14 hairpin turns on the difficult road from Tagaytay to Talisay

Straddling the border of Batangas and Cavite provinces, in the Philippine island of Luzon, the road from Tagaytay to Talisay is a very defiant mountain drive.

Located to the south of Manila, on the banks of Taal Lake, the road is paved with some concrete parts and runs north-south from the village of Tagaytay (in the province of Cavite) to Talisay (in the Province of Batangas).

It’s 11.7km (7.27 miles) long and features 14 hairpin turns, blind corners, and gentle curves. It’s a difficult road. High risk of rock slides. Along the zig zag uphill road are a few natural viewpoints. The drive, with daunting steep drops at the road’s edges, offers stunning views of Taal Lake, in the caldera of an active volcano.

The drive is pretty steep, hitting a 16% of maximum gradient through some of the ramps. Starting at Talisay, at the sea level, the elevation gain is 603 meters. The average gradient is 5.15%. It can be closed anytime due to volcanic activity.