Iligan City: Chasing the Majestic Waterfalls!

This highly urbanized city in the Northern Mindanao region of the country is home to around 23 waterfalls! That is why Iligan is also known as the 'City of Majestic Waterfalls'. On our trip, we visited the 3 of these waterfalls and witness how majestic they are.

Tinago Falls

How To Get There

Iligan City is geographically part of within the province of Lanao del Norte. The nearest airport is the Laguindingan Airport, located in the municipality of Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental.

Laguindingan Airport

FROM MANILA via CDO

• By air, PAL, Cebu Pacific, CebGo and AirAsia have Manila to Cagayan de Oro flights. Cebu Pacific and AirAsia usually have promo flights that are cheaper.
• At the airport, go to Laguindingan Bus Terminal and ride a bus bound to Iligan City. The travel time is about an hour.
• Alternatively, there are cabs that can take you directly to Iligan for a higher price. There are also vans that offer tour and round-trip service from CDO to  Iligan.
• *If you opt to get a tour, I recommend  Kuya Jerry. You can contact Kuya Jerry at this number  +63 936 451-1937.

Taxi and shuttle services at the airport

FROM CEBU 

• Cokialong Shipping Lines have ferries that can take you to Iligan from Cebu. Travel time is around 12 hours.

The City of Majestic Waterfalls

Iligan City was formerly known as 'The City of Waterfalls' because of its 23 waterfalls. But, the waterfalls in the city aren't just ordinary, some are one of the highest in the country, thus, the title changed to 'The City of Majestic Waterfalls'.

Side trip at Macaraeg-Macapagal House

There are also other attractions in Iligan you can have a side trip besides the waterfalls like the Hindang Cave, Macaraeg-Macapagal Ancestral House, Centennial Park and Timoga Cold Springs. Try out also or bring home a pasalubong of Cheding's Peanut.

Stopover for Iligan's Pride, Cheding's Toasted Peanuts

Food trip in ihaw-ihaw restaurants near Mimablut Falls

We did a day tour trip in Iligan and during this time, we only had a chance to visit 3 of its waterfalls. The trip to these waterfalls is offered by our driver/tour guide Kuya Jerry that we met at the airport.

Maria Cristina Falls

Probably the most famous waterfalls in our school days during elementary, Maria Christina is the first destination of our trip. It is 9.3 kilometers away from the city proper in the boundary of Brgy. Maria Cristina, Ditucalan, and Buru-un. The waterfall is located inside the NPC Nature Park where there is an entrance fee of PhP 50.00 per person.

NPC Nature's Park

I <3 Maria Cristina

NPC Nature's Park Entrance Rate

Cave near the view deck

There she is!

Mesmerized by the view

It is also known as 'Twin Falls' since the water is split by a rock at the top of the waterfall. It is also said that Maria is the name of the first flow and the second is Cristina (I just made that up haha!). Most often, NPC controls the flow of the waterfall to a single flow, probably because of the hydroelectric plant. The waterfalls provide power in 70% of Mindanao.

Maria Cristina Falls

The closest you could get to the waterfalls is on the view deck since raging waters will prevent you the get closer and it's a 320-foot high waterfall! Aside from Maria Cristina Falls, other interesting things you can see in NPC Nature's Park are the butterfly sanctuary (which is closed when we arrived), A mini zoo that features monkeys, crocodiles and ostriches. They also have a Tree Top Canopy Tour and Zipline Adventure.

Raging waters from the waterfalls

The closest visitors could get to the waterfall

Botanical and Zoological Garden

Picnic huts at the garden

Wild animals inside, Poor crocodile with plastic bags in its cage

Butterfly sanctuary, that is empty at the moment

Mimbalut Falls

After Maria Cristina, we went to another accessible waterfall in Brgy. Buru-un. Mimbalut falls is located inside Iligan Paradise Resort and Ecopark, around a half kilometer from the highway. There is an entrance fee of PhP 25.00 per person in the resort. Mimbablut is around 90-feet high and that cascades down on a rocky wall.

Mimbalut falls from the side

Mimbalut Falls

You can take a dip in the natural and man-made pools at the base of the waterfalls. There are also cottages in the resort and you can also try out their activities like the zip line, crossing a hanging bridge, cable car rides, ATV ride, and others.

Pools and cottages

Cable car or bench?

The hanging bridge

Tinago Falls

One of the most picturesque waterfalls in Iligan and even in the Philippines, Tinago Falls is located or I would say hidden in a deep ravine in Barangay Ditucalan. The waterfalls stand 240-feet high and has a very deep blue-colored lagoon with very cold waters.

Welcome to Tinago Falls

Going to the waterfall requires you to hike approximately 500 descending steps called the winding staircase. The trail is relatively easy since it is just one path going to the waterfalls but you can still hire a guide and just tip them. There are no entrance fees, but you can donate from PhP 10.00 to PhP 25.00. You can also rent some life vests and ride the bamboo raft going to the main waterfall.

Search for Tinago Falls begins

Oh, there it is

A very old Balete tree in Tinago Falls

What a beauty

Tinago Falls

Left side of the waterfalls

Just amazing!

Finally found you Tinago

Approaching the main waterfall

Bamboo raft ride

Buko cottages

Though we only saw 3 out of the many waterfalls of Iligan City, we surely agreed that this is the City of Majestic Waterfalls. Hopefully in our next visit to Iligan, we can see the other waterfalls that make Iligan the City of Majestic Waterfalls! Thanks for reading!

Cheers from Iligan!