7 Reasons Family And Friends Hang Out At Lake Caliraya

     Bonding with family and friends is the most gratifying activity in the world. Be it in the most or the least expensive places, what matters most is the building and renewing of relationships among kith and kin. One of our favorite places is Caliraya, Laguna, Philippines. A mountain lake in Laguna, the place has been developed as an escape from the hustle and bustle of Metropolitan Manila. There are so many reasons why we go to Caliraya. Like us, people may go on a picnic, go bass fishing, boating, wind surfing or other water sports activities or go shopping.

Our family in one of the picnic huts.

        Picnic. My family and I often go on a picnic in one of the picnic areas around Lake Caliraya, like Eco-Saddle (above). It is a camp site where you can pitch your tent and spend the night, as the camp has washing and comfort room areas for your basic cleaning needs. Rent for a picnic hut costs around ₱500.

L-R: Tisa and Caitlyn (holding Yuri).

     Our trip to Lake Caliraya will not be complete if we don’t bring Yuri (dog above) along, a half- Japanese Spitz and half Shi Tzu.               

Rainbow over Lake Caliraya.

     In one of our visits, we got a rare treat when nature blessed us with this rainbow (above). How we wished there was really gold at each end. But the sky was turning black and it started to drizzle, so we gave up on our  wish for gold.

Different grassy nooks around the lake, seemingly, hide the bass. 

The smile on Tyler’s face is a picture of a happy fisherman (Upper R above).

     Bass fishing.  Early developers of this man-made lake seeded Caliraya with wide-mouth bass. In fact, yearly festivities (around February) include bass fishing competitions. Our friend, Tyler (photo above) caught several bass when he tried this sport last December, the peak season for bass fishing in Caliraya.

Surf Camp, another camp site, is a good take-off point for water sports activities.

     Water sports. Water sports aficionados have continued coming to Caliraya to wind surf, Jet Ski or ride a kayak (above). It’s a joy to watch the players stumble and fall, but those who are successful must be proud of riding the wind or the water.

The boat may be rented for bass fishing.

     Boating.  Going around the lake is a great way to unwind. There are boats that you may rent to show you the properties around Lake Caliraya.The development in the area during Marcos’ time brought forth the construction of different resorts, a golf course, a Japanese Shrine, etc. This became a magnet for the middle-class and some well-off local and international residents to build their vacation houses around the lake. You can rent a boat from a friend (above) to have a picnic while going around the lake, or just drink in the view and relax on the boat that holds up to 20 persons.

A jump shot by Narra '77 classmates to prove that we can still do it even when we are over 50.

     Parties.  Lake Caliraya is a great venue for parties if you require nature at its best. Early this year, my high-school class mates (Pedro Guevarra Memorial High School ’77, Section Narra) and I held our overnight reunion at the Camarin or the National Power Corporation Guest House.  We had a grand time reminiscing about our high school life.  

The grand kids and Me on the balcony of one of the cabanas in Lagos del Sol.

       Resort.  One of the resorts that you can stay in is Lagos del Sol. You can be billeted in one of their cabanas that are perfect for the family.  Each of their 24 cabanas has private toilet and bath, colored TV, telephone and hot and cold water. What I love about their cabanas are the spacious balconies that are over-looking the lake and are surrounded by pine trees that give off the right ambiance for a nature hide-away.

Upper L: freshly harvested rambutan for sale; 

Upper R: close up of rambutan; Below L: huge rambutan variety bought in Caliraya; Below R:  regular variety bought in local market. 

     Shopping. Housewives who love to go shopping will have a different kind of thrill when shopping for cheap fresh produce. One time, we came across peddlers plying freshly-harvested rambutan (above). It was so cheap (₱15-20/kilo) since rambutan season was at its peak. One variety was so huge that it dwarfed regular varieties on the local market

      
     One will not run out of things to do in Caliraya. Whether you want the peace and quiet or the adventurous sports activities, there are just too many options that you can choose from to escape from the city.

      
     How to go there:

• From Manila (Southern route): You can take the bus, either from Cubao or Pasay LRT, to Sta.Cruz, Laguna. Once in Pagsawitan, Sta.Cruz, you can ride the jeepney going to Lumot, Cavinti.   
•  From Manila (Eastern route): From Ortigas Avenue, traverse the towns of Rizal onward the eastern towns of Laguna through the Laguna de Bay road network.