A new close-to-nature activity awaits visitors of Hamilo Coast in Batangas.
Through is sustainability efforts, the resort was able to preserve more than 10,000 mangrove trees which cover approximately 10 hectares of the estate, making it the largest mangrove area in Nasugbu, Batangas.
Together with the World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines, Hamilo Coast continues to nurture this ecosystem by conducting educational mangrove tours in hopes of increasing awareness about mangroves and their restoration.
The Mangrove Tour in Papaya Cove offers nature lovers the perfect opportunity to discover the vibrant biodiversity for themselves.
The tour starts with a short 200-meter walk through the mangrove forest leading to where the paddle boats are docked. The narrow path is surrounded on either side by white mangroves, one of two mangrove species found in Hamilo Coast. These trees reach up to 50-feet high and create a canopy to cover the path keeping tourists cool during the summer.
At the end of the short walk is a small port where boats await. A well-paved space enclosed by bamboo railings creates a quasi-romantic secret garden in the middle of the mangrove forest. This miniature sanctuary is the start of the second half of the tour—a canoe ride that leads to Papaya Cove.
Guests aboard the canoe learn more about mangroves as the guides, who paddle and navigate through the water, describe how the once empty and gray plot of land was transformed into the lush mangrove forest it is now.
Paddling out of the mangrove forest and into the canal, the water current changes and the breeze becomes stronger. The sound of waves crashing over the shores of Papaya Cove can be heard from afar.
Tour guides continue to paddle until the canoe reaches the middle of the cove’s salty shallow waters where guests can marvel at the beauty of Papaya Cove from just a few meters away.
Continued reforestation efforts by SM Prime and WWF Philippines have significantly invigorated the wildlife inhabiting the forest and positively impacted the surrounding community.
Aside from a relaxing destination, the growing mangrove population is now a robust habitat for various animals and plants in the forest, and a livelihood opportunity for those in the surrounding communities.