.00 close to the Timberland Sports activities and Nature Membership. Free if you happen to park your automobiles earlier than heading up The Wall.
- Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 7am to 4pm, with the final entry at 1pm.
- Bikes for lease: YES. Bike rental is offered on the Journey Farm in Timberland Heights for P100/head per hour inclusive of security gear, with a further P50 for succeeding hours. I additionally was in a position to borrow a Sandugo Brusko unit at BaseKamp Biker’s Pit Cease one time however most bikers deliver their very own bikes.
- What makes it nice for riders: Fantastic nature trails, surroundings, presence of motorbike retailers and bike-friendly cafes. Bike equipment are typically offered alongside the street throughout weekends
- The place to eat: Aling Tina’s, All Terra Biking Store and Cafe, Marc’s Retailer, Bikers Cafe, Ka Vergel, Big Retailer, Camp Sandugo, Phillip’s Sanctuary, Pestano Farm and different smaller eateries.
Eastridge, Rizal
Beforehand, Antenna Hill was one other biking vacation spot in a city on the outskirts of town close to sufficient for a day journey. Situated in Tayuman, Binangonan, Rizal, getting up the hill concerned a really difficult ascent, however when you get to the highest, you would take pleasure in steep tracks and drops that are in style with downhill riders.
Apart from the downhill bike trails, this biking vacation spot had quite a lot of bonus areas you would discover together with a Thunder Path.
Whereas I’m not sure if these trails are nonetheless accessible as of 2024, you may nonetheless go to the historic Angono-Binangonan Petroglyphs and take a tour of the artwork galleries and eating places in Angono.
TIPS & USEFUL INFO:
- Entrance Charge: None.
- Bikes for lease: None. Carry your individual.
- NOTE: Since it is a non-public subdivision, you’ll want to depart an ID on the gate to get in.
- The place to eat: Quite a lot of new cafes have popped up within the space together with ArtSector Gallery and Cafe, Espresso Rush and Cafe Giya. Different choices embrace Nemiranda Artwork Home and Balaw-Balaw Unique Restaraunt in Angono (earlier than heading as much as Eastridge)
Rodriguez, Rizal
Although Tanay in Rizal affords extra scenic and delightful biking locations, it may well take some time to bike all the best way there.
For many who have restricted time or need one thing nearer (for a half-day biking journey), there’s Rodriguez (previously generally known as Montalban), the northernmost city of the neighboring province of Rizal. It’s comparatively close to town, however brings you near a surprisingly scenic view of mountains.
One of many in style vacationer spots you may bike to is Wawa Dam, a gravity dam constructed over the Marikina River located within the 360-meter excessive Montalban Gorge or Wawa Gorge, a water hole within the Sierra Madre Mountains, simply east of Manila. The rocky river dam is a well-liked vacation spot for swimming, mountain biking and climbing.
TIPS & USEFUL INFO:
- Entrance Charge: None
- Bikes for lease: None. Carry your individual.
- Hours: Open 24 hours
- The place to eat: There are many small eateries close by, however don’t anticipate something fancy. Wawa is a well-liked spot for picnics amongst locals who often deliver their very own meals.
Nuvali, Laguna
Nuvali is a 2,290 hectare master-planned residential, business and leisure improvement complicated positioned in Sta. Rosa, Calamba, Laguna. Nuvali has a great community of paved roads and designated bike paths that supply quite a lot of alternatives for leisurely street biking.
Beforehand, it supplied an in depth bike tracks and a path system, which included roughly 50 km of off-road biking and operating trails. Sadly, as of April 2024, a number of the mountain bike trails are not accessible resulting from new developments within the space.
Nuvali was once the venue for Nuvali Filth Weekend, one of many greatest and most anticipated mountain biking occasions within the nation. On common days, bikers who deliver their very own mountain bikes can take pleasure in going across the flowy singletrack and scenic cross-country using with contemporary air and nice views.
TIPS & USEFUL INFO:
- Entrance Charge: Free for many who deliver their very own bikes.
- Bikes for lease: Highway bikes can be found for lease for P60/hour. That you must current a legitimate ID and signal a waiver earlier than renting street bikes in Nuvali. Bikers have to put on helmets (supplied) always. Put on correct closed footwear (sandals and slippers aren’t allowed).
- Services: Bike parking, bike trails, pump monitor (particular occasions solely)
- Hours: Open every day from Monday to Sunday 8:00 am to five:00 pm
- The place to eat: There are many locations to eat in Nuvali from quick meals joints to high quality eating restos.
Different Bike Trails / Locations in and close to Manila
- Camp Aguinaldo Bike Path – closed
- Bathala Bike Park – closed
- Fort Bonifacio Military MTB Path
- Filinvest Bike Path in Alabang, Muntinlupa
- Vermosa Expertise Bike Park, Daang Hari, Cavite
- Twin Lakes Mountain Bike Path, Tagaytay
NOTE: Extra pictures from Outdoors Slacker. Take a look at his web page for extra biking assets.
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