If you're looking for a family getaway that's not away from the city, then La Mesa Eco Park is the best place to go to. Located at the heart of Quezon City, you can relax while experiencing nature. The La Mesa Dam is an Earth dam that can hold up to 50.5 million cubic meters in its reservoir. The Watershed is owned by the Philippine government under the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) agency. It occupies a total area of 27 sq km, 26% of which is the reservoir while 74% consists of the surrounding natural forest.
You may engage in different activities such as swimming, biking, fishing, and horseback riding. Aside from the natural environment, this park also features a fitness and bike trail, wall climbing and paintball area, and last but not the least, a zipline. The advocacy of this is to preserve the environment that's in the middle of city's noise and pollution.
You may also visit the Ninoy Aquino Park and Wildlife Center at Elliptical Road, Quezon City. It has a breathtaking view of the lagoon which you can access for a very cheap price. They have a mini park which features wildlife including primates, crocodiles, snakes, birds, monkeys, deer, and other animals at the Mini Zoo and Wildlife Rescue Center.
After visiting the parks of Quezon City, take a break and try the food the city offers. If you're into Spanish delicacies, you must visit Alba Restaurante Espanol and try their cochinilo and canonigo. You can also try native delicacies and desserts such as halo halo, leche flan, bibingkang malagkit, puto cake, cassava cake, pichi pichi, and bibingkang pinipig which you can find almost anywhere in the city.
Quezon City is the best place to unwind and bond with nature because of all their environmental parks. The advantage of visiting these parks and restaurants is that you consume your time enjoying these destinations and not on your travel time on the road.