Of views and gears: Taal lake loop motorcycle ride

Last month, November 2023, I was able to go on a motorcycle ride two times. The first one is on the scenic Taal lake loop that covers the lakeshore towns of Batangas. Liked by bikers and motorcycle riders, this route allows for spectacular views of the Taal lake in different vantage points. It also features winding roads, and a chance to coast through the many town bay walks.

The Taal lake loop route. Courtesy: bikemap.net

With a weekend to spare, I went on this trip on a Saturday, certain that I will finish it within a day. Travel articles online lists that the loop can be completed in just 3-4 hours. Looking at the lake's circumference from Google maps, it is indeed smaller compared to Laguna lake which is a course that took me 9-10 hours to loop completely. Nevertheless, I expected that my present ride will take the same time as my ride in Laguna. 

Riding with Yamaha Sniper MXI (2016)

Now with everything set, I embarked on my day ride. This blogpost is part of a series I call, of views and gears, where I plan to do to document and share my two-wheeled journeys.

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Tagaytay as my jump-off point

I intended to start my loop in Talisay, Batangas. To get here from my home in Las Piñas, I first had to get to Tagaytay, then go down Batangas through the winding Ligaya Drive. I departed at 9:30 AM, and after coasting through Emilio Aguinaldo highway in Cavite, I was in Tagaytay a few minutes before 11 AM. 

Taal lake as seen from Mcdonald's in Calamba road

While having lunch, I peeked at the Taal lake, and tried to get a sense of the route that I'm going to cover. It was comforting to have a panoramic view of where I'll be riding because it made me certain that I can finish the ride, at best, before dark. 

I find it worthwhile to mention that there is another road to get down Batangas from Tagaytay. It is through the Tagaytay-Talisay road, or Sampaloc, as the locals call it. This road is easily accessible through the Tagaytay Rotunda. I've been on this road before but on a car, and I found it to be the more technical and time-consuming route. I chose to go down via Ligaya drive because the view is better and it has less hairpin turns.

Descent to Talisay

Entry to Ligaya drive marked by many resort signages 

At 12 PM, I began my descent. Ligaya drive is just a few kilometers before the Tagaytay picnic grove, and it can easily be spotted with the aid of highway markers. The road was initially a gradual descent through a straight road, but it became progressively technical as the elevation went down. There are curves and steep sections but less than the ones in Sampaloc. Ensuring proper braking is essential on this steep descent. 

Entry to Talisay, Batangas

After 10 to 20 minutes, I was at the Talisay arch. It reads "Welcome to Talisay: gateway to Taal Volcano." Before Taal's eruption in 2020, it is in Talisay that most boat rides into the Taal Caldera are based. It was hosted by those people hoisting up "boat ride" signages along Tagaytay. Now, tours of the Taal Volcano remains prohibited, and it is unknown when it will opened to the public again. 

The road beyond the Talisay arch continued to be technical, with sharp turns here and there. But, as challenging as the road was, the view proved to be a compensation. I stopped for a while at a lay-by and enjoyed the view of Taal lake from Talisay. 

Taal lake as seen from Ligaya drive

I continued on, and after a while, the sharp road curves subdued. It was then I knew that the descent was over. It took 30-40 minutes, and I was now at the base of the Tagaytay ridge. From here, my ride will be clockwise into Tanauan. 

Through Balete and Mataas na kahoy  

Loop detour

It is the common route for motorists to go along the Talisay-Tanauan road into Malvar and Lipa, but I wanted to ride close on Taal lake's shores. Partly because I wanted good views of the lake, and partly because I don't want to get caught up in traffic. So, I decided to ride through the rural barangays of Balete and Mataas na kahoy instead.

Stop over in Bañadero baywalk

As I had mentioned, there are a lot of bay walks in these towns along the lake's shores. The first one I visited was the Bañadero bay walk in Tanauan. It was a new sight of the Taal lake for me. Seeing it at high noon, on its shores, was refreshing. The locals seemed to agree as there are people swimming when I stopped by. There are also floating cottages that can be rented through the resorts in the vicinity, making this part of the lake a great place for weekend relaxations. 

There are rumors that the Bañadero Bay walk is part of a planned Taal lake circumferential road, and it indeed looked like an unfinished road project. Whenever it may be completed, I'm sure that it will ease up traffic for motorists travelling this part of Batangas.

Taal lake as seen from Balete

The only downside of going into the towns of Balete and Mataas na kahoy is that I have to constantly check my route. There are detours to be made because some roads leads to highly residential areas-some even looked like dead ends, with unpaved roads that is not visible in google maps. 

Religious marker in Mataas na kahoy

There are few steep ascents in Mataas na Kahoy, not surprising since I have read that it is 379 meters above sea level and close to the neighboring Mt. Maculot in Cuenca. From being another town to pass through, my ride here became interesting than I expected because of the elevated views of Taal lake, and the short but thrilling mountain roads.

Mataas na kahoy town marker

Consulting some locals, I became certain that the route I'm going into leads to the national highway. Soon, I was in the Mataas na Kahoy town proper where I converge back into the road that leads to the next town of Cuenca.

Cuenca, Alitagtag, and San Nicolas

Mt. Maculot shrouded by clouds, as seen in Cuenca.

My ride through Cuenca went smoothly. What I liked about the route here is I get to see Mt. Maculot up close. This mountain is the main tourist attraction in Cuenca, and easily one of the best mountains to hike here in south Luzon. The last time I checked, hiking is still prohibited here because of Taal's volcanic activity. I'm keeping this mountain on my radar, and once it opens, I plan to hike it soon.

Stop over in front of Alitagtag parish church

Coasting through the national highway, it took me just 20 minutes to get to the town of Alitagtag. At this time, it was now 2:30 PM and I'm at the halfway point of my journey. From the next town of Santa Teresita, I knew from memory that I had to make a right turn to get to San Nicolas, owing to an earlier trip this year to Taal by car where I went on the same route. 

At the Maliputo fish landmark in San Nicolas bay walk

San Nicolas bay walk is famous among tourists because it is more developed than other bay walks. It has an extension that functions like a port containing the Maliputo fish landmark. The cool breeze, the great views, and the overall ambiance of San Nicolas bay walk makes it one of my favorite places to visit. 

Equestrian statue at the old Taal church ruins

I also have to mention that San Nicolas is where the old Taal town once stood, before it relocated close to Balayan bay to avoid Taal eruption's damages. Ruins of the old Taal church can still be seen within the vicinity of San Nicolas bay walk.

The last towns of Agoncillo and Laurel

Two more towns before the loop is completed.

I resumed my ride at 4 PM. Before I complete my loop to Talisay, I first had to go through the towns of Agoncillo and Laurel. 

The roads along Agoncillo provides the closest view of the Taal island. Other common sights include fish pens, rural houses (some of them abandoned), and the faint silhouette of Mt. Maculot in the distance. 

Taal island as seen from the Buso-Buso landmark

On the way to Laurel, there's the Buso-Buso landmark that provides another great view of the Taal Caldera. There's just something about the Taal lake, at least for me, that doesn't make me tired of looking at it. From Tagaytay, to Talisay, to Mataas na kahoy, and here in Laurel, it never failed to enthrall me. With dusk approaching though, I had to let go of my enchantment and complete my day ride.

Tagaytay ridge as seen in Laurel

While still in the roads of Laurel, Tagaytay was became visible again. It was easy to notice since most structures like condos (the wind residences) and parks (sky ranch and picnic grove) can be seen atop the ridges. From here, it was a continuous ride until I arrive in Talisay. 

View of Taal lake before I head back to Tagaytay

At 5 pm, I was back in front of Ligaya drive. It took me a total of 5 hours to complete my loop. I consider it fair since since I had many stop overs. Especially, in San Nicolas where I think I spent 30 to 40 minutes idling. 

Riding through Ligaya drive at dusk

I was just in time to make my ascent back to Tagaytay before nightfall. It took me just 25 minutes to get to the Tagaytay Rotunda and by 7 pm, I was back in Las Piñas. 

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Ride summary

The Taal lake loop was spectacular. It easily became one of my favorite routes to travel, either through motorcycle or by car. I consider it the best way to see the Taal lake in all it's beauty, except of course from going into its caldera which is presently prohibited. Aside from this, it's also a great way to visit various towns of Batangas. 

The route itself isn't that technical (except if you're coming from Tagaytay), and I'm sure that it will continue to be one of the great ride routes here in the south both for beginners and seasoned riders.

Total ride time: 9 hours and 30 minutes

Odometer before the ride: 12, 463 KM

Odometer after the ride: 12, 574 KM

Total KM: 111 KM