The Marilaque Highway: Best Scenic Drive Near Manila
UPDATED JANUARY 2024
The Philippines has many beautiful scenic drives. Some are coastal drives whilst others are mountain drives. Most are located well away from the major cities and popular tourist spots. However, there’s one that is a delightful day trip from Manila – the Marilaque Highway.
This scenic highway traverses Luzon from the outskirts of Metro Manila to Infanta on the Pacific coast. It’s about 110km long and crosses the Sierra Madre mountain range, reaching a height of a little over 2,500ft (770m).
The Marilaque Highway winds its way through small villages and scattered roadside settlements, through patches of rainforest, past picturesque waterfalls, and on many days will take you above the clouds or through foggy stretches that are reminiscent of mountain drives at much higher elevations.
The condition of the road is generally good, but there have been many landslides on the last 20km over the years. In December 2015 a landslide swept away the Querocep Bridge just after the 90km mark, and it took over five years to rebuild that (such is the pace of many road projects in the Philippines).
Low cloud over one of the higher sections of the Marilaque Highway.
A temporary one-lane steel bridge was opened after two years for light vehicles, but soon after that another landslide closed the highway for several months. During the rainy season, it is not uncommon for the highway to be closed for several days because of minor landslips.
Therefore visitors who are planning to hire a car to experience this drive, should endeavour to check before leaving whether the highway is open all the way through to Infanta. When landslides occur, you are usually permitted to drive to where the road is closed, but then you will miss the drive down into the Agos River valley which is one of the most picturesque sections of the highway.
Heading east from Manila
The Marilaque Highway starts in Marikina as an extension of Aurora Boulevard – a busy thoroughfare that heads directly east from Cubao. This section of the highway, which is still within Metro Manila, is commonly known as the Marcos Highway and is 8-10 lanes wide.
The name ‘Marilaque’ is a portmanteau of Marikina and the three provinces through which the highway passes (Rizal, Laguna and Quezon). When it was originally built it was known as the Marcos Highway because it was commissioned by the former President Ferdinand Marcos, but then it was renamed to distinguish it from several other highways in the Philippines of the same name. However, it’s still called the Marcos Highway by many locals, possibly because that’s easier to pronounce than ‘Marilaque’.
Weekdays are the best days to do the drive. It’s essential to make an early start because although the drive takes only three hours from Marikina to Infanta, you will want to stop along the way, and more importantly, you will need to allow time to clear the rush hour traffic in Manila. Fortunately you will be travelling against the worst of the traffic when leaving, but getting to Marikina still can take more than an hour from some parts of the city.
The Marikina section of the Marilaque Highway on a Sunday morning.
Saturday is the worst day to do the drive because not only is traffic in the city as bad as on weekdays, it’s the day that the Marilaque Highway carries its heaviest traffic. Sunday is easiest day for getting out of the city, but traffic on the highway is nearly as heavy as Saturday due to the large number of day-trippers at the weekends who travel to the restaurants on the ridge at the Tanay Highlands for lunch.
After Marikina, the highway passes the SM Masinag shopping mall and then reduces to four lanes. From here through to Cogeo the road is very busy every day of the week and there are many squatter settlements on either side of the road. After Cogeo the traffic eases as the road gently climbs to the Boso Boso Highlands and the first good views of the Sierra Madre mountain range can be seen to the north.
The road then dips down into a rice-growing valley and past the village of Pinugay, and then back up into the mountains. In 2018, a speed limit of 50km/h was introduced from this point on in response to frequent motorcycle accidents. The Marilaque Highway is a popular weekend drive for Manila motorcyclists who have likened the highway to the infamous ‘Tail of the Dragon’ in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which many US motorcyclists say is ‘the best ride in North America’.
Like the ‘Tail of the Dragon’, the Marilaque Highway had experienced many fatal accidents as a result of motorcyclists taking curves too fast or overtaking in places that were not safe. This made the road dangerous for motorists too, and authorities claimed the new speed limit would make the highway safer for all road users.
However, in the ensuing years the speed limit signs and radar guns gradually disappeared and by 2024 there were none to be seen. If the road is still subject to the 50km/h speed limit, it appears it’s no longer being enforced with the same zeal as it was when first introduced.
Local produce on sale at roadside stalls at Sampaloc, Tanay.
After Cogeo, the only town of any note is Sampaloc, Tanay. This is a mango-growing region and it’s worth stopping at one of the fruit stalls along the roadside to stock up on mangoes and other tropical fruits. The mangoes that you will buy here will be fresh from the orchards so will last longer than those bought in the city. They will usually be sweeter and juicier, because mangoes that are harvested for sale in the city are usually picked before they have fully ripened.
Between Cogeo and Sampaloc, there are several places where you will have good views of Laguna de Bay – the largest lake in the Philippines, and the source of most of the freshwater fish that is sold in the capital. You will also pass by the Masungi Georeserve which is popular with rock climbers. But advance reservations are required to enter the reserve.
The best views on the first half of the drive are from the restaurants along the ridge known as the Tanay Highlands, before the highway dips down into Sampaloc town. At weekends you’ll need to take it slow along this section as there will be many cars of the restaurant patrons parked on the narrow highway shoulders.
After Sampaloc town the highway climbs back up again into the mountains. From this point on the highway is only two lanes wide, but traffic is light, so it’s easy to drive. However, as the road climbs higher, there will often be foggy patches as low cloud blankets the highway, requiring drivers to slow down and use lights if the fog becomes thick.
The ‘Little Baguio Botanical Garden’ near the 90km road marker.
It’s worth pulling off the road for a few minutes at the Sta. Maria Laguna Viewing Deck on the right about 17km after leaving Sampaloc town. From there you’ll have some excellent views over the Sierra Madre mountains to the south.
About 10 minutes further on you’ll see a place on the left near the 90km road marker called the Little Baguio Botanical Garden. This is also worth a stop as there are restrooms there as well as a restaurant and souvenir shop. It’s not a real botanic garden. In fact it’s quite tacky with all the plastic flowers that have been used in the landscaping. Nevertheless, the mass planting of red cordylines makes it a photogenic spot. There’s a 50 pesos entrance fee.
It’s worth walking up to the lookout at the top of the garden for the views. It’s not as high as it looks and there are handrails most of the way. The steps are steep though, so not recommended for anyone with mobility issues.
The Jariel’s Peak roadside restaurant on one of the highest points.
A few kilometres further on is a section of the highway known as Jariel’s Peak. It gets it’s name from a rustic restaurant of the same name which was the first eating place to be established on this part of the highway. It’s near the 94km road marker, but keep in mind the road markers are from Rizal Park in Manila, not the start of the Marilaque Highway. From the start of the highway proper in Marikina, this point is a little over 80km.
Jariel’s Peak is often as far as bikers travel at the weekend as evidenced by the many motorcycle-themed stickers plastered all over its damp walls. The restaurant is often shrouded in fog and is usually very crowded at weekends. It has a menu offering exotic foods such as deer, rabbit, frogs, python and mountain snails. For those with weaker stomachs, there are other eating-places along the same stretch of highway, all with same 180-degree views of the mountains to the south (fog permitting).
Mountain views to the south from near Jariel’s Peak.
For quite a while, Jariel’s Peak was the only eating place on this stretch of the highway, and you could easily pull off the road on either side of the restaurant to enjoy some of the best views of the trip (it’s one of the highest points of the highway), but now the restaurant is sandwiched in by other eating places on both sides, and it’s easy to miss if you are not looking out for it. Car parking has become fairly limited since the other eating places opened.
From Jariel’s Peak it’s another 10km or so to the Querocep Bridge but there are no places along this section of the highway where it is easy to stop to admire the views. Many vehicles do stop on the Querocep Bridge to photograph the mountains to the north which are higher than those to the south.
Another place to stop to enjoy the northern views is the Kakawayan Bridge a little further on. It’s just after the 110km road marker. On the other side of the bridge there is a waterfall which used to be a lovely spot to stop and freshen up in the mountain stream.
However, in recent years a concrete dam wall was built at the bottom of the waterfall to create a small swimming pool. It’s now surrounded by cafe buildings playing loud music — completely destroying the tranquility of what used to be a lovely nature spot along this section of the highway.
The original waterfall at the Kakawayan Bridge before it was dammed.
From here on down to Infanta it’s an easy downhill drive with some spectacular views over the Agos River valley. Because of the frequent landslides along this section of the highway, the road narrows to one lane where road repairs are being carried out.
The Marilaque Highway finishes where it joins the Famy-Real-Infanta Road. Here you have the option of turning right and taking the route back through Real and Famy to Manila (which takes about an hour longer than the Marilaque Highway) or continuing straight ahead to Infanta.
There is not much to see in Infanta, but it takes only 10 minutes to reach the town, and then another 10 minutes to the Pacific coast, and many travellers like to do this so that they can say they’ve driven from one side of Luzon to the other.
The Infanta Municipal Fish Port right at the end of General Luna Street is worth a quick visit, but there are sometimes a lot of cars and trucks parked near the wharf making it difficult to turn around.
The grey sand beaches at Infanta are often deserted.
The beaches on this part of the east coast are grey sand and are subject to tidal rips, so are not recommended for swimming. Also access to the beach is difficult because most of the properties on the beach are private and accessible only along dirt tracks.
However, there are a few small (and very basic) ‘resorts’ along the beach that have restaurants (again, most are quite basic) and buying a snack or a few soft drinks at one of these places will usually give you access to the beach. If you feel like having lunch in Infanta, the food at the restaurant at the Ocean View Marpet’s Beach Resort is quite good.
Routes back to Manila
For the return trip to Manila, you can of course take the same route back. Mountain scenery always looks different when coming from the opposite direction. Alternatively you can take the Famy-Real-Infanta road, the driving time for which is about four hours. This route will take you first through the town of Real (which is in Quezon province) and then up into the mountains again to Famy (which is in Laguna province).
This mountain drive is not as high as the Marilaque Highway drive, but it’s nevertheless very picturesque with the road winding through green coconut plantations with red cordylines and tropical flowering plants lining the roadsides at the higher elevations.
Between the towns of Real and Famy, just before the road leaves the coast, there is a small fishing village where fresh seafood is sold by the side of the road. It’s worth taking an icebox so you can stock up on ocean fish, crabs, squid and prawns at prices much cheaper than back in the city.
Seafood stalls along the coastal road south of Real.
The fish here have all been caught in the Pacific Ocean, which means it won’t contain heavy metals or other pollutants that have been detected in some fish species that have been raised in the Laguna de Bay fish farms.
As the road descends towards Laguna de Bay after Famy, look out for a pasalubong (souvenir) shop on the right hand side of the road. They sell the most delicious cashew nut and cheese tartlets (called Yema Boat Tarts), as well as a wide range of other local delicacies.
When the road reaches the national highway at the bottom of the hill, you will turn right and head towards Manila. After about 5km, the road climbs back up into the hills and passes the Pillila wind farm. This part of the highway is known as the Manila East Road.
Along the highway there are many places selling rattan products. This is one of the cheapest places in the Philippines to buy a rattan hammock. There are also many fruit stalls selling bananas and pineapples — and lanzones when in season.
Between Pillila and Morong, the highway passes along the eastern shore of Laguna de Bay, and there are many restaurants and coffee shops along this stretch of highway. If it’s dinnertime by the time you reach here, you may wish to eat at one of these roadside restaurants, or alternatively head up to Antipolo via Teresa and have dinner at one of the many eating-places there. If you are looking for an early dinner, then Miguel’s Garden Cafe at Kota Paradiso on the right hand side halfway up the hill to the wind farm is the first good restaurant you’ll pass on the way back to Manila. It’s open until 8pm.
Miguel’s Garden Cafe on the hill up to the Pililla wind farm.
From Antipolo you can take the Sumulong Highway back down to the Marilaque Highway at Masinag. There are several open-air bars on the left hand side of the Sumulong Highway that offer impressive nighttime views of the city lights.
But if you are staying on the southern side of Manila, you may prefer to stay on the Manila East Road and head back to the city via Binangonan and Taytay. There are not so many eating options on that route, but there are several shopping malls along the way.
Alternative return route
In the event there are landslides closing the last section of the Marilique Highway, or for those who decide to go no further than Jariel’s Peak, there is an alternative route back that is longer than the direct route on the Marilaque Highway, but much shorter than the Famy-Real-Infanta road.
About 6km back from Jariel’s Peak, look for a road that is signed to Santa Maria, Laguna. This road provides some very good views of Laguna de Bay as it descends from the Marilaque Highway directly down to the Manila East Road.
Landslides are common along the last section of the Marilaque Highway.
The first two kilometres of the road is quite narrow – barely two lanes wide – but it’s a concrete road and is reasonably easy to drive with care. After that there is a short stretch of gravel road before the road widens into a full two-lane wide concrete road.
This road is not recommended to drive at night because in the narrow section it may be hard to see the edge of the road, but during the day it is fine. This route provides the same dinner options as the route back via Real and Famy.
For those who decide to take the Marilaque Highway back to Marikina, the restaurants on the Tanay Highlands provide good stops for dinner, but most of them close by 8pm on weekdays and 9pm on weekends.
Whichever combination of routes you decide to take, the Marilaque Highway provides a memorable day out for those who enjoy nature, clean air, mountain scenery and time away from the traffic congestion and air pollution of the big city.
Header image: The Agos River valley from the Marilaque Highway.
All images: © David Astley
