Taal Tour: Taal Lake, Taal Volcano and Taal Heritage Town

Board a boat across the lake of a vast caldera, hike to the edge of an active volcano's crater, and visit a historic town that survived the last major eruption of the volcano. Highlights and activities: Visit Taal Lake and Taal Volcano, two must-see attractions in the country. Hike up an active volcano, passing by steam vents along the way. Visit 19th-century churches and houses and discover the culture and history of the Philippines. Taal is the name of a lake, a volcano, and a town. Taal Lake is the third largest lake in the country and is actually the caldera of a very large extinct volcano. At the center of this lake is Taal Volcano, which is very active. A volcano within a volcano, the beauty and uniqueness of Taal make it one of the country's must-see attractions. Most visitors enjoy Taal Volcano and Taal Lake from a distance, on the ridge of Tagaytay, a tourist and leisure center. While the view from Tagaytay is truly picturesque, this adventure immerses us in the Taal experience by sailing across Taal Lake and climbing the slope of Taal Volcano up to the edge of its main crater. Only at this spot can one fully appreciate the glory of Taal Volcano, looking into the crater lake with its sulfur-dotted water and shores scattered with fumaroles. Just off the shores of Taal Lake is Taal Heritage Town, founded in 1572. It is one of the oldest towns in the country and is home to the largest Catholic church in Asia, as well as a collection of old houses that showcase traditional Philippine-Spanish architecture. The town and its people played an important role in the Philippine revolution against the Spanish and it is an excellent place to get acquainted with the country's history and culture. Taal Town is also known for making the best barongs in the country, our traditional men's attire, and it is the birthplace of the famous balisong or butterfly knife.