Ligñon Hill Nature Park is a 156-meter elevation in Legazpi City that offers one of the best views of nearby Mayon Volcano. On a clear day, aside from affording its visitors an unimpeded view of the perfect cone of the 2,463-meter stratovolcano, Ligñon Hill has view decks that provide a panoramic 360-degree view, which includes Legazpi City with Mt. Inang Maharang at the background and Legazpi – Albay Gulf.
What makes Ligñon Hill Nature Park popular with locals and tourists alike is not just the allure of the scenery one can see at the peak but its proximity to the city center. It is only three kilometers from the port area, where most of the businesses in Legazpi City occur.
On the morning we drove to the summit of Ligñon Hill (yes, I need to be driven or carried to my destinations), the sky was downcast, and Mayon Volcano was hiding behind a thick curtain of clouds. However, the previous day, when I arrived in Legazpi City, I was able to see the gorgeous Mayon Volcano after I disembarked the plane. It was not my first time to see Mayon Volcano (I climbed to the top of Mayon Volcano almost a decade ago), but it did not fail to take my breath away.
According to the information boards in the view decks of Ligñon Hill Nature Park, the aerial view of Legazpi City lets one “see a kaleidoscope of natural forms and colors, including the green to blue Albay Gulf, green to gold farm lands of Albay and Sorsogon, hills and cascading promontories toward the Ticao and Burias passes”. It is also possible to see Albay Park and Wildlife, and if you squint your eyes really hard, the white building of Oriental Hotel. I the latter saw up close later in the day when we drove around the city. It had an old world charm, but it was covered with GI sheet and was up for renovation.
The Kapuntukan Hill, which looks like a sleeping lion from afar, is also visible from the top of Ligñon Hill Nature Park. The name Kapuntukan is taken from the Bikolano work “putok”, which means to stare. Kapuntukan Hill is near the coast and is along the main road that leads to Port of Legazpi and what serves as the bay walk area of the city. Even from the bay walk area, the Kapuntukan Hill also looks like a sleeping lion.
Ligñon Hill Nature Park has other things to offer on top of the aerial views of its surrounding area. It has a hanging bridge (which was closed when I went there), zip line (which was not yet open very early in the morning), ATV (which I did not check out because I had no time), trekking, and tour of Japanese tunnel.
Entrance Fee Ligñon Hill Nature Park: P25.00 (US $0.49)
Part of Ligñon Hill and Mayon Volcano. This view greeted me upon disembarking the plane from Manila.
Me on Ligñon Hill Nature Park. Yes, I was not dressed for this activity. I thought that I would be ensconced in a cool room; but when life gives you suha, you grab it and make pomelo shake.
View of Legazpi – Albay Gulf and Kapuntukan Hill, which looks like a sleeping lion, from Ligñon Hill Nature Park