Growing up in Zamboanga Peninsula, I never got the impression that we had a lot to offer in terms of tourist spots in the country. So when my aunt wanted to do a road trip in Zamboanga del Norte, I wasn’t all too excited about it.
One of our main stops was Viewpoint at Tinindugan in Sergio Osmena which is an area in the province that’s more elevated and you sometimes hear it being called “little Baguio”. Viewpoint in Tinindugan is designated as an agritourism site by the Department of Tourism.
It’s overall a nice place to spend an afternoon and even overnight, which I have not gotten a chance yet, due to the higher altitude and the colder temperature in a typically hot and humid country. The mountain breeze offers a welcome change from the summer heat in May and the incoming El Nino season.
The Viewpoint provides a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains, Masapak falls in the distance, and a river down below. At one of the observation decks, there was a viewing telescope I could use to get a better look at the surrounding area as well as the flying eagle or bird I couldn’t identity flying overhead. It was a great way to just take all the nature in while on a hammock.
The place was perfect to take vacation/instagram photos. The landscaping was great with lots of angles to offer. They also had great framing devices that made photos more exciting like giant photo frames in one of the observation decks, a giant chair that could fit three people, and a wooden ship overlooking the view.
The agriculture portion of the site was evident from the army of local workers tilling hillside gardens and manning the vegetable stand. The cafe had good food made with fresh ingredients from the garden. We had fresh avocado shakes which were locally sourced. Along with some good coffee, chocolate cake, and French crepes.
The cafe also sold their versions of local delicacies such as Spanish sardines and pickled vegetables typically paired with lechon (whole roasted pig).
During our 2-3 hour visit, you could tell it was popular with the locals and even people who travelled far. Construction was still ongoing for additional shaded seating and lodging for overnight stays. We were told that construction would be done by December.
On our way to Viewpoint we also stopped by Cecilia’s Plate which I highly recommend. That place was surrounded by Pine trees which made the little Baguio stick for me. Overall, that was an unexpectedly fun day and we also visited a couple more places and drove pass plenty more. So if you’re ever in or near Zamboanga del Norte, I strongly recommend visiting Viewpoint at Tinindugan and even do a short day trip like we did. There’s plenty of great places to visit in our province apparently.
P.S. The roads were great. It was unlike my road trip experience in Luzon where toll roads are the norm if you want to get anywhere fast.
Location: Viewpoint at Tinindugan, Tinindugan, Sergio Osmeña Sr, 7108 Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines
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