MOUNT BANAHAW

Philippines (2,170 m) – Largest Active Volcano in the Philippines

Mount Banahaw is the largest active volcano in the Philippines, and one of the tallest mountains in the Pacific region between Japan and Indonesia.  A nearly perfect volcanic cone, Banahaw is a rare mountain of its type in that it is covered in greenery from base to cone.  On a very clear day it is visible from the capital city of Manila.  It’s name mean’s “Holy Mountain”.

Banahaw was sacred to locals long before the arrival of Spanish explorers.  After the Philippines were annexed to the Spanish Empire and largely converted to Roman Catholicism, Mount Banahaw went from being a sacred religious site to a Christian one, and for centuries has been a draw for Christian pilgrims.

Mount Banahaw is one of the top draws in the Philippines for nature lovers and hikers.  Due to ongoing problems with pollution, the mountain was closed to visitors for five years in order to clean it up.  It is scheduled to be reopened to hikers and pilgrims in 2015.  Banahaw is a particularly popular destination during the Christian Holy Week.  It is easily accessible across Laguna Bay from Manila, approximately fifty miles to the northwest.