BENGUET | Baguio City’s Mines View Park

Saturday, February 06, 2010

Mines View is one of the oldest and most famous attraction in the City of Pines. The park got its name from the Benguet mountain range where gold, silver and copper were once quarried. It was a mining area for local diggers before the Americans discovered Baguio City.

During the early seventies, local children used to wait far below the viewing deck to catch coins being thrown down by tourists using makeshift sticks with baskets on top. However, due to the extremities of the location, accidents did occur and the local government finally forbade the practice. A memoriam is erected on one side of the cliff to commemorate those children that lost their lives in making a living in the area.

Mines View is basically a viewing deck looking out to the Cordilleras. A winding stone steps leads downwards to the deck where the view will take your breath away. Best place to visit it is at dawn when there are hardly any tourists yet. Catch the sunrise and watch the fog slowly creep along the mountains while sipping on your Strawberry Taho.

Mind your steps too as the railings are not that high. A minor mistake might send you tumbling down the edge. Binoculars can be rented for P10.00.

Apart from the viewing area, there are a lot more that this park offer. If picture souvenir’s your thing, you are in luck. Want to have your picture taken in a full native Igorot garb? On top of a colorfully decorated horse maybe? How about a hug with giant St. Bernard dog? They have it all.

There is no fee in entering the park, however, you would definitely need to bring some cash if you intend to visit this spot. This is the place where you can get your money's worth for all the pasalubongs and souvenirs you can bring back home with you. Trinkets and ref magnets of every shapes and colors, they have it; shirts and sweaters, fabrics, caps, sweets, strawberries, flowers, handicrafts and silvers, everything that is Baguio can be bought here. And don’t forget to get one of the infamous Barrel Mans too.

For specialized sweets, you can walk a few blocks from the park and get some seminary-made goodies at the Good Shepherd Seminary.

Hungry? There are stalls near the entrance that offer Filipino home-style food, prices are very street friendly. There are also the usual streets stands; hotdogs, sweet corns, fishballs, taho, and barbecues. Walk a few meters down the street and look for a huge wall with a staircase and on its side to have a taste of Halfmoon's specialty, BibingCrepe. It’s Bibingka, crepe style.

The park is only four kilometers away from the city center and can be reached via a quick cab ride or by jeeps. The jeep terminals can be found at the street near McDonald's at the lower end of Session Road.