With just a few days to go, have you already thought of place to get-away to this coming Holy Week?
Looking for a place to reflect on during this significant religious observance and at the same time spend time with family doesn’t have to be a hassle by travelling to far away places. Most people who had much time to prepare are planning to visit islands far from home. But if you were not able to prepare much for this but doesn’t want to stay home, you might consider giving Antipolo – the City of Sky, a tour. Aside from less travel stress as it is just around the metro and is just an hour or so away from the city, it also won’t hurt your budget that much.
Antipolo is home for many beautiful sceneries perfect for this season – parks, churches, nature trip and more. I was able to spend a weekend at Antipolo with my family and we are actually considering to go back there and visit other sites we were not able to set foot into. Firstly, here are the places you’d love to be if ever you are interested to come to Antipolo.
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How to get to Antipolo: There are many options, but this is the route we took. We rode a jeep to LRT Station Line 2 then to Santolan Station. From Santolan Station, we rode a jeep to Antipolo Church which I guess is the end point there.
- Antipolo Cathedral (National Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage)
This is a perfect place to reflect on this coming Holy Week. The church emanates a very solemn and peaceful feeling. The high ceilinged abode houses stained glass windows, high altar with the image of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage enshrined behind glass, bas-relief in painted wood, sculptures and more. The church is also a popular pilgrimage site as many devotees paid reverence to Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage including Philippine national hero and polymath Rizal, who visited the shrine as a boy with his mother.
- Via Dolorosa White Cross
The last time I was able to visit this majestic place was two years ago while visiting a friend who lives there. The journey of exploring this massive space can really be tiring as you have to climb a mountain (literally) from the foot to the top to see the gigantic White Cross, and from top to down again to completely spot the 12 stations of the cross which are life-size monuments depicting the journey of Jesus. It is a very peaceful place, away from the stress of the city and you can have a great opportunity to reflect, pray and have time for yourself. At the top of the mountain, you can the have an overlooking view of the whole city. There is no entrance fee; you only have to buy a candle in the booth at the gate.
How to get to Via Dolorosa: Ride a tricycle from Antipolo Church straight to the White Cross.
- Hinulugang Taktak
Hinulugang Taktak is just a tricycle ride away from Antipolo Church. It is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon from a tiring trip around the province; the place is way beyond relaxing. Upon entrance, you can already see the plunging water from the mountaintop falling to the bottom creating beer-like suds. The long-winding cemented steps are also a fun part of the visit. You can really feel the kiss of nature given the view of a beautiful waterfalls and lot of trees around. There are cottages where you can have a snack, a pool where you can swim (rented) and a wide area to play or set a tent up for a nice stay. When we visited this park, we were not compered with any registration fee. The only thing though is that we should never ever litter or we will be tasked to do an 8-hour community service or pay a fine of P500 I think. The waters are now polluted and not suitable for swimming, but many organizations are acting to save its natural beauty by preserving the upper part for park use.
- Mystical Cave
Well, I haven’t been to this place yet because by the time we were planning to go there it was almost twilight and sadly we need to go back to Manila. But according to my research, Mystical Cave is one of the tourist spot in Antipolo City maintained by Inday Nelly. From here, many religious and holy stalagmite and stalactite formed by water can be seen. The holy images found inside the cave are the reason for its name “Mystical”. The water and stone inside the cave is said to be precious because it can heal sick people and can protect you from harm. They believe that the stone inside the cave can be your “anting-anting”. This place is religious, because of the rocks that forms different images of Jesus, Adam and Eve, Nazarene, Mama Mary, Pieta, Holy Trinity, St. Peter, St. Bernadette and many more. And of course the holy water and precious water that drips of to the cave can heal people. (Alluring Antipolo)
- Overlooking Experience
After that long day out in the sun, why not take the delight of watching the beautiful lights of Manila at nighttime? While on your way home from Antipolo, you can have a short stop along the way to spot this majestic night sight. There are many restaurants that can accommodate you which offer great foods, music and ambiance. The perfect way to end you day with family and friends, watching the galactic view from the top!
What are your plans for the upcoming Holy Week? Share it in the comments below!
