Taal Lake, Batangas

Taal Volcano is a complex volcano on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Its small but majestic Taal Volcano is a surely must see. It is one wonder of the world that would keep you turning in your grave should you happen to miss visiting it. The good side of this place is that it is easily accessible making it a prime tourist vacation spot for those who wanted to escape the bustling overpopulated air of Manila.It is situated between the towns of Talisay and San Nicolas in Batangas. It consists of an island in Lake Taal, which is situated  within a caldera formed by an earlier, very powerful eruption. It is located about 50 km (31 miles) from the capital, Manila. It is one of the active volcanoes in the Philippines, all part of the Pacific ring of fire.

The volcano has erupted violently several times, causing loss of life in the populated areas surrounding the lake, the current death toll standing at around 5,000 to 6,000. Because of its proximity to populated areas and eruptive history, the volcano has been designated a Decade Volcano worthy of close study to prevent future natural disasters. It was thought to be named as “a volcano inside a volcano” because many believed that the lake that circles the volcano was once a crater or mouth of a volcano.

The Batangas province towns along the shores of Taal Lake include Tanauan, Talisay, Laurel, Agoncillo, San Nicolas, Santa Teresita, Alitagtag, Cuenca, Lipa, Balete and Mataas na Kahoy.[1] The extinct crater on Volcano Island is also visible along high property value Tagaytay Ridge for visitors coming from Manila or enroute the Batangas coast and ports to the South.