Experience the best of Legazpi

Legazpi is a port city at the south-eastern end of Luzon, named after the Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi. The city lies at the foot of Mayon, which rises to about 2,460 metres and is one of the most active volcanoes in the country.

The Cagsawa Ruins, the stone bell tower of a church destroyed by an eruption in 1814, stand near the volcano's base. Daraga, on a hill above the city, has a church with views of the cone. Mayon Volcano Natural Park protects forest on the lower slopes, and Donsol, a couple of hours' drive south, is known for whale sharks.

Bicol food is hot and rich: Bicol Express, pork simmered in coconut milk with chillies, and laing, taro leaves cooked in coconut milk, are the local classics, and pili nuts, grown across the region, are sold as candy. Typhoons pass through the region most years, mostly between June and November, so the timing of a visit matters.