For true-blue adventurers, Albay is equated with the irresistible temptation of scaling the 2,463-meter Mayon Volcano, which mountaineers swear offers a different kind of challenge and high once you have reached its treacherous summit. This restive volcano is so enigmatic that it lures adventurers, photographers and kibitzers alike, even during threats of eruption.
With the recent fatal accidents involving intrepid souls, however, ascent to this enigmatic has been banned by local authorities. But adventure lovers need not fret because there is still a plethora of equally exciting activities in this alluring province.
Here are some action-packed activities that can also give you your regular dose of adrenaline rush in Albay Adventurelandia.
-  Climb every mountain. While Mayon is currently off-limits for climbers, its legendary sister mountains Mount Masaraga and Mount Malinao are yours for the taking. These two extinct volcanoes boast of rich flora and fauna, and offer its unique kind of contour and challenge to hardened mountaineers who want to climb every mountain “because it’s there.” From the summit of these two land masses, you can admire the majesty of Mayon from a distance and pray to the heavens that the climbing ban be lifted soon.
-  Be a rough rider. Next to the Mayon climb, the all-terrain vehicle (ATV) is the most recognizable outdoor activity around the volcano’s lava trail, and a must-try, which celebrities like Zac Efron, Kris Aquino, Aga Muhlach, Manny Pacquiao and 2013 Miss International Bea Rose Santiago have done in flying colors.
Your Brother Travel & Tours runs the most popular route in Barangay Pawa in Legazpi City, which takes riders up to the lava wall or further up to the shoulder of Mayon Volcano about 1,000 meters above sea level.
Another outfitter, Bicol Adventures offers a ride, which starts from the picturesque Cagsawa Ruins Park in Daraga town and passes through an equally challenging boulder-laden and surreal-looking trail.
-  One hill of an adventure. Ligñon Hill Nature Park is one of the most iconic natural landmarks in Albay, which is also a top tourist getaway with the bevy of adventures it offers. It hosts the first and most scenic zipline, where you can get the Mayon as a background no less while zipping from the hill to a treetop below.
With a commanding view of the city and the airport runway, you can do a balancing act and cross a hanging bridge, which connects the hill’s two cliff edges. History buffs can relive the wartime era by crawling at the Japanese Tunnel, which the Japs used as their camp and lookout.
Quitinday Hills formation is a new-found getaway in the hinterlands of Camalig. Scattered like giant mounds in a sprawling area just like the famed Chocolate Hills of Bohol, these well-concealed geological formations are framed by the perfect-coned Mayon on a cloudless day.
Other noteworthy hills are the historic Kapuntukan Hill or “Sleeping Lion,” the best vantage point to shoot Mayon with Legazpi at the foreground. The Cawa-Cawa Hill, a pilgrimage center in Ligao City is a religious devotee’s own brand of adventure with its 1,000-step staircase Stations of the Cross.
-  Action Mall. Embarcadero is Legazpi’s City’s marina-inspired lifestyle mall and center of center as well. Its stylish lighthouse serves as an adventure accessory with the zipline where one can gracefully glide above Albay Gulf and Mayon’s silhouette behind you. You can also rapel down the beacon or walk around its circular platform. There are tour outfitters and dive shops where you can tick your next trip in the fringes of Bicol.
-  Explore the underwater world. The province got its name from the phrase al baybay, which literally means “to the beach.” From this, you can perhaps deduce that it has a long coastline and there’s a lush underwater world beneath. Albay Gulf, which empties into the Pacific Ocean, takes pride in a splendid marine life found in Santo Domingo town, San Miguel Island in Tabaco City, and just off Legazpi City Boulevard.
The Coral Rosary in Santo Domingo is a unique dive spot as it mimics the Catholic rosary beads with its oversized underwater set, which lights up at night. Discovery dives and certification courses are offered by dive shops at the Legazpi Boulevard, Embarcadero and Oriental Hotel.
- Â Paddle and ride with the wind. Aquasports aficionados can also kayak, or windsurf or jetski around the watery playgrounds of the province. The coves around Albay, especially in the archipelagic town of Bacacay offer an exhilarating paddle with enchanting views of limestone rock islands. Sula Channel is tops for kayaking with its calm waters and serene environs. The more extreme kayakers navigate the eastern seaboard which is like a bigger version of the Hundred Islands.
-  Don’t miss Misibis Bay. The posh Misibis Bay Resort in Cagraray Island, Bacacay is an aqua action zone in itself with a plethora of recreational activities—hobie sailing, jetski, zipline, Segway riding, banana boat, windsurfing, the gravity-driven lube ride or even the more relaxed island hopping. Set against a tropical hideaway, powdery beaches and crystalline sea, this Small luxury hotel-listed resort has been the stomping ground of local and global celebrities who have done the Mayon ATV ride.
-  True Falls. Albay’s mountainous topography has gifted a host of waterfalls where one can frolic in its rejuvenating icy waters. The current toast of the town is Quitinday Falls, which is located on a depressed portion of the road in Jovellar municipality, and is ideal for cliff jumping.
A well-kept secret for a long time, it has an adjacent 100-meter underground river which can be navigated aboard a bamboo raft. At the other end of the cave is a clearing which leads to another trekking adventure.
Another newly discovered cascade is Kitwinan Falls in Camalig which served as a garrison, hospital and spa hydromassage of Japanese soldiers during World War II.
Add these to the frequented Busay Falls in Malilipot, Vera Falls in Malinao and Karangahan Falls in Legazpi, then Albay is a virtual haven of all bodies of water. Â Bernard L Supetran