Davao City Hotels

Mt. Apo is the Philippines’ highest peak. This mountain overlooks the city of Davao. Mt. Apo is a huge stratovolcano that is flat topped and with three peaks. There is a volcanic crater that is 500 meters wide with a small crater lake within.

The name Mt. Apo means grandfather. Mt. Apo’s last eruption is unknown and the mountain is a good source of geothermal energy. Mt. Apo is in the center of the Mt. Apo National Park that stretches throughout the North Cotabato and Davao del Sur provinces.

Mt. Apo National Park has a land area of 72,800 hectares and is considered as the largest park of the Philippines. The mountain is also the home of the endangered Philippine Eagle. Former Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon declared Mt. Apo as a national park on May 9, 1936.

Over 270 species of birds can be found in Mt. Apo. More than a hundred of these birds in the mountain are considered as endemic. Mt. Apo has been considered as Mindanao’s center of endemism. The mountain has a high biological diversity per unit area.

Mt. Apo has three forest formations. These are lowland tropical rainforest, mid-mountain forests, and high mountain forests. The slope on the east side of the mountain is under the UNESCO Hydrology Environment Life and Policy. The focus of this network is for watershed stakeholders to have building collaboration among them.

Mt. Apo is among the famous mountain climbing destinations in the Philippines. Don Joaquin Rajal and his party are the first people who climbed the summit of Mt. Apo on October 10, 1880.

Climbing Mt. Apo can be done any day of the year. The area of Mt. Apo is outside the typhoon belt area so it is safe to climb any time. October to December and March to April are the preferred months to climb Mt. Apo. Every Holy Week, an annual climb to Mt. Apo occurs with lots of mountain climbing participants. The Philippine Tourism Authority organized this annual event on the mountain.

Towards the summit of the mountain, a lake called Lake Venado is nestled beautifully with crystal clear water that mirrors Mt. Apo’s twin peaks. In this place, you can take a deep refreshing breath and shout to your heart’s content. At the mountain’s summit, you will be able to view the wide expanse of the surrounding provinces of Davao.

Mt. Apo is indeed the grandfather of all the mountains of the Philippines. The mountain’s towering height and its vastness is a great sight to see in Davao. Be ready to be amazed by the majesty of this mountain.

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