For many Filipino travelers and weekend warriors, the usual stops in Quezon Province tend to circle around the well-worn routes of Lucena, Tayabas, Lucban, and Gumaca, places already familiar to motorists en route to Batangas or Bicol.
Beach-seekers, too, often gravitate toward coastal spots like San Andres, Mauban, and Pagbilao. But beyond these popular destinations, in the northernmost part of Quezon Province bordering Rizal, Bulacan, and Quirino, is a lesser-known triad of towns that have quietly drawn the attention of surfers, hikers, and nature lovers.
Known collectively as the REINA circuit, the municipalities of Real, Infanta, and General Nakar are now considered as emerging tourist destinations, thanks to recent efforts by the local tourism offices of the three towns and the Tourism Promotions Board of the Philippines.
Their campaign highlights the region’s unspoiled landscapes, distinctive cultural heritage, and locally crafted products.
The great outdoors of General Nakar
In the northeastern edge of Quezon Province, where the Sierra Madre mountains descend into the Pacific Ocean, the municipality of General Nakar has long been known among off-road enthusiasts for its expansive, rugged terrain.
Now, it’s gaining attention for another reasons: its natural beauty and Indigenous-led ecotourism efforts.
A trek to Sapot Falls, a 150-foot cascade hidden within a moss-covered forest, begins with a one-hour hike from Sitio Masla. The trail crosses the Rigrig River and passes through biodiverse lush woods that are ideal for birdwatching.
The hike, though moderately challenging, brings in a sensory overload, where you will hear the sound of flowing water, while guided by the ambient light filtering through thick canopies, and glimpses of wildlife endemic to the Sierra Madre.
But the waterfalls mark just the beginning. Further downstream, the Rigrig River widens into a stretch ideal for river tubing, an activity managed by the Masla Community Nature Adventure organization, a group of local guides from the Remontado and Dumagat Indigenous communities.
Their work offers not only guided outdoor experiences but also an opportunity for visitors to engage meaningfully with the original settlers of the region.
Reaching Sitio Masla remains a challenge, requiring either a two-wheeled habal-habal or a 4×4 vehicle, as the route is an unpaved dirt road stretching all the way from the town center.
This rugged path, however, is currently being developed as part of the Pacific Coastal Trail Highway. Once completed, the road is expected to connect General Nakar with Dingalan in neighboring Aurora Province, thus opening access to a region that is still largely untouched by mass tourism.
These two destinations, Sapot Falls and the Rigrig River, are just the beginning of what General Nakar has to offer.
“If you had more time, we could have explored other sites like Tulaog Cave, which is considered sacred by the Dumagat people,” said Jonathan Saynes, tourism officer of General Nakar.
“It’s accessible from the sea and leads into an inner chamber hidden within a thick karst wall,” he added.
Beyond the cave, Saynes highlighted other lesser-known natural attractions around the municipality. These include Masanga Point, a dramatic coastal rock formation, as well as twin waterfalls Pagapeden and Depalyon.
Numerous beachfront areas also line the town’s extensive Pacific coastline, offering quieter alternatives to the country’s more crowded shores.
Beyond the waves of Real
Best known as a surf town with serious swells and a jump-off to off-the-grid islands like Jomalig and Polillo, Real is starting to attract a different kind of traveler, those drawn less by the waves of the Pacific and more of the other offerings of the great outdoors.
One of the easiest nature escapes is Balagbag Falls, a two-tiered, 50-foot cascade just a short walk from the main road. With a natural pool perfect for cooling off, it’s a favorite stop for road trippers and day hikers alike.
But Real isn’t just about waterfalls. Like its neighbor General Nakar, this coastal town also has a river running through it — Tanauan River, where the Tanauan Balsahero Association has mapped out a five-kilometer route for river tubing.
Here, you’ll hop aboard a makeshift raft made from inner tubes tied together, gliding past numerous rapids. It’s another example of how community-led tourism is shaping visitor experience in this part of Quezon.
For visitors heading to Real, the perfect souvenir isn’t a postcard or keychain, it’s a handcrafted walis tambo, or soft broom, made from locally harvested tiger grass.
And in the upland barangay of Maragondon, broom-making is more than just a livelihood, it’s a growing symbol of community pride.
Responsible for this, is the Maragondon Dragon Grass Association (MDGA), a 53-member group formed in 2015 through the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).
Every February, members begin harvesting tiger grass, locally known as raza, just as its flower blooms into long, fine strands. These are picked, dried, and stitched by hand. It takes at least 30 flower stalks to make a single large broom.
In the past year alone, the group produced over 4,000 walis tambo, drawing both tourists and residents to Maragondon to buy this local product.
To support this One-Town, One-Product (OTOP) initiative, the Tourism Promotions Board Philippines recently contributed additional funding to help the group expand operations while they prepare for the next harvest season.
Discovering Infanta’s nature habitat, heritage fishing
I’ve passed through Infanta more times than I can count, usually on just quick stopover on the way to go hiking in the Sierra Madre, like the popular Mt. Famy, where I first had my hiking experience back in high school. Returning now after many years, I found a town offering new discoveries.
This time, I wasn’t going out for a hike. Instead, we walked the shaded boardwalks of a mangrove forest, where hundreds of fruit bats and migratory birds flew overhead across the sky.
Covering a 17-hectare area, the Bipco Mangrove Forest Ecological Park in Binonoan has transformed from a once-depleted landscape into a thriving sanctuary for both wildlife and education.
Today, the park is home to an array of species, including flying foxes, fruit bats, herons, hawks, and migratory birds, all thriving within the dense mangrove ecosystem.
Over a decade ago, a dedicated effort to restore the forest began, and the results are now evident: a thriving nature habitat for birds and other animals that serves as a living testament to successful environmental rehabilitation.
The park has since become a prime location for researchers, particularly from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, as well as forestry and agricultural students eager to study the park’s biodiversity.
Managed by the Bipco Foundation, a community-led organization, the park is now looking to expand their goal not only to attract more visitors but also to share valuable knowledge on ecology, forestry, and the importance of nature preservation.
Visitors can embark on guided tours of the mangrove river, following carefully constructed boardwalks designed to minimize environmental impact.
These tours provide an immersive educational experience, offering a rare glimpse into an ecosystem that hosts a wealth of marine species, various bird populations, and a variety of mangrove tree species.
The foundation also offers workshops on environmental conservation and sustainable tourism practices, furthering its mission to protect and preserve this vital ecosystem.
Another mangrove forest in Infanta, the Alitas Mangrove Ecopark offers a home-stay experience where one can also witness the process of making “alak sa sasa,” a traditional local liquor made from the sap of palm trees.
It is another community-driven tourism destination as it is managed by the members of the Alitas Farmers Association (AFA).
Under the low morning light on the banks of the Agos River, just under the bridge that connects the neighboring towns of Infanta and General Nakar, a group of fishermen gathers every morning.
Among them is Tata Dado, who has spent decades fishing in the river. He and his companions still practice pagtatain, an age-old fishing method passed down through generations.
Using traps crafted from hand-split bamboo strips, shaped into narrow cylinders called tain, the fishermen bury them beneath stones and align their openings against the current “so it won’t be dislodged by the current,” Tata Dado told us in Filipino.
The traps sit undisturbed overnight, and by early morning, they are often filled with the river’s offerings such as shrimps, tiny crabs, small fishes, and occasionally, a slippery eel.
But this traditional fishing method, like the river itself, may be at risk.
At the center of the concern is the planned construction of the controversial Kaliwa Dam, a government-backed infrastructure project intended to divert water from the Agos River to supply Metro Manila.
For local communities whose lives are forever connected with the river, the dam represents more than just a shift in the landscape, it signals a disruption in their way of life.
“We’re afraid the river will dry up once the dam is finished,” a woman standing nearby said in Filipino. “That water is meant to be sent to the city. And when typhoons come, they’ll release water again flooding everything downstream.”
For now, the Agos continues its flow. But to those who have long depended on it, the current carries a mounting uncertainty, one that no bamboo trap can hold back.
In the northern areas of Quezon in Real, Infanta, and General Nakar, travelers are being introduced not only to Indigenous and age-old traditions but also to the natural wonders of rivers, waterfalls, and the dense forests of the Sierra Madre.
These experiences foster a deeper consciousness for nature conservation, driven by effective community-based tourism that empowers locals to manage their own resources without interference from profit-driven outsiders.
In essence, the REINA circuit prioritizes sustainable tourism over mass commercial development. – Rappler.com