The Ayala Triangle Gardens of Makati City

The Ayala Triangle Gardens is conveniently located amidst the very busy Makati Central Business District (Makati CBD). The triangle shape of the area is because of the three major thoroughfares that bounds the gardens: Ayala Avenue, Makati Avenue and Paseo de Roxas. It is very accessible from the various offices, of walking distance from malls such as Greenbelt, Glorietta, SM Makati, it is a leisurely stroll from the Peninsula Hotel and the Filipinas Heritage Library. The Ayala Triangle Gardens is a private park, maintained by Ayala Land, wherein the public can jog, stroll, relax, visit the site for free.

It is one of my favorite places to visit while in Makati and one of the best parks I have seen in the Philippines. 
It is a great place to walk to spend some free time amidst the neatly landscaped gardens. You can read a book while seated under the cool shade of an old balete tree, a rare sight in a highly urbanized area such as the Makati CBD. The wide and green grass covered areas look very inviting for picnics, snacks, and even for football practice. I once saw a father and son practicing some football drills one afternoon, the place is very family friendly. There are a lot of trees within the gardens, you can try hugging one and feel instantly refreshe

The park offers a breathing space (literally and figuratively) from work related stress and the pollution of the metro. Seeing verdant areas is relaxing made more enjoyable by its being accessible and free.

The park is safe, security guards are very visible. You can relax with lesser worries.

The paths crossing the gardens are lined with trees such as Acacias and tall palm trees, leaves and flowers of various colors are tastefully matched to form accent land scape pieces. Perfect for "Kodak" (picture taking moments) we Filipinos enjoy. A grove of bamboos is a refreshing sight for avid jogger/runners. 

Tower One

 The Ayala Triangle Gardens is also a venue for art appreciation. The different towers and buildings along the three thoroughfares seen from the park is a display of various structures of various designs. A seat within the gardens is a good vantage point to admire buildings such as the Stock Exchange building designed by National Artist Leandro Locsin and the modern elegance of Tower One. Last year (2010) various colorful metal sculptures of Leandro Locsin and Lor Calma were added to the gardens.

A sample of public art at the gardens

A good time to visit the gardens is during the early morning hours during weekdays wherein there are fewer people and there are times when you can feel that you have the whole area on your own. a better time to visit the triangle is when there are events such as the celebration of Earth Hour. But the best time to visit, in my opinion, is during the evenings within a couple of weeks before Christmas. A light and sound show is staged every 30 minutes or so, you can get to see the trees at the park sparkle with light changing in sync with a symphony,  a good way to feel the happiness Christmas brings for free!

Getting there:

The Ayala Triangle Gardens is accessible via public transports such as buses, jeepneys (try the electric jeep!), Metro Rail Transit. Walking from the Ayala MRT Station is a good warm up exercise for those planning to do some running/jogging laps within the gardens.