Mag-Aso Falls in the Antequera region of West Bohol is probably the most picturesque waterfall on the entire island. The cascade and vibrant blue pool with clear water is a hideaway from the busier and famous tourist spots.
WHERE IS MAG-ASO FALLS AND HOW TO GET THERE
Mag-Aso Falls is in the Antequera region in West Bohol. To give you a better perspective of what you are looking at: it is a 1 hour ride from the main tourist area on Panglao. And there is an easy 10 minute hike down to the falls along paved paths and stairs.
Most tourists will stay in Panglao when they go to Bohol island in the Philippines. This is where the largest concentration of foreign amenities, western restaurants and a broad selection of accommodation options are found.
Searching for ways to reach Bohol? The process is straightforward. You can get to Bohol with ferries or fast crafts from some of the most interesting islands in South Philippines. Click here for a detailed guide.
Panglao is an island in South West Bohol and a bridge connects to mainland Bohol.
The ride from Panglao island to Mag-Aso Falls takes around 1 hour and is mostly straightforward and through the countryside. But first you will need to navigate your way out of the City.
When you make your way over the bridge from Panglao, you will be in Tagbilaran City. Tagbilaran is the island’s Capital City and does get busy during the peak hours of the day. However, it is nothing too extreme and the busy area isn’t more than a 3 km ride.
Bohol is a large island offering loads of interesting things to do besides the Chocolate Hills and Tarsiers. You can check our guide for a detailed 3 day or 5 day Bohol itinerary. CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL GUIDE.
MAG-ASO FALLS MAP
The map below is the exact location of Mag-Aso. We used this map to get us there and the entire directions are correct.
If you click on the view larger map in the top left corner, a new window will open up and you can use the map by clicking on the directions at the bottom.
The map will work whichever part of Bohol you are in so you don’t have to be in Panglao to set the route.
TOURS AND ITINERARY
Although Mag-Aso Falls is only a 1 hour ride from Panglao (or less if you stay in Tagbilaran) it is worth adding other attractions to make the most of the trip. And as it happens, you could do a loop and stop at one of the island’s biggest waterfalls and back down to the second most popular tourist spot on the island.
A 30 minute ride further East from Mag-Aso Falls there is Camugao Falls. This is a towering waterfall that isn’t usually on tourist’s itinerary. We included this waterfall after Mag-Aso Falls and the journey through a tropical landscape is quite amazing.
Just over 20 minutes’ ride form Camugao Falls there is The Tarsier Sanctuary. The tarsiers in Bohol are the smallest in the world.
Mag-Aso Falls isn’t usually a part of the tour that will include the Chocolate Hills or the Tarsier Sanctuary. You can check around some tour agencies in Panglao but I don’t remember seeing this on offer.
A similar option to a tour would be to hire a car with driver. Although hiring a car alone will be more expensive than a tour, you can group up and split the cost.
MAG-ASO FALLS OUR EXPERIENCE
It was early morning when we set out for Mag-Aso Falls. At this time of day it was interesting to see the city had already started gearing up for the day.
The journey from Panglao makes its way through the city and then through a tropical landscape dotted with tiny villages. Some rice fields along the way made for some great photo stops. Although we only had a mobile and seeing the photos now almost makes me cringe.
We parked our bike in the parking area. This is also the jumping off point for the stairs that lead down to the waterfall.
The trail down is made up of concrete paths and stairs enclosed in the trees and tropical jungle. It is after all an off the beaten path destination even though there are some constructed facilities.
At some point the passage opens up onto a terrace protruding over a pool with almost transparent water. Yet still the pool is a vibrant blue hue which is a constant reminder of how stunning the waterfalls are here in the Philippines.
In 2013 an earthquake hit this region and the signs are still visible with some passage crossing over the pool entirely destructed.
We still managed to make our way over to the other side after jumping over the remaining parts of the bridge.
Check our Bohol and Philippines travel guides. It might convince you to extend your trip!
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