Tagaytay City Hotels

Tagaytay’s incessant popularity as a weekend and day trip destination is entirely reliant, then, on Metro Manila’s more troublesome attributes. Lack of space, smog, intense urban heat and humidity, a dearth of clean air, open dumps, industrial waste and other undesirables common to the megalopolis all drive residents to flee the National Capital Region en masse, by the tens of thousands, to Tagaytay, if only for a spell.

The obvious linchpin attraction is twofold: climate and natural environment. A hilly position and the presence, for now at least, of thick, nearby forests provide Tagaytay with a natural air conditioner and filter. Throw in one of the island of Luzon’s most spectacular points of interest, Taal Lake and Volcano, both supremely visible from Tagaytay Ridge, and you have a blithe, fun escapade a mere 55 km from Manila.

Tagaytay City’s Top 10

Tagaytay City Local

Tagaytay City is tiny and barely covers 65 km². The second class Cavite province city is home to just over 60,000 permanent residents and 34 barangays, or wards. For all tourism intents and purposes, however, Tagaytay is a lot smaller than that. The vast majority of visitors concentrate on the city’s few attractions, namely Taal Lake and Volcano, and one or two popular restaurants of note.

Tagaytay City Eat & Drink

The food scene in Tagaytay is notable for provincial staples like buko tarts, ube jam and pili, for which many visitors travel from Manila specifically to procure. Aside from a few markets and roadside stalls, a few restaurants stand head and shoulders above the rest.

Tagaytay City Events

Tagaytay City offers a modest range of religious and provincial festivals throughout the year.

Santacruzan is a vital event in Tagaytay and part of the traditional month-long Flores de Mayo Catholic celebration in the Philippines. Santacruzan is a beauty pageant held on the last day of Flores de Mayo, in honour of Saint Helena and Constantine.

Every May the Pilipinyahan Festival in Tagaytay City celebrates that all-important Filipino crop and export: the pineapple. The Philippines is second only to Thailand in total pineapple production in the world.

Pista Ng Pag-Ibig is a three day festival in February that seeks to promote Tagaytay City tourism with a lineup of beauty pageants, sports and talent competitions, food stalls and “wholesome” entertainment for the entire family.

Tagaytay Liberation Day commemorates the arrival of a U.S. Airborne Division Parachute Regiment on Tagaytay Ridge on February 3, 1945, a decisive event in the subsequent surrender of Imperial Japanese forces in the Philippines.

When To Go

Tagaytay City’s climate features low temperatures and humidity relative to Metro Manila and heavy rainfall. The cool weather provides a comfortable escape from the National Capital Region - the annual average temperature is 73°F (23°C) - with the dry season from November through April the most desirable time for tourism.

Peak rainfall occurs from July to September in Tagaytay, with well over 500 mm in August alone and over 2,300 mm for the year. Forty percent of the typhoons that hit the Philippines affect Tagaytay City, most notably from June to December.

What To Miss

Tagaytay, on the whole, is little more than a breezy day or weekend escape from the brutal urban sprawl of Metro Manila. In terms of what to miss out on or avoid, the list is short because in all honesty, Tagaytay offers but a handful of attractions. Enjoy the views of Taal Lake and Taal Volcano, have a picnic or alfresco restaurant lunch, buy some local pasalubong and head back.

Getting Around

Ninoy Aquino International, or Manila International, is the closest airport to Tagaytay City.

Private car, van or taxi for hire from Metro Manila is the best mode of transport to Tagaytay City. Public bus is another option and available from a wide range of stops in Metro Manila. The highway to Tagaytay from the national capital is notorious for traffic, however, and ride times can easily double or triple as a result.

The usual transport suspects abound in Tagaytay City, from motor tricycles and taxis to jeepneys. As always, negotiate fares beforehand. Boats offer affordable transport to Taal Volcano but be sure to deal with owners directly and avoid persistent touts.