Spending Time with my
Family at La Mesa Eco Park
It was Friday afternoon, I asked
my wife if we could spend our free time the following day on a less expensive
way. I decided to browse the internet
and tried to search the La Mesa Eco Park.
A lot of photographers say that it is one of the best nature’s get-away
and a photographer’s haven in Metro Manila, hence, my curiosity about the place.
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The Entrance
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La Mesa Eco Park, occupying an area of 27 square kilometers
including the La Mesa Dam, is situated in Quezon City. The ecopark is a very good picnic ground for
families who want to spend their time together.
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With my wife Marj and my two kids, Inca and Anya,
enjoying every moment at EcoPark.
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After an hour of researching, we
decided to prepare things needed to bring including food, picnic stuffs, such
as tent and mat, tripod for my camera and of course, my Canon 600D since
shooting photos is the main purpose why we want to see the place. We cooked our
all-time favorite chicken adobo the
night before Saturday (actually, this is the only recipe I know that won’t
spoil easily) and hard boiled eggs. We bought
drinks and other junk foods along the way.
How to Get to La Mesa
Eco Park
The park is located in Quezon
City. For those who are commuting from
the South, the best way to reach La Mesa Eco Park is to ride any bus going to
Fairview or you may take the MRT. If you
choose to take a bus, look for the bus that carries the signboard “FairView” anywhere
along EDSA. If you will take the MRT, get off at Quezon Avenue station. From the station, take a short walk going to
Quezon Avenue and take a jeepney/bus going to Fairview. Tell the driver or the
bus conductor that you are going down the La Mesa Eco Park. The bus will drop you at Winston Street and
there you could ride a tricycle that enters the park. The fare is only P30 if you will occupy the
tricycle. A tricycle terminal is
available within the park’s gate so there’s nothing to worry going home.
For those who own a vehicle, La
Mesa Eco Park could be reached via Commonwealth Avenue. Turn right to Winston
Street and follow the signboards along the way. There are enough parking spaces
within the park.
Entrance Fees
For Quezon City residents,
entrance fee is P40 per person, students are charged P20.00 and senior citizens
are free, showing proof of QC residency.
For Non residents, entrance fee
is P50.00, students and senior citizens P40.
What to See Inside La
Mesa Eco Park
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| Cottages for rent at P500.00, Free picnic tables are also available only on a "first come-first serve" basis. |
The Lopez picnic ground is a nice
place to relax if you want to spend family time. We went there at around 8:30
in the morning and a lot of picnic tables were still available. Good thing we came
early because if you come later than 10:00 am, the place is jam-packed with
people, looking for ideal picnic spots. If
you have extra money, cottages are available at P300/P500 per cottage. The ecopark also has grilling facilities, so
visitors can cook their food.
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| Tent and picnic mat for my kids and of course, my CDR-KIng tripod for the photoshoot. |
You may bring tents and picnic mats
to complete your day and enjoy nature tripping.
The Park also offers various activities like horseback riding, boating,
zipline, fishing, and paintball. It has
two swimming pools, but, unfortunately, the first swimming pool near the
entrance was under renovation. There is also a small playground where you can
leave your kids to get them from boredom.
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| Enjoying the food with my Dad |
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| A variety of an orchid inside the Park's Orchidarium |
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| Killing boredom |
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| Love fishing? Fishing rods can be rented for only P30.00 |
It is worthwhile to stroll around
the place, but, nothing is much to see, aside from the trees and its
orchidarium. The place is not that large, so you could stroll around the whole
place in an hour. Visitors can bring
their own food and drinks, but for those who forgot to bring something to eat,
there are food stalls inside the Park that sells food stuffs. If you are a
smoker, bad news for you because cigarettes are not available, hence, you have
to bring your supply to enjoy your vice.
Littering is strictly prohibited.
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| Souvenir shops are present, selling native keychains, shell, souvenir shirts, and other items |
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| Henna tattooing is also available |
La Mesa Eco Park visit will never
be complete if you will not take a look to the La Mesa watershed. However,
before seeing the watershed, you have to climb the stairs. The top of the stairs is also a good place to view the whole
La Mesa Eco Park.
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| The stairs to view the La Mesa Dam, but sadly, taking photos of the dam is prohibited. |
After all the photo-shoots and
family bonding, we decided to pack up.
It was about 3pm when we left the place to our heart’s contentment. We were home at about 5:00 in the afternoon. A promise to return to the La Mesa Ecopark at
month’s end is in our itinerary.
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