Mount Mago: Climbing the Boundaries of Danao, Carmen and Tuburan

Contributed by Hey, Miss Adventures!

The plan was to get out of Cebu City at around 5.30am but, as Filipinos, this easily became 6am. One of our companions who hails from Europe has learned this Filipino habit already. Haha!

From the North Bus Terminal to Carmen Public Market, it is a 1- to 2-hour bus ride.

Also read: 13 Must-Visit Mountain Peaks and Camp Sites in Cebu

We weren’t quite prepared for the next phase of the journey. The habal-habal ride from the public market to the jump-off point (I forgot the name of the barangay lol) takes around 45 minutes to an hour, depending on how good your driver is.

We went there the day after it rained in the area. The road was extremely muddy and slippery (and nerve wracking) that I just kept closing my eyes many times and hoped for the best things. Think happy thoughts, they say.

Along the way, we saw the huge property of MLhuillier. They had several numbers of poultry and, later on, a huge lot with horses and cows and many more. They will be opening a safari sometime 2017 and, if the story wasn’t exaggerated, it is said that the only animals not yet in the area are elephants.

Now, on with the story…

We finally got to their Barangay Hall but couldn’t register ourselves because no one was around as it was a Sunday. We trudged on with our journey and talked to two grade school kids who served as our guides for ₱20 each. (We gave them ₱50 each in the end and our companions also gave them a bit more so it was an early Christmas gift of sorts.)

The trail was beautiful and breathtaking (and also very muddy at the time). I seriously thought I would have a hard time but we managed to make it to the top in two hours despite the kids (mostly our daughter) stopping by to touch every makahiya she sees.

The trail we took was an open one so we were quite happy that it was overcast that day. Not too hot but not raining either. There was a mixture of ascents and descents and I think we may have passed about 10 or even more small hills/mountains, going up and down along the way.

For someone who has not been walking for a loooong time, it was a great hike. Not too difficult but not too easy, either. The three of us did manage to finish all 6 litres of water. Can you imagine?

We ate our lunch at the top where there was a small tree. Our companions brought along a fly sheet that we made into a roof while we ate under. Lechon manok, liempo and water never tasted that good. And it was well-deserved, too!

What is awesome about Mount Mago is that it is located at the boundary of three towns namely Carmen, Danao and Tuburan. Isn’t it awesome to be standing at not just one or two but three places at the same time?

On our way down, we took a slightly different trail which was flatter but probably muddier. We would have wanted to stop by the nearby springs and falls but considering the habal-habal ride, we figured out we wouldn’t be able to make it there much earlier. Stingy people want to maximize their entrance fees and cottage rentals. Hahaha!

Unfortunately for us, the bus ride home got us caught in moderate traffic and my bladder was about to break! We managed to eat early dinner before going home but I forgot to take a leak so don’t forget these two before you go home from Carmen or anywhere around these areas. Actually, make that from any point to any point in Cebu. 🙂

Ahhh…I think I really should go back to watching what I eat and exercising.

Also read: 7 Outdoor Experiences for Kids to Try in Cebu

Here’s to more hikes. Happy trails!

Expenses summary

• North Bus Terminal to Public Market = ₱45 per person
• Public Market to Jump-off Point = ₱100 per person (locals say it’s possible to pay just ₱70 per peson; make sure to negotiate first)
• Guide Fee = varies; we paid ₱20 each for the two kids who accompanied us although gave a bit more after