Resting with the breathtaking view of Mayon Volcano in front of you and cool Tagaytay-like breeze is one of the most relaxing thing to do in life. I will never be tired on staring to that volcano. It’s so beautiful! Albay is so fortunate to have such attraction that’s why it is visited by many tourists. So if you are planning to have a vacation in this province, there’s one spot that will let you do this kind of experience.
Mayon Skyline View Deck, formerly known as Mayon Rest house, is a recreational area and one of the prime tourist attractions in Albay. It is located at the east of Mayon Volcano parallel to its halfway from its peak. It’s the perfect location for visitors to get a closer look of the perfect cone. I keep on saying perfect because yes, Mayon Skyline is indeed perfect.
To get into the place, tourists have to pass through the intestine-like road upward. It’s actually a good example of the quote “the path to success is not always a straight line” with success pertaining to our destination, which is Mayon Skyline. It has a lot of curves which is the typical roads of a mountain. But along these curves, we can see that Mayon is already peeping! Our cameras even caught it. Shocks! We were already jumping in excitement during that time.
The driver dropped us in front of this blue dome which says Mayon Planetarium. Planetarium and Mayon? What does it have to do with each other? Anyway, I still want to find out what’s inside but sadly, the planetarium wasn’t functioning. I don’t know if it was only on that day or not. But I hope they’re opening it every day because for sure, the spot is visited daily. Another sad thing was about the purpose of our visit. As we can see behind the planetarium, Mayon is hiding! No!
We arrived at Mayon Skyline at about eight in the morning since we checked in a hotel in Camarines Sur which is two hours far from this area. And the residents here said that it was not the best time to drop by because aside from the blazing heat of the sun, it’s also the time when the clouds block the perfect cone. So I suggest people to come here five or six in the morning or five or six in the afternoon because that’s the hour when I caught the whole Mayon, well not in this park, but in Embarcadero de Legazpi.
But in this situation when the volcano is not in the mood to meet its fans, the Mayon Skyline still ensures that its guests will still have a great time by offering another scenery. On the other side of the area, we had a panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, the mountains of Masaraga and Malinao and some towns of Albay. There are numerous gazebos wherein people can stay for a while. If only we can stay longer, I’ll bring blanket and fruits and we’ll have a picnic here.
After a few walks downward, trying to study the skyline, I discovered the Mayon Skyline Hotel and Convention Center. I thought it was only a park. But from what I’ve heard, the place was originally a hotel. However, it was shut down due to the unpredictable outbursts of Mount Mayon. So the local government decided to preserve and transform it to a park. And I think that’s better. This building serves as a multi-purpose hall used as reception for various events.
Aside from the park itself, the planetarium and the multi-purpose hall, Mayon Skyline also has a chapel with a big rosary in its front. I wasn’t able to climb up and get in because we are about to leave when I discovered this part of Mayon Skyline so I just took a photo of it from the bottom of the hill. I’m glad that even though it’s not literally a spiritual place, the owner still welcomes pilgrims by creating this. I also noticed that the road on the way up was lined with the 13 Stations of the Cross.
Although Mayon Skyline is not the type of tourist spot that gives adventures, it is the type of spot that gives our dream relaxation. I never thought that relaxing can be this fun and productive. Actually, it’s more than that. I can’t find words that will best fit to my experience here. In fact, I cried when I left the place. The cool temperature, the spectacular scenery, the happiness and everything in this place will truly be missed. I will surely come back.