Rizal is a mountainous province on the eastern edge of Metro Manila, named after José Rizal, the national hero whose family came from Calamba, a town in nearby Laguna. It's one of the most densely populated provinces in the Philippines but most of it remains green — the Sierra Madre mountain slopes that form Rizal's eastern flank are forested and largely undeveloped.
For most Manila residents, Rizal means Antipolo City: a hill town with a famous pilgrimage church (Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage), a panoramic view over Metro Manila, and a clutch of restaurants and weekend markets that draw day-trippers from the capital. The Hinulugang Taktak waterfall park near the city centre is popular with families. For more serious hiking, the Sierra Madre trails further east — including the spectacular Masungi Georeserve — are less crowded and more demanding. The Pinto Art Museum on a hillside outside town has become one of the best contemporary art collections in the country.
The province also borders Laguna de Bay, the largest lake in the Philippines, which its southern municipalities share with Laguna Province. On the lake's northern shore sits Angono, an artist village famous for the 5,000-year-old petroglyphs, the Blanco Family Museum, and the painter-restaurateur Balaw-Balaw.