Discovering Iligan in Philippines, the ‘City of Majestic Waterfalls’

The Philippines is a supremely gorgeous country brimming with natural wonders including rivers, beaches, volcanic hills, mountains, forests and waterfalls! But do you know that it is home to a city called Iligan, which is also known as the City of Majestic Waterfalls? Well, that’s a true treasure; Iligan, situated by the Bohol Sea in Northern Mindanao, is an urban city sprinkled with myriad spellbinding waterfalls. Read on to know more about the city and its waterfalls.

Popular waterfalls of Iligan
Officially, there are 23 big and small waterfalls in the city of Iligan, dotted across the city of Iligan and the fact is a record in itself, an exception being Canada’s Hamilton that has around 130 waterfalls! Being a major industrial city, it is quite surprising to see so many cascading waterfalls in Iligan, but hey, who’s complaining?

Here is a roundup of some of the most famous waterfalls in the region:
Maria Cristina Falls: One of the prime waterfalls in the region is the Maria Cristina Falls on the Agus river, which is also a major source of electric power in Mindanao. Owing to the two torrents of water falling down, the fall is also known as the ‘twin falls’. There is a dam and hydroelectric plant here, owing to which the volume of water keeps fluctuating during the day.


Tinago Falls: Tinago Falls is another worth-visiting waterfall here, which in the Filipino language translates to ‘hidden’. This fall is hidden in a deep ravine and requires a tedious trek, which is nearly 500 descending winding steps. Cascading from a height of 240 ft (73 m) height, this fall looks absolutely stunning and falls to create a deep pool, where people enjoy swimming. There is also a small cave under the fall, where people can go inside, sit and relax while listening to the soft falling waters.

Limunsudan Falls: Limunsudan Falls is the Philippines' second highest waterfall, around 50 km from the city of Iligan. This two-tiered waterfall is absolutely gorgeous and is visited by a number of tourists every year. Travellers often trek to the top of the waterfall but doing so is suggested only for seasoned trekkers as the path is quite slippery and goes through dense forest.


Abaga Falls: Abaga Falls is another pretty waterfall in the region but accessibility to this one is limited because of bad road conditions. A few kilometres of walking is required to reach the base of the waterfall. Also, the region is home to some interesting and endangered animals including the endangered Philippine eagle (aka ‘monkey-eating eagle’), rufous hornbill and the endangered giant golden-crowned flying fox (found only in the Philippines).

Best time to visit Iligan

The best time to visit the city of Iligan is from February to April. This is the time when waterfalls are at their best, and the weather is also ideal for exploring the city.