Highland Mango Ecofarm: Mountaintop Resort in Consolacion, Cebu

*Highland Mango Ecofarm sits on a lush mountaintop in Consolacion, Cebu.*

Is Consolacion becoming the next Busay? The past year has seen a growing number of accommodations and dining establishments mushroom on the highlands of Consolacion, specifically the mountain barangays of Panoypoy and Garing.

As roadworks near completion and provide better access, the area now provides an alternative upland escape to the Cebu Transcentral Highway (generally referred to as “Busay”) for Metro Cebu residents. One of the newest mountain resorts in town is Highland Mango Ecofarm, located on a lush mountaintop in Purok Yellowbells, Barangay Panoypoy. It’s less than an hour’s drive from Metro Cebu, offering a quick and convenient respite from the hustle and bustle of the lowland cities for both day visitors and overnight guests.

The last stretch of unpaved access road to the resort may be a a bit of a challenge, but it’s all worth the effort reaching this mountaintop retreat!

*The resort has a cafe, cottages, cabins and an infinity pool.*

Amenities

Sitting on a south-facing slope of a mountaintop, the resort features native-style kubo cottages and an infinity pool with views of the surrounding mountains and the distant skyline of Metro Cebu. Shaded by trees, the bunker-like concrete cabins offer air-conditioned basic accommodation for guests (with shared toilets), while a duplex offers roomier stays with private bathrooms for larger groups. (Two larger cabins with ensuite bathrooms are currently under construction).

An open-air restaurant, North Peak Café, sits atop the duplex serving Filipino and Western fare on an open-air terraces with awesome views as well. In the evenings, overnight guests are treated with a complimentary campfire at the edge of the resort, overlooking the city lights.

Dining Options

Overnight accommodation at the resort is inclusive of plated breakfast, served starting at 8:00 am either at the North Peak Cafe, the resort’s restaurant, or at your accommodation. The most interesting breakfast option they had was humbâ, a Cebuano dish of tender braised pork, served with rice and a sunny-side egg.

Unfortunately, there are no facilities to prepare or cook your own food, and corkage fees apply to those who bring their own meals. Nonetheless, there’s great food to be had at the in-house restaurant, North Peak Cafe, on the rooftop of the duplex house. The open-air restaurant serves lunch and dinner on a terrace with superlative views of the metro’s skyline. Alternatively, there are other scenic restaurants in the vicinity of Panoypoy. Check out my full list of recommended establishments here.

*Overnight guests enjoy a free campfire.*

Room Rates

Overnight accommodation at Highland Mango Ecofarm starts at ₱ 1,500 for a basic air-conditioned cabin for two, inclusive of plated breakfast. Day use for the cabin is ₱800, and an extra person is ₱500 (for a maximum occupancy of three persons). Note: the available cabins have no ensuite toilet and shower. Shared toilets are housed in a separate bunker-like structure, and overnights guests are only provided with the outdoor pool shower to bathe in. (Two larger cabins with ensuite bathrooms are currently under construction).

Large groups may be accommodation the ground and basement levels of the duplex at ₱12,000 per night for 12 persons with free plated breakfast for six persons. Additional persons are ₱1,000 per head with breakfast, for a maximum occupancy of 15 persons.

The resort also accommodates day visitors. Day-use rates are ₱150 per head for adults, and ₱75 per head for children and senior citizens. Day use of kubo cottages are ₱250 on Mondays to Thursdays and ₱350 for Fridays to Sundays.

*The resort has five concrete air-conditioned cabins.*

*Each cabin has a double bed, side table, and A/C.*

*Infinity pool, cottages, and campfire pit all have epic views!*

How to Get There

The best way to get to Highland Mango Ecofarm is by private car, via Consolacion town proper, if coming from the northern parts of the metropolis like Mandaue City. If coming from Cebu City, one can also get to Barangay Panoypoy, Consolacion from Barangay Pit-os, Cebu City. Use Waze or Google Maps to navigate (Tip: Download an offline map so you can easily navigate even in areas with no data signal).

Step-by-step directions on how to get to the resort via Pit-os, accompanied by photographs, is pinned on their Facebook page. Driver’s warning: the access road to the resort remains unpaved, and has steep portions, so drive carefully.

For public transportation, one can take any northbound bus or jeepney and alight at Fooda Saversmart Consolacion, where you can hire a habal-habal (motorcycle taxi, ₱100, 30 minutes) to take you to Highland Mango Ecofarm.