Haysss! Its 2021! But it seems everything isn’t turning back to normal yet. We are still suffering from the effects of covid-19. And recently, Cebu City is in MECQ. A lot of restrictions: no biking, no outdoor jog no hiking. What else are we gonna do? Lucky for us, me and my friends were able to conquer one mountain just the day before the strict MECQ. And that mountain is Mt. Naupa.
Mt. Naupa is located in the City of Naga, Cebu. It is one of the famous peaks in Cebu that offers breathtaking views of mountain ranges, green fields and even sea of clouds. It is one of the most accessible places to visit and the trail is easy and straightforward. It is recommended for beginners since it is easy and somewhat near from Cebu City.
So my friends and I decided to go there for an early morning hike just to relieve our stress from the city life. And it’s been a while since I haven’t moved my muscles that much so it was a form of exercise for me. So we met it Barangay Tungkop, Minglanilla. We rode a habal-habal or motorcycle from eskina Tungkop Road going to Barangay Cogon in Naga. We assembled in Cogon Chapel, which is where the starting point of the hike. Lucky for us, there is one friend from the group who had been there a couple of times and she guided us on the way to the peak. The trail was quite easy. Most of the pathways are plain and flat and there are also steep short trails but it was just manageable. We followed the trail, we had stops, a lot of it since most us are beginners and quite old. There are small stations along the way where we stopped by, had a rest and chitchats with friends.
Finally, we reached to the entrance point of Mt. Naupa. We stopped by the sari-sari store and paid an entrance fee of 20 pesos. There were people who camped in the area overnight. From that point, I saw the beautiful view of mountain ranges and green hills. It was like a mini-Batanes that I usually see on social media. Goats and cows were everywhere enjoying the thick unlimited grass. Then we stopped by some bench to sit, eat, and rest. We did not climb the peak of Mt. Naupa for it was quite difficult and my friends were very tired from the long walk. We walked for about 2 hours from Cogon Church to the base of Mt. Naupa. We stayed in the area for hours enjoying the view and having a good chat with everyone. The hike was almost 3km from Cogon Chapel to Mt. Naupa.
It was a very surreal moment. I can’t imagine a place like that just a few kilometers from the city. It was like a stress reliever from a very busy and problematic life in the city. Then we walked down to the exit of Mt. Naupa. We rode a motorcycle down to eskina Lanas. And we rode a jeepney going to the city center of Naga then back to our normal lives.
It may seem to be an easy hike but for me it was very worth it. People nowadays seek for outlet from their problems or from the stressful environment that we have. I recommend you guys to find some time to go to Mt. Naupa. It’s just a half-day adventure and I promise you, you will really sweat a lot from the hike. It is not just accessible, it is also budget friendly. This was the expenses and the itinerary that we followed during the trip:
- Bus or Jeepney from Cebu City to Tabunok, Talisay: 25 pesos
- Jeepney from Tabunok to Tungkop, Minglanilla: 15 pesos
- Habal-habal or motorcycle from Tungkop to Cogon Chapel: 100 pesos
- Entrance to Mt. Naupa: 20 pesos
- Habal-habal from Mt. Naupa to Eskina Lanas: 80 pesos
- Jeepney from Lanas to Naga Church: 20 pesos
- Jeepney from Naga to Cebu City: 40 pesos
Total : 300 pesos
That excludes the food obviously. You need to bring food during the trip because there will be no sari-sari store along the way, only in the entrance of the peak. You also need to bring water and keep hydrated. Most importantly, Clean as you go. That’s an SOP. And don’t forgot to enjoy each moment and store some pictures for memories.
That’s a wrap! This is 