Hike to Mt. Tagapo, Talim Island

Sometimes, we tend to take places in our backyard for granted. The nearer a destination is from where we live, the less it is on our tourist radar. For instance, Art’s hometown is Binangonan, but for some reason, we’ve both never been to Mt. Tagapo, a mountain that falls under the jurisdiction of the towns of Binangonan and Cardona in Rizal province (though it’s only accessible from the Binangonan side). Mt. Tagapo, referred to by locals as Susong Dalaga, is located in the middle of Laguna de Bay, the largest lake in the Philippines. The first weekend of the year seemed like a good time as any to scale a mountain, so we we decided to finally head there.

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Mt. Tagapo has an elevation of 438 m (1,437 ft) is the highest point of Talim Island. Pinoy Mountaineer, our resource for all things hiking-related, ranks Mt. Tagapo as a minor climb, with a difficulty of 2/9, and a trail class of 1-2. The major jump-off point to get to Mt. Tagapo is in Brgy. Janosa, reachable by a 1-1.5 hour boat ride from Binangonan, Rizal. With its accessibility, relatively easy slope and panoramic views of the lake and surrounding towns, the hike is pretty rewarding. If you’re looking for a beginner-friendly day (or half-day) hike relatively near the metro, this is a good option.

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We had planned to wake up early for a morning hike, but being the procrastinators that we are, it was already 10-ish am by the time we arrived in Binangongan from Quezon City. After parking at Art’s parents house, we had brunch and then walked to the port. There are regular boat rides from Binangonan to various villages on Talim Island, but the boats only leave once they’ve gathered enough passengers. It took about an hour or so for the boat to fill up. Aside from the local passengers, the boats usually carry a whole range of goods from concrete hollow blocks and beds made of bamboo to passenger motorcycles.

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The boat ride was slow and pleasant. On the way to Talim Island, we passed rural scenes of huts on stilts, fish pens and small fishing villages along Laguna de Bay. However, it did take longer than expected due to the waiting time and numerous stops at various barangays. TRIVIA: Talim Island was featured in Ishmael Bernal’s 1976 film Nunal sa Tubig (Mole in the Water), a dystopian vision of the island which tackles how fisherfolk are affected by progress and pollution from nearby industries.

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Finally at around noon, we arrived at Brgy. Janosa where we were greeted at the port by one of the guides. A local system was established a couple of years ago to cater to all the hikers. Local barangay officials rotate duties as climbing guides and for extra income. Though hiring guides is not mandatory, it’s highly recommended for those who are not familiar with the terrain.

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After paying P20/head and signing in the logbook at the office next to the church, we made our way up the mountain with our guide Jojo. According to him, most people can reach the summit at a very leisurely pace in 2 hours including all the rest and photo stops. Meanwhile, fast hikers can easily climb up in 45 minutes to 1 hour.

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The elevation of the terrain was gradual and not too difficult to hike on. From the alleys between a small community, we walked along a dry riverbed leading up to the mountain. The main marker along the route included a shady sampaloc tree, a large mango tree and an intersection in the trail where you’re supposed to turn left. We stopped several times during the hike to take photos of the path as well as the view of the skyline of Makati from afar. Despite the strong breeze during the boat ride, the whole forested path felt quite humid. Good thing, most of the trail was covered in shade, so it wasn’t too bad. However, I’ve heard it can be very hot during summer months.

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Once we reached a tunnel of bamboo, our guide told us that we were nearing the summit. We encountered a few other hikers on their way down, including groups with children, which signifies how beginner-friendly the hike is. After hiking some more, we eventually reached the camping grounds with a clear view of the grassy summit, which looked straight out of a Windows XP screensaver.

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Since the direct trail was already visible from where we were and there was no chance of getting lost, our guide requested to stay in the base camp to rest. There was a small group there doing on an overnight hike, napping on sleeping bags and hammocks. From the campsite, the last ascent to the summit took 15 minutes or less passing through tall grass.  We encountered a couple of hikers on their way down and ended up having the peak all to ourselves!

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mt tagapo talim island rizal 10mt tagapo talim island rizal flowersAfter the relatively humid climb, it was as if someone had turned on a gigantic electric fan on full blast and set it to “howling winds” level. We must have spent about an hour just savoring the summit, marveling at the 360-degree panoramic view. In the distance you can see the urban sprawl of Makati and Ortigas and the peak of Mt. Sembrano, and numerous fishpens.

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We started our descent at around 2:00 pm, passing by for our guide at the base camp. The hike down was much faster, and we reached the jump-off point at around 3:00 pm. I thought we would be able to catch an early boat back to Binangonan, but there was only one more boat trip left, which was scheduled to arrive at around 5:30 pm.

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While waiting for the boat to arrive, we ended up killing time at the base camp, a shed constructed for hikers, where we chatted with other guides over instant noodles and beer. Art, who had biked around Talim Island before, was interested if any bikers had tried biking down the mountain itself. Because of the rocky terrain and elevation during the hike itself, we assessed that most of the trail was pretty unrideable. We found out that some bikers who visited previously, took the time to haul their bikes up the mountain for the photo ops. So it is possible to bring up bikes, but be warned that you’ll be pushing it most of the way up and down. Others who bike around the island, opt to leave their bicycles locked in the base camp shed before they hike up. So, a bike + hike trip here is possible.

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While waiting for the boat to arrive, I took some shots of the sunset. With the birds flying over the fishpens and houses on stilts, it was a pretty spectacular sunset. Hiking up Mt. Tagapo may not be a hardcore multi-day hike in an exotic location, but it’s just as worthy of being visited. Definitely, a great way to start the year.

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TRAVEL TIPS & USEFUL INFO:

  • Things to bring: Hat or skin protection, water, trail snacks, lunch (if you plan to camp). You can buy supplies in the sari-sari store at the jump-off point before you hike up.
  • Cost of fare in passenger boat from Binangonan port to Brgy. Janosa is P30/head.
  • Though the hike is doable for a half-day trip, you may experience delays and long waiting times because of the limited boat trips to and from Talim Island.
  • Guide fee is P300 per group.
  • For a detailed guide, itinerary & other vital information to hiking Mt. Tagapo, check out this guide by Pinoy Mountaineer.

25 thoughts on “Hike to Mt. Tagapo, Talim Island”

  1. Hi, via commute how do we get to the port in Binangonan? We’re coming from Marikina. thanks.

  2. You can ride a Tropical/Sta. Lucia jeep from Marikina and get down in Binangonan. Walk going towards the church, which is the same road that leads to Pritil (the name of the port). Ask around when you get to the area.

  3. Hi Yang, I saw other families with kids hiking down when we visited, but they looked a little older (about 7 or 8 years old). I hear it gets very hot during summer months there (we went in January, so it was still cooler), but if your kids are into outdoor activities, I don’t see why not. You may have to carry them if they get tired though.

  4. thank you Kara.. do we need to call first before going there?how do we hire a guide?

  5. Hi Yang, we didn’t call to reserve before going there. Someone from the Barangay approached us when we got down from the boat. You’ll need to pass by there (it’s very near the port) to register your group and hire a guide 🙂

  6. Good Afternoon. Is it okay to bring a car and if so, where can we park safely? Is there a parking space at the port or nearby? Thank you 🙂

  7. Hi Aya, my husband has relatives in Binangonan, so that’s where we parked. He said it’s not that safe to park near the port. Maybe you can leave your car at the church (which is walking distance from port) to be safe.

  8. Hi! My bestfriend and I will be hiking there next month. Is it still P300 for the guide? Can we get along with others? Thank you so much!

  9. Hi Deng, that was the rate when we went there January this year. I don’t know if rates have changed since then. You can join up with others so you only have to hire one guide assuming there are other climbers that day.

  10. Hi Telly, you can bring your motorcycle on the boat from Binangonan to Talim Island, but it’s not possible to ride going up the summit. Kahit bisikleta, mahirap yung trail i-ride. Some guys have looped the island by MTB, though it involved a lot of hike-a-biking. Not sure kung kaya ng dirt bike.

  11. Hi KAra,
    I heard a news from a friend na may nanghoholdap na local at NPA sa Mt. Tagapo. How true is that? Friendly ba ang mga lokal doon?
    My friends are planning to go there on Feb.21 2016.
    Thanks.

  12. Hi April, my husband is from Binangonan and he says walang NPA dun sa Talim Island. Saan naman nabalitaan ng friend mo yun? The island is pretty small and all the locals we encountered were very friendly when we hiked in January 2015. Hikes to Mt. Tagapo are even arranged by tour organizers like Trail Adventours.

  13. Hi Kara,
    Thank you very much for your reply.
    Hindi ko din alam kung saan niya nakuha yung news na yun. kaya i ask you to confirm:)
    At dahil dyan, Tutuloy kami sa Feb.21. sa M. tagapo 🙂

    April

  14. Hi Ms. Kara, may na rerent po bang boat don? From Sta. Rosa Laguna to Talim iSland? And how much po kaya? 9am ang first trip daw e, plano namin 6am dapat makasakay na ng boat. Ill wait for your answer. Thankyou! 🙂

  15. Hi Gen, sumakay lang kasi kami sa regular passenger boat para makamura. Pero pwede yatang mangontrata ng bangkero. It says in this post that it costs 1.500 to rent a boat for the whole day from Calamba to Talim.

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