La Mesa Ecopark

The last day of the long weekend was perfect that we decided to hit the road and make one "impromptrip" to La Mesa Ecopark. My son had already been to the place on one of their school field trips but he became interested in trying out the park's new zipline. We seldom drive towards Fairview so I kept on looking at my map to see where were headed. As it turned out, the place is not difficult to find. From Ever Gotesco Commonwealth and the Sandiganbayan, it just took us a few minutes to reach the corner of Winston St. and Commonwealth Avenue.

Upon entering the gate of the East Fairview Subdivision where the watershed was housed, we were advised by the security officers that we can either use Pearl St. (which was 2 blocks away) or pay the minimal fee of 10 pesos to use the subdivision's road. Instead of making a U-turn back towards Commonwealth Ave., we just paid the 10 peso fee and made a left turn at Dunhill Street. La Mesa Ecopark is found at the end of the this street.

We arrived at a quarter before nine in the morning so we were still able to find a nice shaded parking spot for our car. From the parking lot, we walked towards the entrance gate where we paid 50 pesos for my husband and myself and 40 pesos for our son's ticket. Quezon City residents and students get a discounted rate.

The weather that day was neither gloomy nor sunny and it was perfect for taking a stroll. Plus, the thick canopy that the big trees provided made the atmosphere cool. It was really surprising to discover a forest like this amidst this busy city.

We walked up the steps along the Shell Flower Terraces to get a glimpse of the reservoir. There was really nothing else to see there but water. Video and picture taking is prohibited. After resting for a while on one of the benches, we went down an walked the trail that led us to Petron Amphitheater. We noticed that there were students there who were practicing a dance number on one side and, on the other, another group of students filming a theatrical presentation. Indeed, anything goes in this Ecopark. There are really no restrictions of what you can bring and what you cannot just as long as you don't destroy the flora and fauna of the place.

Speaking of flora and fauna, these are just some of the beautiful flowers and animals that welcomed us as we walked the trail.


We reached the Petron Fitness Trail where my boys had fun running around. On one corner of the fitness trail was a group of Citizen's Army Training cadets having a team building session. The hurdles that were set up became the perfect obstacles in one of their exercises.


We did not linger inside the park any longer because my boys were already anxious to ride the boat and the zipline. Ralph wanted to ride a horse but we didn't see the area where we can buy the tickets so we just hopped on the electric shuttle that took us to the Superferry Boating Lagoon.


We rented this boat for 30 minutes and it cost us 100 pesos. After that, we went straight to the zipline which cost 100 per person. I did not join my boys in this one because I was so afraid of being stuck in the middle of the cable hahaha!


We left around noon since we did not bring food for lunch. Nevertheless, we had a great time taking a stroll inside the park. For just a couple of bucks, we were able to enjoy each other's company. Not to mention that by visiting the park, we have already made our contribution in saving the La Mesa Watershed.

La Mesa Ecopark is located at Dunhill St., East Fairview Subdivision, Quezon City. You can view the map here.