Casaroro Falls is a stunning cascade tucked away in a tropical landscape and is a short ride from Dumaguete City
Located in the cooler climate of Valencia, Casaroro Falls is one of the most interesting waterfalls you will come across in the Philippines. A 30 minute trail along water streams, boulders and over bamboo bridges ends with an unexpectedly huge and powerful cascade.
Casaroro Falls is one of the best tourist spots to visit while in Dumaguete and should be on your list of things to do.
Here in this guide is everything you need to know about Casaroro Falls, the hike leading to the fall and how to get there.
Where is Casaroro Falls
Casaroro Falls is located at a higher elevation in a municipality named Valencia.
From Dumaguete City the ride is around 30 minutes and leads through a stunning scenery of jungle, charming villages in Valencia and the cooler climate at this higher elevation.
The waterfall itself is hidden away at end of a 30 minute trail in a creek covered in tropical trees and foliage.
How to Get to Casaroro Falls
Probably all the tourists going to Dumaguete have heard of Casaroro Falls. It is one of the most stunning cascades and it is located a short ride from Dumaguete City Centre.
From Dumaguete City, the short journey could take less than 30 minutes. Travel time mainly depends on if you choose public transport or hire a car or scooter.
By Scooter
Scooters are generally the cheapest option to get around especially if you are like us and are all day on the go. We found all the streets, both in Dumaguete and Valencia are paved and well maintained which makes riding a scooter around the city and to the tourist spots in Valencia a straightforward journey.
A scooter rental in Dumaguete will cost php400 to php500 ($8-$10) a day
Hire Car + Driver
If travelling in a larger group (more than 2) or aren’t confident riding a scooter, then a hire car is a great option. And with a hire car there is the option for a driver. Besides from driving you around, your driver will usually suggest a route and popular tourist attractions to include in the day.
A hire car with driver costs php3000 ($60) for 8 hours and can take 4 passengers + driver.
Local Bus and Habal-Habal
But the most interesting way to go is to do it DIY and use the public transport.
From Dumaguete catch a multi-cab heading to Valencia from near the public market. Let the driver know you are going to Casaroro Falls so he will drop you off as close as possible. If you are too far away use a habal-habal for the rest of the journey.
Multicab cost: php20 ($.40) – Habal-Habal P150 ($3) for 15 minutes ride.
Getting Directions
With online maps easily accessible with a few clicks, the logistic part of getting to your destination is simple. There are dozens of online maps. The go to maps we use are either Google.Maps or Maps.Me and we use one or the other depending on connectivity. I will explain why.
Online Map:
Our go to online map is Google.Maps. This is an online map which works great in urbanized areas and where there is steady mobile data connectivity. It is also straightforward to use. Simply enter the destination in the search bar and click directions.
You will get distance and also the journey time. Good to know is that most attractions will also have other useful information like opening hours, guest reviews and other places of interest nearby.
Offline Map:
However, when travelling in remote areas where connectivity is a hit and miss we resort to an offline mapping system named Maps.Me. Maps.Me works offline however you will need to download the specific country you are in while you have a connection.
Using this app is also very simple. Enter your destination in the search at the bottom and hit ROUTE TO in the bottom section.
One downside to Maps.Me is that travel time isn’t always correct, and the system tends to choose the shortest route which at times may be more of a bumpy dirt road rather than an actual street. Therefore, the journey time will end up being much longer than you expect.
On the other hand, those bumpy and interesting rides are the adventures we remember.
Dumaguete to Casaroro Falls Map
Casaroro falls Entrance Fee and Guides
There is an environmental fee of 30 Pesos ($0.60) for Casaroro falls and at the entrance, you will be asked if you want a guide. Although we didn’t see the need for a guide, it would be nice to have someone with you especially if you are alone or don’t have experience in such environments.
Useful Tips Before You Go
Like any other waterfall, the cascade and amount of water will depend on rainfall. During and after the rainy season or heavy downfalls, sometimes there may be flash floods. These floods tend to break the bridges crossing over the streams of water and make it a rather dangerous activity.
We didn’t have any problem during February. But even though we were there about 3 months after rainy season, the cascade was still powerful.
And, read the signs. To swim beneath a cascade is tempting but don’t try this here. The waterfall is huge and creates undercurrents that may just suck you under. After all, the warning signs are there for a reason.
>>South Philippines Guides: are you planning a trip to Cebu, Siquijor, Bohol, Dumaguete, Siargao or Camiguin? You can hop from one island to the other by ferry. Click on the links for inspiration on your next trip!!
Hike and Trail to Casaroro Falls
Lying deep in a valley covered in tropical trees, the only way to reach Casaroro Falls is to trek along what will be an interesting journey with a huge surprise at the very end.
Once we parked our scooter, climbed a flight of stairs up to the ticket booth and paid the fee, all we could see was a flight of stairs through the jungle landscape.
350 steps wind through the dense tropical landscape and near to the end, the view opens up onto a stream of water along huge boulders.
What we were facing reminded us of the trek we did in Lombok when we went to Tiu Kelep waterfall.
At the end of the stairs, the trail leads to either side. The right direction to Casaroro Falls is on the right side once you are near the river. This part had got us confused but we eventually figured out the correct direction.
The cooler climate, nature and listening to the water stream pass by is all part of this adventure. And although the trek from here on is about 10 minutes, it all adds to what awaits at the end.
As pushed on, we could hear the crashing sound of water. And just behind a bend, a huge 30 metre cascade just blew us away.
The powerful force of water creates a misty view with water droplets floating in the air and covering everything in moss similar to Tumpak Sewu in Java – Indonesia.
Everything near the cascade of Casaroro is wet, slippery and not that safe to clamber on.
I did manage to get closer to the fall by climbing over the slippery boulders but had a few close calls almost falling back first onto the rocks and into the water with mobile phone and all. So just be careful.
Useful Information
After spending a week in Cebu and exploring tourist spots in and around Moalboal, we decided to make our way further South and headed over to Negros Island. (Dumaguete is located on Negros Island)
Getting from one island to another is straightforward but if you need more help we created this guide on getting from Cebu to Dumaguete. This guide is actually on how to get to Siquijior, but by scrolling down you will find a section specifically on getting from Cebu to Dumaguete.
In total, we spent 7 nights in Dumaguete and most days we were working on this blog. And when we weren’t, we cruised around. Here are the places we visited:
The Forest Camp (on the way to Casaroro Falls)
Pulangbato Falls (near Red Rock Hot Springs)
>>Check our Dumaguete and Philippines travel guides. It might convince you to extend your trip!!
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