Luzon is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines and it is within the top 15 of the largest islands in the world. The Philippines has a population of around 100 million people and 48 million of them are here. It houses the capital, Manila.
It has a very important presence in Philippine history and many powerful peoples have invaded it throughout history. Among the Europeans the first were the Portuguese. On the map of the colonial era it appears in the XNUMXth century, although in the latter part of the same the Spaniards would dominate the island, defeating the kingdoms that had influence on it. Today, Luzon is the gateway to the fascinating world of culture that is the Philippines.
Luzon, the island
It has a surface area of almost 110 thousand square kilometers, almost perfect in its rectangular shape although a tail escapes to the southeast forming a peninsula. To think of Luzon is to think of South Luzon, Central Luzon, North Luzon and the national capital region.
The island has flat parts, tropical forests pine, various mountain ranges (the most important is Sierra Madre, lagoons and rainforests near the mountains. The highest peak is almost three thousand meters high and from there several rivers flow.
The largest lake is the Bay Lagoon And it is not only the largest on the island and in the country but in all of Southeast Asia. On the contrary, the smallest lake is the Taal, a typical volcano caldera lake formed by what is supposed to have been the largest volcano on the island. Finally, the Bicol Peninsula is a narrow mountain range studded with volcanoes, coves, bays and gulfs.
Around Luzon are also a handful of beautiful islands, including the Palawan, Masbate and Mindoro islands, for example. It is really a very large island so you have to think carefully about what we have to know and what not.
Transport in Luzon
The island has four international airports And as the capital is home to, they are really busy airports. The most important of all is the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and you will surely reach it and its little operational chaos.
To move around the island there are many options, from car rental to taxis, multitaxis and tricycles, ideal for narrow streets and short distances. The jeepney They are extremely popular and are multi-person vehicles for a flat fee that is cheap. They do short and long distances and the fixed rate is for the first three kilometers to increase by one kilometer from there. The same goes for multitaxi, are managed with fixed rates.
In Manila there is also a metro and with respect to trains there is only one railway system that runs through the north of the island like Calamba, Bicol or Baguio. It is a good train, with air conditioning and the trip between Manila and Naga, just to give an example, takes 14 hours and the ticket does not cost 9 euros. Are there buses? Yes, there are buses with air and without air conditioning the second ticket being more expensive. There's also boats to move from island to island and the prices depend on the distances. There are three types of boats:
- Benches: these are the traditional boats, with a motor, they are cheap and usually travel short distances. There are also without motor, but they are usually used to go fishing.
- Ferries: they are comfortable and a good option to go from Luzon to other islands. There are several companies and there are regular trips between the main islands
- Hovercraft: they are those boats that move on an air mattress. Here are the ones from the Super Cat fleet.
What to see in Luzon
El old town of Manila it is a colonial beauty that can be explored on foot. It rests on the shores of the bay and is inhabited by about 1.6 million people, so it seems that it is the most densely populated city in the world, that is, there are many people per square kilometer.
You must visit the Rizal Park, the Cathedral, the Archbishop's Palace, the Governor's Palace, the Palace of Santa Powerna, Fort Santiago and the Barracks of Santa Lucia. There is also no shortage of picturesque squares, shopping centers, bazaars and markets.
In terms of culture there are several interesting institutions such as the National Museum, the Museum of the Filipino People, the Museum of Natural History, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museum of Sciences and Arts and the Museum of the History of Ideas, the one of Political history and some other religious museum among the most interesting.
Getting around the inner city, the old town, is easy because various buggies circulate, horse-drawn carriages dating back to colonial times and only used by tourists today. Once outside of Manila there are other corners of Luzon Island that are among the favorites.
There are two volcanoes, the Pinatubo volcano and the Taal. The first is an active volcano that was dormant for a long time until it erupted in 1991 and was tremendously destructive, comparable to Krakatoa of 1883. The second is always active and has recorded 33 eruptions, almost all on the island of Lake Taal whose waters fill in part the caldera that was formed millions of years ago.
In the northern part of Luzon there are beautiful rice cultivation terraces and local tribes that are worth knowing because it is the most indigenous in Filipino terms. And the most beautiful landscapes to rest and enjoy are those that offer the Subic Bay and Angeles City. The bay is just 100 kilometers from Manila and used to host a large US naval base.
Under its waters there are countless planes and ships sunk by the wars of the XNUMXth century, especially Japanese and American. If you like walking or hiking you can try the landscapes and roads of Sagada, here is the beautiful Simigang Cave and the popular ones coffins hanging on the rocky mountainside.
If you like the sea they are the beaches of Subic, they have a lot of charm and in pagudpud it has white sands like fine ground flour. The same you find in Magalawa island. Finally, to delve deeper into the island's colonial past, you can visit a colonial city with a lot of European charm: Vigan with its cobbled streets, its Spanish houses and its varied style.
As you can see, a few days on Luzan Island is the best way to get to know and experience the Philippines.