Cambugahay Falls, Siquijor’s epic waterfall

The Cambugahay Falls are one of the main attractions on one of our most beloved Philippine islands, Siquijor. This island, surrounded by so much mysticism thanks to its healers, enchanted trees and endless legends is, as we tell you in Things to do in Siquijor, a destination that offers a wide variety of options for your trip. Spectacular snorkeling, historic places, caves…

In this article we’re going to talk about Cambugahay Falls, gorgeous waterfalls that you’ll definitely want to include in your itinerary once you see their impressive turquoise waters.

How to get to Cambugahay Falls in Siquijor – Where they are located

The island of Siquijor is, compared with others like Panglao or Malapascua, large. But, luckily, most of the places to see are concentrated in the central–southern area. So your visit to Cambugahay Falls doesn’t have to be one of those excursions to a far‑off spot that makes you dedicate the whole day to it and not combine it with anything else. It’s totally combinable with other experiences on the same day.

Cambugahay Falls are located approximately 2 kilometers from the town of Lazi, so you can easily combine them the same day with other places such as the Lazi Convent and Church or the enchanted Century Tree. In fact, as we’ll tell you later, you can enjoy these epic waterfalls in the morning and then move to farther areas to complete the day.

The most convenient way to reach Cambugahay Falls is by riding your own rental motorbike. You can get one at the vast majority of accommodations and the price per day usually ranges between 300 and 400 pesos. If you’re up for it, leave us a comment and we’ll share our trusted contact in Siquijor.

Once you enter the town of Lazi from Siquijor’s main road and reach the church, you just need to turn right at the first junction and then left at the next one. Then continue straight along that same street until you run right into the entrance to the waterfalls. You can’t miss it! We show you on the map:

If renting and driving a motorbike in the Philippines doesn’t quite fit your plans, you can always hire on the island a tricycle driver to take you on a route to the main places to see, after agreeing on a price for the whole day that usually hovers around 1,000 pesos. So they don’t take you for a ride, we also have a contact we can share if you leave us a comment below.

Price and opening hours of Cambugahay Falls

Price

Don’t worry that visiting Cambugahay Falls in Siquijor will affect your Philippines travel budget—far from it! The price is more symbolic and is partly allocated to preserving the surroundings in the wonderful condition in which you’ll find them. Once you reach the access stairs that descend to these waterfalls, you’ll need to pay only 50 pesos.

On the other hand, the parking area where you’ll leave your motorbike while you take a dip is free but it’s expected that you kindly give a donation to the guys who look after it. 10 – 20 pesos will be enough as a thank‑you so you can leave your helmets resting on the bike without worrying.

Opening hours

The opening hours of Cambugahay Falls are from 7:00 to 17:30, but the swings and jump structures we’ll talk about later close at 17:00.

If you’re an early bird and want to find them completely empty, you can go earlier. It’s not that the waterfalls have a hard opening and closing time, but the counter where you make the payment is open at the hours we’ve indicated. We know travelers who have even gone at 5:30.

What awaits you at Cambugahay Falls – What to do

Now that you know how to get to Cambugahay Falls, their schedule and their price, it’s time for us to take a good dip in them together.

Once you pay your entrance fee, you’ll start going down stairs that descend through lush vegetation that will quickly make the scenery change. The Siquijor road will soon be left behind and, suddenly, you’ll start to glimpse through the tree branches hypnotic turquoise water and, at the same time, you’ll hear how it crashes with force as it falls from the first drop.

From our most recent visit to Cambugahay Falls to the previous one, 4 years had passed and, although some things had changed, it’s a place that never fails to leave you open‑mouthed.

The access stairs connect directly with what is the first of the 3 levels that make up these waterfalls. This is the one that usually gathers the most people and, for good reason, the one that tends to be a magnet for all the photos that appear among the main places in Philippines on Instagram. Years ago there was nothing here but a vine from which you could jump into the water at your leisure but, with the gradual rise of tourism in Siquijor, now there are different platforms from which to jump or swing more comfortably. To use any of these jumping platforms you’ll need to pay 50 pesos, but that will give you access to jump all day long without any limit from the one you’ve chosen.

In any case, it’s by no means necessary to jump from there to enjoy such an idyllic place. You can relax with a swim, sit on the side enjoying the wonderful scene created by the waterfall, the turquoise water and the huge palm trees that surround it, swim to cross the wall the falling water creates and find a small hidden cave and, why not, jump totally free from its upper part.

Once you’ve explored the first level enough, it’ll be time to continue to the second, which could perfectly be called the “chill level”. While the first and third levels stand out for their waterfalls, the second is much more relaxed, with an area that is shallower and another where you can sit in small natural pools.

Without a doubt we also love this second level of Cambugahay Falls, but its main drawback is that the surrounding vegetation makes it a bit less sunny. If you feel like a bit of sun while you take a good dip, you’ll probably fall more in love with the first and the third.

The third and last level of Cambugahay Falls is also well worth a visit and some time in its waters. When you finish ascending the path (it’s very simple and doesn’t require fitness or any special equipment), you’ll find a beautiful waterfall similar to the first but a little smaller. This level is often used for jumping from the top of the rocks and, if you’re one of those looking for that kind of photo, to get one taken on its bamboo raft, obviously after paying 100 pesos.

These are the 3 levels that make up the most spectacular waterfalls in Siquijor. A large first one in which the sun comes in and accentuates that unique turquoise color, where you can jump, swim and even pass behind the falling water; a more relaxed second one, in which you can enjoy a calm swim; and a third one that’s also ideal for a freshwater dip among palm trees with jumps and photos included. Which one do you choose?

Tips and useful info for visiting Cambugahay Falls

Your desire to dive into Cambugahay Falls in Siquijor has only grown since you started reading this guide—we get it—but take a look at these tips before your visit so it’s a 10 out of 10:

• Keep in mind that it’s an area with lots of tall vegetation. That means the sun peeks in for much of the day. If you go around 12:00, the sun will be highest and, besides warming you up more when you get out of the water, it will help the water color be much more spectacular.
• Although we’ve said no special equipment is needed to move around the 3 levels of Cambugahay Falls (beyond, of course, your swimsuit), water shoes will be a great ally to avoid slipping and move more comfortably. We talk about this and other must‑haves in our article on what to pack for the Philippines.
• As happens at all tourist spots in the Philippines, there are usually many more local tourists on weekends. Therefore, if you can fit it into your itinerary, try to go to Cambugahay Falls on a weekday
• Once you arrive, you’ll find several stalls where you can buy the typical meat skewers sold throughout the country, coconuts they’ll open so you can drink them perfectly fresh, and even some stalls with cold drinks. If you fancy any of that, don’t hesitate and enjoy it. If you want water, we always recommend traveling with a reusable bottle like this. This way you’ll generate far fewer plastic waste (a real problem in the Philippines), save by not having to buy water several times a day and keep it nice and cool.
• This place is really tempting for those of us who like taking drone photos. If you fly, do it very carefully—it may be tricky to land in this area and you may lose some signal if you fly far from the palm trees. These two articles may interest you: Flying a drone in the Philippines and Best drone for travel.
• There are lots of people and the Philippines is a safe country, but beware because there may be pickpockets here. Keep a close eye on your belongings.
• As we said at the beginning, Cambugahay Falls are totally combinable with other places to see on the island. You can start the day visiting the Century Tree, the Lazi Convent + Church and then go, around 12:00, to enjoy the waterfalls. Afterwards, you’ll have the afternoon free to do whatever you feel like. Snorkeling in Tubod, visiting the Cantabon caves or taking a dip at some of the beaches of Siquijor.

Safe trip to Siquijor

We never get tired of saying it, from our own experience. Traveling to the Philippines and having good travel insurance must always go hand in hand. Unfortunately, we’ve had to use it on more than one occasion and, besides taking care of us, it has saved us more than 20.000 euros. Siquijor awaits you with roads you’ll ride by motorbike, waterfalls to jump from, snorkeling and many adventures for which travel insurance will be your best ally if something happens. In this article you’ll find information about the one we use: Best travel insurance for the Philippines.

And from here you can get a 5%  discount for coming from us:

Where to stay to visit these waterfalls

In our complete guide to Where to sleep in Siquijor, you’ll find detailed information on the different areas to stay and which are the most recommended hotels, resorts or hostels. But so you can start browsing some of them, here are a few interesting options:

White Villas Resort: This is one of our favorite resorts on the island. Seafront, renovated and modern rooms, pool, super well located near restaurants… Last time, we stayed here for a couple of weeks and dedicated this article to it:  Staying at White Villas Resort in Siquijor. You can see more info, prices and availability by clicking here.

Tropical Fun Ta Sea: Another of the most recommended hotels in Siquijor. Located on the seafront, with very spacious and comfortable rooms, super friendly staff that will make you stay longer, and all kinds of beach games available. You can see more info, prices and availability by clicking here.

Lazy Lizard Hostel: If you’re looking for something cheap backpacker‑style, this might be what you need. Simple rooms, private and shared, in small nipa huts. Ideal for meeting people and heading out to explore Siquijor. You can see more info, prices and availability by clicking here.

This article is part of the extensive and up‑to‑date Siquijor Guide. In it you’ll find plenty of useful information about the island. How to get there, where to sleep, where to eat and much more!

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Are you a fan of waterfalls and left wanting more? In our article Best waterfalls in the Philippines you’ll find the country’s best with detailed information on each one.

What did you think of Siquijor’s Cambugahay Falls? Spectacular, right?
If you have any questions, leave them in the comments and we’ll help you.