Metro Manila has waterfalls. Well, maybe they’re not exactly in Metro Manila itself. You will need to work a bit to reach these cascades. But if you’re a mountain biker, getting there is more than half the fun.
For a lot of people who grew up in Metro Manila, it can be almost hard to believe that there are waterfalls that are just an hour and a half away by car, or two and a half hours away by bike from the city. Waterfalls, after all, are part of mountain streams, which are in turn nurtured by forest watersheds. If you cut the trees in the forest, you eliminate the watershed, and you kill the waterfalls. Rampant deforestation in the municipalities and provinces around Metro Manila has probably eliminated a lot of these awesome nature spots. (This is what happened to Uugong Falls in Morong, Rizal.)
Still, the situation isn’t so bad yet. There are still a few waterfalls near Metro Manila, which means that there are still trees in the mountains to sustain them. And here are some of the waterfalls you can reach with your mountain bike.
Puray Falls
This is a favorite destination for many mountain bikers. It’s near enough Metro Manila, and its waters are clear and refreshing. There are two routes to Puray: 1) the dry and punishing mountain route, and 2) the easier river route. However, it is not advisable to take the river route during the rainy season as the water level may sometimes get too high.
There are no accommodations or restaurants near Puray Falls, so bikers who plan to go here are advised to bring their own packed lunch, snacks, and water. You can ask the residents of the area if it’s okay to park your bikes in their yard. They usually say yes.
This is not exactly a newbie-friendly destination because even the easier river route requires lots of climbing, and deft bike handling. But at least there’s no entrance fee here yet.
View Welcome Rotonda to Puray Falls, Rodriguez, CALABARZON, Philippines in a larger map
Palo Alto
This is a gem of a waterfalls right along the famous Marilaque Highway, also known as Marcos Highway, which runs from Cogeo in Antipolo to Tanay. The falls can be found within the Palo Alto Leisure and Residential Estates in Brgy. Pinugay, Baras, Rizal. Its waters are clean, and the place is very well maintained.
If you’re a newbie mountain biker, this is a good place to start collecting your waterfall selfies, because getting there is relatively easy. The route is paved and involves only moderate climbs. The scenic Marilaque highway is also a treat in itself.
To know more about Palo Alto, check out this great post in Travel Up.
Daranak
This is perhaps, Tanay’s most famous tourist spot. To get here, you can either take the 1) long but scenic Marilaque highway which passes through the Sierra madre mountains, or 2) the shorter but less scenic route through Antipolo, Teresa and then the scenic Manila East Road. Since this place is quite popular, expect a lot of people when you get there. The water is clean and refreshing, and the swimming area is quite deep.
There’s a store in the area which sells refreshments, and even rents out “interyor na salbabida” if you want to go for a swim. There’s lots of good places to eat along both the Marilaque highway and the Manila East Road so you don’t need to bring pack lunch. The routes are mostly paved, so this should be friendly even to newbies.
Entrance fee is Php 20, or maybe Php 25. I’ve forgotten since it’s been a while since I last went here. Jolog trivia: there’s a scene in Joey De Leon’s landmark film “Starzan” which was supposedly filmed here. It’s actually a favorite location for TV and movie shoots.
Batlag
Just a short 7-minute hike from Daranak is Batlag Falls. It’s just as picturesque as Daranak, and there’s usually fewer people here. Entrance fee when we last went here was around Php50, which probably explains why there are fewer people here than in Daranak.
Kinabuan Falls in Sta. Ines
This destination is best left for hardened veterans. To get here, you’ll need to go through the famed Marilaque highway, then turn left (if you’re coming from Manila) on the San Andres arch. This will take you through several river crossings which range from knee deep to waist deep. The terrain is very challenging, but the views are awesome.
There’s no entrance fee, but you will need to register at the Sta. Ines Barangay Hall. It’s also customary to give something in kind to the Dumagat chieftain. From the Dumagat village, it’s a short ten minute hike to the falls itself.
Depending on your level of fitness and how many picture stops you do along the way, the trip to Kinabuan Falls from the San Andres ark on the Marilaque highway can take from 2-4 hours. The return trip will take a lot longer as you’ll need to climb up a road that’s as difficult as Timberland’s The Wall.
You need to bring your own lunch pack, snacks and lots of water on this trip. Bring headlights, and blinkers too in case you need to pedal into the night. You can sleep in the Dumagat village if you have tents, or if the multipurpose hall isn’t being used.
If you have time, you can make a detour to Sangab Cave, which is just a seven minute bike ride from the Sta. Ines road. Unless you’re an experienced caver though, I wouldn’t recommend that you go into the cave as the entrance is under water.
OTHER FALLS
Shotgun’s Beretta Falls
Yup, that other punishing road in Mt. Maarat also has a waterfalls. But it comes and goes with the rainy season. Check out this article to know more about it.
Hinulugang Taktak
This was the original waterfall destination for Manileños. But according to people who recently visited the place, the falls has seen better days. People are no longer allowed to bathe in its waters because the falls is practically an open sewer. I haven’t visited it myself, but I plan to do so soon.
If you know of other waterfalls that can be biked from Metro Manila, feel free to post a comment here. I might just visit it in the coming days 🙂
jm reyes
January 8, 2014 at 12:37 amisa kang alamat sir! lahat ng posts at blogs mo binabasa ko! newbie lang ako pero dahil sa blog mo lalo ako nainspire pumadyak! hehe
Ed Gines
February 10, 2014 at 9:47 pmArt, I have not read a better mountain biking adventure blogging site than Outside Slacker. Keep up the good work man!
outsideslacker
February 10, 2014 at 10:51 pmthanks man. comments like these remind me why i started this blog in the first place. it’s kinda hard to maintain since i’m just one guy, but it helps flex my synapses as much as my muscles 🙂
marvin
February 27, 2014 at 4:39 pmsir ask ko lng po san nyo park ung mga bikes nyo safe po bng iwang mga bike dun sa pnag park nyo??
outsideslacker
February 27, 2014 at 5:26 pmhi marvin, saan dito mo balak pumunta? kung sa puray, pls read my earlier post about it. kung palo alto, may guarded parking dun. sa daranak at batlag, may guarded parking din, pero mas maigi pa rin kung may bike lock kayo
marvin
February 28, 2014 at 9:18 amsir sa kinabuan falls nbasa ko ksi nag 110min hike kau ppntang falls po salamat po sa reply god bless!!!
marvin
February 28, 2014 at 9:19 amsorry 10 min lng pla
outsideslacker
February 28, 2014 at 9:33 amhi marvin, pwede nyo na yata iwanan dun sa dumagat settlement. i think may guarded parking na rin dun katulad ng sa daraitan. according to the guy who guided me sa daraitan, may intgerated tourism plan na sa buong tanay at may guides na rin sa sta. ines sa kinabuan falls 🙂 but always bring a long bike chain and lock just in case.
Noel
May 23, 2014 at 12:15 pmMan, these are beautiful. Too bad most of my work happens on weekends. If only I could get experienced riders to go with on weekdays.
outsideslacker
May 23, 2014 at 12:30 pmyou should try posting a ride invite on pinoymtbiker.org bro. baka may gusto rin mag-bike dyan ng weekday
mickey
June 19, 2014 at 5:34 amGrabe.. ang sarap naman basahin ng mga blog mo.. kainis ngayon-ngayon ko lang nadiskubre tong site mo. Nakakatuwa informative talaga sya, inviting at nice sa pasok ng sense of humor pagka minsan minsan. Hehe.. Enjoy talaga. ^_^ Keep it up po ha 🙂
By the way, I’m a girl na love din mag-bike at saka nature trip kaso parang ang hirap naman sa isang babae mag bike ng walang kasama. Pinag-ipunan ko last year and finally nakabili ako ng gift ko sa sarili ko- bike, kaso hindi ko masyadong magamit kasi newbie pa at saka ang highway! takot pako lol, saka sabi nila mainit daw sa mata ang mga bike ngayon. Hayst.. gusto ko na rin makarating sa mga ganitong lugar at ma-enjoy ang pagbike. Sana may mga pwedeng makasama.
.. any suggestions po kuya? 🙁
outsideslacker
June 19, 2014 at 1:05 pmhi mickey, may mga nag-oorganize parati ng rides for newbies sa pinoymtbiker.org. but usually may meet-up points din sila. dun sa last ride nila yata ay sa shell station malapit sa tiendesitas sila nagkita-kita. kung medyo takot ka pa sa highway, unti-untiin mo lang until masanay ka. di naman masyado delikado yan kung hindi edsa o commonwealth ang dadaanan mo 🙂 basta ingat lang parati. or if you have a car, you can stash your bike until you get to the meeting point and park your car there.
if you want to level up your skills, the best place to do it is in the u.p diliman campus. safe yung roads dun at pwede mo rin i-try yung trails.
one of these days i’ll try organizing a ride for the readers of the blog para makasama ka rin. medyo busy lang ngayon sa trabaho. good luck sa pagba-bike and i hope you enjoy it 🙂 just give yourself time at makakapag-bike ka rin sa mga waterfalls na ito.
mickey
June 22, 2014 at 3:38 amThanks kuya ^_^. I really appreciate your time and effort to read and answer queries like this. Grabe kahit mukhang mahirap i-maintain tong site mo, namamanage mo pa din.
Sige po mag che-check ako from time to time sa site na binigay mo, pero mukhang kelangan mag create ng account no?
Alam ko nga po yung shell station na yun, malapit lang yun sa work ko. At ok po ita-try kong magbike sa highway (scary..hehe) pag may time din, busy rin kasi sa work, lol. Unfortunately, I don’t have a car. Pero tama lang naman yun 🙂
Yup, parang maganda nga i-try dun sa UP Diliman, hoped na hindi sya ganun kalayo from where I live, pero yeah sana ma- experience ko pa rin kahit ganun lol.
Saka, naku aabangan ko yang ioorganize mo na ride para maka-join naman, I believe magiging successful yan.
Looking forward to reaching some nearby waterfalls like these thru biking. Nakarating na kasi ako sa Puray noong nag hiking-outreach kami for dumagat tribes out there. Ang ganda talaga ng place parang unbelievable na may ganong preserved nature pa malapit sa city. Malamig at ang clear ng tubig, may nakita pa nga akong mga locals dun na nagsasala ng gold sa small rivers. Nakakatuwa, awestruck at nakakapagod din pero talagang in-enjoy ko sya ^_^.
outsideslacker
June 22, 2014 at 6:55 amhi mickey, just keep visiting the blog pag may time, pa-like na rin ng fb page ng outsideslacker so you can keep in touch 🙂 dami nga newbies na gusto mag-organize ako ng ride. i’ll have to one of these days
mickey
June 23, 2014 at 1:45 amyup, na-like ko na po. thank you po. aabangan ko po talaga nag ioorganize nyo ^_^ hmmm.. excited na ako 🙂
Sparkarchor
June 22, 2014 at 5:39 pmDre pwede naman mag pa register member sa pinoybiker
Chclte.strfsh
September 11, 2014 at 10:43 amSir sana nga makapag-organize kayo ng rides for newbies hehehe especially sa mga tulad ko na until now hindi pa nag-uupgrade ng parts ng mtb. Months pa lang kasi yung mtb ko hehehe.
outsideslacker
September 11, 2014 at 11:08 amlet’s see. i’m quite busy right now. pero for newbies, siguro kahit timberland ok na rin. just need to free up my sked
Decampong
January 19, 2015 at 6:45 amI love this! Thanks for the tips!
bayan
April 3, 2015 at 4:45 pmSir baka may alam ka na pede mapuntahan na mga pasyalan ngayong summer para sa mga nature lover kasama ang pamilya at mga bata. Thanks…
outsideslacker
April 4, 2015 at 1:59 pmbukod dun sa mga na-feature dito sa blog? try mo rin yung mga destinations na featured sa traveling-up.com
Lennon
April 7, 2015 at 4:48 pmnice place men !
Jorz
September 22, 2015 at 4:57 pmSir napuntahan nyo na ba yug ‘Karugo Falls’? Yun ung tawag ng mga tao dun sa Wawa Dam. Last time kasi pumunta kami ng dam maputik, No chance na maligo kami. Then there’s a kid sabi “kuya maliligo ba kayo? Merong falls dito patawid kabila”. Then dun lang namin nalaman na meron ngang falls. Pag nasa Wawa Dam, lakad pa deretso sa unahan. Until may makitang tindahan na sa tapat merong puno at bangka. Dun na po yung patawid kabila. After makatawid, trekking na yun papuntang falls. 5 petot pamasahe pakabila one way.
outsideslacker
October 2, 2015 at 10:36 amDi ko pa napuountahan yan. Kailangan mai-schedule na yan 🙂
jay
December 11, 2015 at 6:59 amSir,pano pumunta sa palo alto falls kung manggaling kang mandaluyong. megamall to be specific. di po kasi ako magaling sa direksyon.kaya hilig ko mag bike eh. haha. godbless po.
outsideslacker
December 11, 2015 at 12:11 pmdaan ka ortigas ave ext papuntang antipolo, kaliwa ka ng imelda ave, tapos sa dulo kanan ka ng marcos hiway. derecho lang yun, mahabang padyakan pero kaya naman
deproxyacct
December 23, 2015 at 11:04 pmSir, tanong din po sa Palo Alto, bilang isang baguhan, kaya po ba syang bagtasin ng solo?
outsideslacker
December 24, 2015 at 3:36 pmKaya ng solo yan kung matibay na ang tuhod mo. Pero kung hindi pa, praktis muna sa antipolo, tapos timberland 🙂
Mactan Chief
March 29, 2016 at 5:36 amHey, ive been reading your blogs for some time now. I usually just bike and go places alone. Me alam k b na group na pupunta sa mga falls na to para makisabay? I use a road bike though.
outsideslacker
March 29, 2016 at 12:19 pmhi, medyo nahuli ka. we just went back to kinabuan falls last weekend. di bale, check mo yung fb page ko and i’ll be posting rides there this summer
Mactan Chief
March 29, 2016 at 1:37 pmDi ko makita, FB page mo.
outsideslacker
March 30, 2016 at 1:01 amhttps://www.facebook.com/OutsideSlacker/