Cebu island in the Philippines is known for stunning beaches, swimming with whale sharks and countless gorgeous waterfalls. One of the most memorable and thrilling activity to do in Cebu is canyoning in the Kawasan Falls. The turquoise colour of the blue river waters passes through incredible canyons, cascading onto the boulders until finally falling into big pool surrounded by beautiful lush, green scenery is a brief description of the most popular waterfall on the island of Cebu. If you like adventure, do not hesitate and read on to find out more about this fun activity!

Kawasan Canyoning Tour

Canyoning means traveling in canyons. You will walk through streams, hike some rocks, swim in the rivers and natural pools as well as jump from smaller and bigger waterfalls.

You can book a Kawasan Canyoning Tour online, or arrive at the site and get a tour directly there, as we did. We planned to arrive in the morning, but due to our clumsiness we got there early afternoon.

We left the car in the parking lot next to the site and walked to the Kawasan Canyoneering company. There are many companies in the area, but we highly recommend these guys as the great opinions we read about them turned out to be all true. We were very lucky: we arrived 15 min before the last tour was allowed, so in the end it was just us and our guide.

↬ TIP : The latest time to start the adventure is 2 PM.

The canyoning

We hopped on a motorbike (it was actually 4 of us on the bike Filipino style: us, the guide and the driver) and were taken up the hill. The road took just few minutes.

From there, we walked for about 30 minutes admiring the absolutely stunning view of the canopy and the sea in the distance. At last we reached the jungle and the starting point of the canyoning. It was time for the first jump: 5 meters down into the river!

↬ Note : You are obliged to wear a lifejacket and a helmet throughout the whole activity. And if you do not like to jump, there is always a safe way down by walk.

The hike continues down the stream, passing boulders, small waterfalls.

We were so thrilled that it was just us and our guide. Hamilton and I are active and love adventure and he understood it pretty fast. Thanks to him, we passed big groups of 20 people that had to wait for each other at every natural obstacle.

↬ Note : The whole tour takes 4-5 hours depending on your conditions and the group you are with.

Jumping from the rocks and waterfalls was definitely the most fun part. The only time I chickened out was at a 12 meters jump, that was not from a rock or cliff, but a man-made bamboo raft hanged above the water. You could see beneath your feet at all times. Even Hamilton who jumped, said it was kinda scary ?I chose to go down by a slide made out of a rock on the side and it was super fun! ?

The final jump

At last, we have arrived at the final falls, the main waterfall on Kawasan Falls. It is a tradition to finish the canyoning with a 15 meters jump into the pool below. And so there we were, super excited and yet scared. Hamilton jumped first and when my turn came I was paralysed. The more I stared at the pool below, the more my legs were shaking. And so I walked away thinking I’ll just go down by the path… I took 4 steps before I realised that I will always regret letting my fear take over. And so I came back to the edge and this time made sure to just take the step immediately (not to let the thoughts of fear come back)! Oh and it was fun! And I am so proud of myself for overcoming my fear and just going for it.

You can stay at the pool below to relax and take in the whole beauty of the nature, before heading out.

Practical info

Kawasan Falls are located in Badian, Cebu. It’s about 3 hours drive from Cebu, 1.5h hours from Oslob and 40 min from Moalboal. You can get here by renting a car, as we did, or take a bus.

Read: Best Activities in Cebu, Philippines for more information

The price and length

The cost of canyoning including a guide, a lifejacket and a helmet is around 2000 PHP (35 EUR) per person.

Reserve 4 – 5 hours for this activity.

What to bring

Bring water shoes and comfortable swimwear. Ladies, I highly suggest one piece over a bikini: I did the canyoning with a bikini and it was sliding all the time when I was jumping of the waterfalls and rocks. Your guide will have a dry bag, so you can take some water in a reusable bottle and snacks. There is a small food stand half way through the canyoning so you might want to bring some cash as well. Make sure to take your GoPro fully charged, with plenty of memory and enjoy!

Kawasan Falls entry

If you do not wish to do the canyoning, you can still enjoy the Kawasan Falls. The entrance to the falls is 40 PHP (0.7 EUR) and its about 10 minutes walk from the road. There are as well 2 restaurant / places where you can chill and get some drinks while enjoying view next to the waterfall.

After canyoning in the Kawasan Falls, get back to Cebu and hop on the plane to Siargao to continue your 3 weeks trip in the Philippines.