It’s quite interesting that sometimes familiarity in one place is inversely proportional to your distance away from it.  The closer you are to it, the less likely you are to go to it.  And one such place for me is the La Mesa Eco Park.

I live just a few kilometers away from La Mesa Eco Park yet I’ve never really gotten in into this park.  Sure I’ve passed through the La Mesa Dam properties via Quezon City International Marathon, but I’ve never been into the actual Eco Park itself.  Last weekend, I finally managed to get this place off my “must-see” list.

The property containing La Mesa Dam and Eco Park is considered the last frontier of Metro Manila as it contains the last untouched rain forest of the Metro.  The dam stores the drinking water supplied to a significant amount of Metro Manila residents, and the forest that surrounds it serves as the lungs of the Metro.  A portion of this park, the Eco Park, is accessible to the public, with entrance fees of course.  The park rate for a non-Quezon City resident adult is ₱50 and varies for children, seniors, and Quezon City residents (valid ID showing residency may be requested as proof).  This fee gets you into the park but certain sections like the swimming pool area requires a separate fee.

The Eco Park is a good alternative to the usual parks because the trees here are just really old and there are surprisingly some activities you may do here that aren’t usually found in a Metro Manila park.  For one, I can’t think of any park that has a dam behind it!  There are also a number of food stalls in the park so you don’t really have to worry about getting hungry.  You may want to bring a mat though so you may just lie down under a tree once you get tired of walking.

To those who want to visit the park by public transportation, you can take any bus or jeepney bound for SM Fairview and alight at Pearl Drive.  It’s a bit far from the center of Metro Manila so if you’re bored or anxious along the trip, some landmarks you will see along the way are the Quezon Memorial Circle, University of the Philippines Diliman campus, the Iglesia ni Cristo main temple, and Sandiganbayan.  If you noticed Fairview Central Mall or SM Fairview then you missed your stop!  There is a tricycle terminal along Pearl Drive that will take you straight to the Eco Park.  The distance isn’t that far so walking back to Commonwealth Avenue may not be a bad idea. 🙂