Biyaheng Antipolo

I have been to Antipolo a number of times already but my only purpose there is to visit the Antipolo Cathedral as part of our Pilgrimage tour. My churchmates and I went to Antipolo two years ago as part of our “Awareness month”. We were able to explore two notable churches in the province including the Antipolo Cathedral (Check : Visiting Antipolo Cathedral) and the Transfiguration of Christ Parish (Check : The Transfiguration of Christ Church in Antipolo).

The same year (May 2015 to be exact), we went back to the Cathedral to participate in their annual First Procession which is done to indicate the start of the “Pilgrimage Season”  (Check : The First Procession in Antipolo). The procession will start from the Cathedral all the way to the Pinagmisahan Hills where the Via Dolorosa is situated (Check : Via Dolorosa). Oh! We also got the chance to visit Loreland Farm Resort where the famous Luljetta’s Hanging Garden is located (Check: Loreland Farm Resort in Antipolo)

With so many religious places to visit, Antipolo is being dubbed as the Pilgrimage Capital of the Philippines but little did I know, Antipolo has many other places to offer. That’s also the reason why I took the opportunity to join the tour hosted by Hitch Getaway Travel and Tours which is aimed to take us to different interesting places in Antipolo. It was quick day tour and I would love to tag this series as “Biyaheng Antipolo” . So without any further ado, here are the places we visited last December!

Antipolo Cathedral
A trip to Antipolo will never be completed without including the Antipolo Cathedral in your itinerary.The Cathedral is formally known as the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of Antipolo and is known for being the National Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage. Interestingly, the shrine attracts millions of pilgrims annually, especially on the eve of 1 May. With such amount of devotees, I guess Antipolo has the right to claim that they are indeed the pilgrimage capital of the country.

Hinilugang Taktak Falls
You have probably heard this waterfalls in Antipolo through the famous song “Tayo Na Sa Antipolo” which invites people to bathe in Hinulugang Taktak falls.  Unfortunately, the lyrics are no longer applicable because Hinulugang Taktak is no longer ideal for swimming due to its heavily polluted water. Despite the depressing state, it is so nice that the local government units were trying their best to restore the place. Today, the site is still open to public but the falls are no longer accessible but they got man-made swimming pools in the area!

Pinto Art Museum
Pinto Art Museum is becoming one of the most visited places in Antipolo. It is an open art museum that features  over 300 modern paintings, sculptures, and art installations by various local artists. The term Pinto which basically translates to “Door” serves as the gateway for modern and contemporary art.  The museum’s overall mission is to champion conservation of nature, education of the Filipino people, and opening doors for talented artists. Many people are intrigued with this interesting museum and of course, they were all attracted by place’s Instagram-worthy arts!

Jardin De Miramar
Jardin De Miramar is one of the largest garden venue in Antipolo and is known for their colorful themes that are suit for many different occasions. The venue covers a three-hectare garden which includes a Christmas Theme venue known as the Casa Santa. Apart from it, they also offer a variety of concepts including an Intramuros-themed venue, Galera and Sylvana which are both ideal for kid parties and a bunch of Garden venues for wedding and receptions.

Casa Santa
Casa Santa is one of the greatest highlights of Jardin De Miramar. It’s a museum of more than 3,700 items with Christmas and Santa Claus themes and motifs from different countries around the world. It is definitely one of the unique themed museum in the country and absolutely worth visiting whether it’s Christmas or not.

Mystical Cave
Located in Mount Puting Bato is the so-called Mystical Cave. Well, the cave will not be named mystical for no reason. The cave features interesting stalagmites and stalactites formation that resemble images inspired from the Bible. The cave is not as exciting as the Calinawan of Tanay (Check : A Day Trip in Tanay : Calinawan Cave) but still worth visiting. There were parts here that is not accessible for general public and only professionals can explore.

Cloud 9 (360 View Point)
We concluded our tour at Cloud 9. Cloud 9 is a Hotel Resort in Antipolo. It features hotel rooms and other interesting areas for recreation activities. One of the most interesting highlights of the resort is their so-called 360 View point where you must cross a hanging bridge all the way to the top and enjoy the panoramic view of Antipolo!

I’m going to post a separate entry for each destination soon

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