Lake Sampaloc

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Lake Sampaloc is a volcanic crater lake in Laguna on the island of Luzon, Philippines. It is the largest of the Seven Lakes of San Pablo. The lake covers about 104 hectares (260 acres) and is up to 1.2 kilometers wide. Its average depth is 10 meters, with a maximum depth of 27 meters. Much of the bottom is a shallow hollow, indicating its volcanic origin. The lake lies near San Pablo city hall and is dotted with fish pens and small cottages built on stilts.

A local legend explains the name. A giant tamarind tree once grew in a stingy old woman’s garden. A thirsty old man (really a diwata, a fairy) asked for tamarind to help his grandson. The woman refused, and her dogs attacked him. After the diwata left, thunder and rain cracked the earth, and the orchard sank to become a deep lake. People named it Sampaloc after the tamarind tree.