ATV Mayon Volcano Slopes Offers a Trail to Green Lava in Daraga Albay

The ATV trail to Green Lava in Daraga, Albay starts at a river and ends at a flower field on the lower slopes of Mayon Volcano. It costs PHP 2,400 per person through online platforms, closer to PHP 1,500 for walk-ins at the operator. The ride takes one to one and a half hours one way, crosses multiple rivers, climbs through volcanic gravel flats and a forested uphill trail, and arrives at a painted sign in a field of yellow flowers with Mayon's cone directly above. If you want a clear view of the volcano, go before 10 in the morning. We arrived at 2 in the afternoon and the peak was already fully covered in cloud.

This guide covers the full route, what to eat at Cagsawa Ruins before you ride, exact pricing, what to bring, and what the trail actually feels like from start to finish.

What Is the Green Lava Trail in Daraga Albay?

The Green Lava Trail is an ATV route on the lower slopes of Mayon Volcano in Daraga, Albay. It departs from the Mayon SkyDrive ATV Adventure staging area on Cagsawa Road in Busay, Daraga, near the Cagsawa Ruins. The trail covers approximately 6 to 7 kilometers through river crossings, volcanic gravel flats, and forested uphill terrain before arriving at a former lava field now covered in grass and yellow flowers. The ride takes roughly one to one and a half hours one way. The cost is PHP 2,400 per person online or approximately PHP 1,500 for walk-ins. Mayon Volcano's peak is visible from the destination in the morning but typically covered by cloud by early afternoon.

Quick Reference: Green Lava ATV Ride at a Glance

Cagsawa Ruins and the Carinderia That Feeds You Before the Ride

The morning started at Cagsawa Ruins in Daraga, Albay. The ruins sit in an open field, and vendors line the path outside: souvenir shirts with "Daragon" printed on them, woven bags, keychains, painted miniatures, and small guitars hanging from rafters under corrugated metal roofing.

After walking the ruins, we ate at one of the carinderias beside the site. The food there is a reason to stop in Daraga even if you have no plans for an ATV. Sinigang na hipon sa buko is on the menu: shrimp sinigang cooked in young coconut juice instead of the usual tamarind broth, which gives the soup a softer sourness and a faintly sweet undertone. We also had laing na gabi — taro leaves in coconut milk, plated in a pale creamy broth with green chili and strips of lemongrass.

The pinakbet came in a wide bowl, dark with bagoong, the vegetables cooked through and glossy. Another dish arrived with squid and mixed vegetables in a savory sauce, finished with fried garlic and spring onion.

Then came the chili ice cream. The vendor beside Cagsawa Ruins carries Jimaynah's Best Chili Ice Cream, labeled by spice level: Level 1 in strawberry, Level 2 in buko pandan. Both are cold and creamy for the first few spoonfuls. Then the spice arrives. By Level 2, the sting settles on your lips and stays there. It is not overwhelming, but it is present — and the combination of sweet, creamy ice cream and actual chili heat is the kind of thing that makes you pause before deciding you like it.

What the ATV Ride to Green Lava Actually Feels Like

This is not a scenic drive. It is a physical route through terrain that gets your clothes wet, coats your skin in dust, and makes the cold young coconut waiting at the top feel genuinely earned.

The trail begins at the river. The ATVs go directly into the water, wheels churning up white spray, the current pushing lightly against the chassis while rocks beneath shift the ride into something unpredictable and immediate. By the time the first crossing clears, your shorts are wet, and there are more crossings ahead.

Further along, the river widens. The water is dark and shallow enough to see the rocks beneath, and a long concrete embankment runs along one bank. Multiple crossings follow the first, each requiring a little more attention than the last.

After the river sections, the route opens onto wide volcanic gravel flats. The ground is dark and fine-grained — volcanic sediment from Mayon's slopes deposited over centuries. The path is wide enough here to ride side by side before it narrows and the climb begins.

The forested uphill section follows. The path narrows to a single lane of dark volcanic soil, trees arching overhead, and the grade becomes sustained enough to require full throttle. Dust rises behind the leading ATVs and the engines drop into a lower register as they work against the incline. This is where the mask earns its place.

Arriving at Green Lava, Daraga, Albay

We arrived at Green Lava at around 2 in the afternoon. The clouds had settled fully over Mayon Volcano by then and the peak was not visible. What was visible was everything below it: rolling green hills, a field of yellow flowers in full bloom, and the wide expanse of Albay stretching toward the coast.

The group stopped at the Green Lava sign — a large red and green painted installation set in the flower field — with the cloud-covered outline of Mayon rising directly behind it. The cone was there, unmistakably. It simply would not show itself clearly that afternoon.

There is a small sari-sari store at the top. Young coconuts are sold fresh. After the ride, the coconut water is cold and clean, and you can split the shell open to scrape the soft white meat from inside.

The grounds also have passion fruit growing on trellises near the store — heavy green fruit hanging in clusters against yellow flowers and parked ATVs. It is the kind of detail that takes a moment to register after the ride: you have just crossed rivers and climbed volcanic terrain, and there is a garden waiting at the top.

There is also a small stone arch structure on the grounds. Through its opening, a green hillside slopes away under an overcast sky toward where Mayon should have been.

Further along, the elevation opens to a wide ridgeline where an "I Love Albay" marker stands on a grassy hilltop. The view spans rooftops, lowland towns, and the coast in the far distance — the full shape of Albay laid out below the clouds.

What to Know Before You Go

Go in the morning. This is the single most important decision you will make for this trip. Mayon Volcano is visible from the hotel early in the day. Clouds typically settle over the upper cone as the day advances. By 2 in the afternoon, when we arrived, the volcano was completely covered. The landscape was still worth the ride. But if you are coming specifically for the shot of Mayon behind the Green Lava sign, an early departure is the difference between the photograph you planned and a beautiful field with a white sky above it.

What to bring:

• A mask or bandana. The volcanic soil on the upper trail throws up fine dust at speed and without one you will be breathing it through the full climb.
• A change of clothes. The river crossings come early and are thorough.
• Closed footwear with grip. The terrain is rocky and uneven in sections.
• Cash for the young coconut at the top and the environmental and LGU ecosystem fees paid on arrival at the destination.

Getting there: Navigation with Google Maps is straightforward once you are in Daraga. The staging area is on Cagsawa Road in Busay, Daraga — enter Cagsawa Ruins Road and go straight for 500 meters, then turn right at the parking area where the large signage is visible.

Accommodation: Overnight stays in the area run approximately PHP 500 per head when a room is shared across a group. Our total for five people came to roughly PHP 2,500 to PHP 3,000 for one night.

Plan Your Visit: Full Cost Summary

Book in advance through the operator's Facebook page, Klook, or Viator to lock in your slot during peak season. Walk-ins are accepted but slots fill on busy days. Online cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the activity. No latecomers are allowed on reserved tours.

The ATV ride to Green Lava is wet at the start, dusty on the climb, and loud throughout. What it gives you in exchange is a route that feels genuinely earned by the time you reach the top.

Frequently Asked Questions About ATV Ride in Albay