High-End Adventures in Legazpi City at Embarcadero de Legazpi
Legazpi City, Albay, in the Bicol Region
Embarcadero de Legazpi, Bicol’s premier lifestyle and commercial hub sitting on a 5.1-hectare prime waterfront property at the heart of Legazpi City is expanding into a high-end destination for thrill and adventure seekers.
Very recently, it opened the Playland Go Kart that now provides thrilling go kart rides around a well-engineered track at the foot of the historical Kapuntukan Hill.
“It’s a world-class track designed by racing engineers and surely, aficionados of this sport from all over the country will like coming to the Embarcadero for this facility, Elizalde Co, president of the Sunwest Group of Companies, developer of the P1.8-billion tourist-oriented complex said.
The track is right beside the Legazpi City baywalk area where pleasure boats, water sports and a zip line endpoint are some of the other attractions.
Jetski, Segway PT and many other exciting pastimes are soon to be offered, Co said.
Embarcadero de Legazpi
The Embarcadero is among the latest additions to this city’s development landmarks designed as new tourism products providing a much-needed boost to the local tourism industry.
It offers classy entertainment facilities, retail shops, restaurants and cafes, an integrated mall, a celebration plaza, children’s game land, promenade, bowling alleys and disco pubs, among others.
Inside its multifaceted shopping center are a mix of local and national business names such as Mang Inasal, Tapa King, Kitaro, Harbor Work Restaurant, Mango, Bigg’s Diner (Bicol’s homegrown fastfood chain),La Mia Tazza (a Legazpi-based chain of coffee shops), Padi’s Point, Cinderella and Mercury Drugs. More tenants are setting up soon.
To qualify as a tenant, one rule that exempts no one including tourists, shoppers or visitors should be wholeheartedly embraced: “be environment-friendly” and with that, the transport service facilities shuttling incoming and outgoing visitors between the Embarcadero and Legazpi City commercial district for free are e-jeeps (battery-driven jeepneys).
“We have pioneered this eco-friendly mode of transportation in Bicol and Legazpi City starting with four units that have been fielded since early this year.
"We will be acquiring more units so that we are able to contribute to efforts of minimizing pollution towards addressing the problems on global warming or climate change,” Co said.
“While development and modernization is our business, environmental care remains our primary concern. Protecting Mother Earth is everybody’s business, after all” he said.
Indeed, Embarcadero is the center ground of this city’s modernization into a prime tourism destination whose master-plan of development covers around 200 hectares of coastal, hilly terrain stretching from the shapely Kapuntukan Hill up to around 10 barangays at the southern section of the city.
A new coastal road called Legazpi Boulevard is currently under construction extending from the foot of the hill to Barangay Lamba that comprises its first phase covering a stretch of four kilometers of concrete roadway and breakwater zigzagging along the coastline of Albay Gulf to provide a more picturesque scene.
Both sides of the road are provided with bicycle lanes that are properly lighted at nighttime.
This coastal road network is envisioned to serve as the alternate road between Legazpi City and the geothermal energy-rich Albay town of Manito that is 39 kilometers away.
The Embarcadero also serves as the jumping off point between Legazpi City and Misibis Raintree, a posh resort complex in the nearby Cagraray Island of Bacacay, Albay also developed by Sunwest. Fast crafts are available to ferry tourists and visitors to the resort.
A tropical hideaway surrounded by the wonders of the Pacific Ocean, Misibis Raintree is an eco-friendly resort offering unrivalled level of style, choice and personalized exploration. It affords guests unsurpassed privacy and space.
Misibis offers a one kilometer of exclusive coastline and remarkable coral white sand beach and the entire resort complex island is a unique hideaway that offers guests an extraordinary degree of privacy in its five-hectare expanse of lush tropical forest. It is a 20-minute luxury fast craft ride from Legazpi City or an hour drive along the scenic countryside of Sto. Domingo town.
The resort hotel offers suites with high airy ceilings, large terraces and sun decks and direct access to the swimming pools or the beach.
All suites feature LCD television with cable channels, DVD/CD player, luxurious bathrooms, some suite with Jacuzzis, local newspaper daily, iPod docks, safety deposit box, minibar, WiFi access.
A restaurant within the resort--the Spice Market is inspired by the flavors, spices and aromas of the markets and fishing villages of Southeast Asia.
It offers a cuisine with distinct flavors of Asian herbs, spices and marinades. It has a delicatessen and sundry shop featuring local specialties.
The other restaurant is De La Playa, a beach grill and tapas bar that is open nightly. It offers seasonal a la carte premium grill cuisine that specializes in seafood and steaks.
Nightly entertainment of acoustic guitar and soft Brazilian music adds to the serene night life. It is also a perfect venue for a cocktail sunset session.
There is also the pool bar that offer casual fare, serves beverages and cocktails at the poolside and at the swim-up bar and a beach bar serving beverages and cocktails at the boardwalk pavilion overlooking the beach, all day dining menu and seasonal beachfront barbecue. (PNA/Danny O. Calleja)
