Are you a nature lover or someone who loves visiting places?

You might want to add Tawsan Mangrove Forest Ecopark in Barangay Guinsay, Danao City to your bucket list.

Tawsan is a contraction of “tawo sa hunasan” (man of the tidal flats). It can also be understood as a homonym of “thousand” for the presence of a thousand mangroves, or trees and shrubs that thrive in about 74 hectares of coastal intertidal zone.

Locals refer to the area in various terms – kabakhawan, katunggan, pagatpatan, to mean the types of mangroves. But for someone seeking the serenity of nature, you only have one name for this zone – paradise!

Upon entry at Tawsan, you will be received by residents who will serve as your tour guides.

It was learned that Tawsan was opened on August 28, 2024 to the public. It has not collected entrance fees yet, as of this writing, pending the approval of an ordinance particular to the management of the new ecological tourist destination in Danao City.

Homer Gonzales, a marine biologist, would welcome you at the briefing area where tons of information about mangroves can be learned.

Gonzales said that there are around 20 species of mangrove in the area. Aside from citing the importance of mangroves as fertile breeding ground of fish, shells and other sea organisms, and its role in the protection of coastlines from storm surges and as windbreakers, Gonzales also shared a trivia on the etymology of Manila, being a species of mangrove.

He said that “nilad” is a type of mangrove that gives Manila its name because people back then referred to the area as “may nilad” (indicating the presence of “nilad”).

There are currently six trails established at Tawsan Mangrove Forest. Each visitor is required to wear a life jacket while navigating these trails either on board a paddle boat or in a kayak.

While there is no entrance fee yet, boating service at Tawsan is not for free.

Boating service collects between P150 and P200 per head depending on the size of the boat.

Fishermen and those who used to glean shells for a living in the area dabble at working as guides and boatmen.

Coming to Tawsan also requires prebooking at the City of Danao Tourism Office which can be done online; this way the carrying capacity of the area would be observed and would allow ample time should visitors opt to dine in.

Not only do the eyes and the spirit get a fill at Tawsan, the tummy experiences as well a smorgasbord of seafoods, delicacies, and “kusahos” (jerky) or meat marinated in condiments then sundried, among other food items that make Danao City a probable contender in the next list of city of gastronomy.