How to Visit Siargao’s Only Waterfall: Taktak Falls

Taktak Falls on the northern end of the island is the only waterfall on Siargao and a great spot for swimming in fresh water after your surf!

Taktak Falls is a roughly 14-meter waterfall located quite far from General Luna. Yes, it’s a mission to reach this spot, but it’s definitely worth it since you can check out many other Siargao highlights on the way.

Find out how to get here, what to expect, and tips for the tree jump!

Overview & Things to Know

Taktak Falls isn't the most impressive waterfall in the Philippines, but it's the only one on Siargao! The waterfall cascades gently down a slippery, rocky face surrounded by lush jungle. There are trees all around the main pool, which some local kids showed us how to climb and jump off.

• Location: Taktak Falls is located in Santa Monica, Siargao, approximately 54 km (33.5 mi) north of General Luna. You can reach it via motorbike or tricycle, there are currently no public group tours visiting the falls.
• Entrance Fee: 50 PHP per person (+10 PHP for motorbike parking)
• Swimming: The deep pool at the base of the falls is great for swimming and is shaded.
• Best Time to Visit: The best time to visit is during the rainy season (June to November) when the waterfall is at its fullest.
• Facilities: Basic facilities are available, including changing rooms and restrooms.
• Accessibility: The path to the falls is a short hike from the entrance following an easy, sealed, concrete path for the most of the trail. It's suitable for nearly all fitness levels.

Where is TakTak Falls

Taktak Falls is located on the northern end of Siargao, much closer to the emerging tourist hub of Pacifico than General Luna.

Taktak Falls is located in Santa Monica, on the northern part of Siargao Island in the Philippines. It is approximately 54 kilometers (33.5 miles) north of General Luna, the main tourist hub of Siargao.

To reach Taktak Falls, you can take a motorbike or tricycle ride along the coastal road heading north from General Luna. Once you arrive in Santa Monica, follow the signs leading to the falls, which will guide you through a short hike to the entrance.

Below I've pinned the exact location of Taktak Waterfall to help you find it on Siargao Island.

How to Get to The Siargao Waterfall

Being a little off-the-beaten-path in the far north of Siargao, there's only one way to get to Taktak Falls. That is, to rent a motorbike (scooter) and ride here yourself. Expect about 1.5 hours of riding from General Luna to reach the waterfall.

You can pick up a motorbike in General Luna for between 250-350 pesos per day, which is great value.

If you're staying in General Luna, then I'd suggest just entering the pin above into Google Maps and letting it direct you there. There are a few confusing signs once you get close but the pin is accurate.

In saying that, Taktak Falls is only one highlight you can experience on the long ride up to the north. For this reason, I'd suggest planning out a day-trip itinerary to make the most of the ride. Below is what we did (in order).

• Sunrise at the Palm Tree Lookout
• Early morning at Magpupungko Rock Pools
• Tak Tak Falls
• The abandoned lighthouse
• Afternoon at Pacifico and Alegria Beach
• Sunset on the famous Siargao Palm Tree Road

What to Expect at Taktak Falls

Once you finally arrive at Taktak Falls, you'll notice that there is a built-up, manmade area just above the waterfall. Here, there's a hut where you'll need to pay the Taktak Falls entrance fee of 50 pesos, plus 10 more to park your bike. This has increased recently from 25 PHP which was the case when I visited.

There's not a long walk down to Taktak Waterfall and instead, you'll find it just beyond the hut. There's a concrete trail on the left side of the river leading to the swimming area beneath the falls.

While I personally think Taktak Falls is pretty awesome, many people are underwhelmed. I think that's because they might be expecting that Gatorade-blue color that you'll find at other Philippine waterfalls like Kawasan Falls on Cebu.

Instead, the waterfall at Taktak Falls is a murkier, brownish, river-water color. It might not be the most scenic waterfall in the world, but it's plenty of fun.

Tree Jump At Taktak Waterfall

The main highlight for me was the arching tree jump into the pool beneath the falls.

We always depth-check before jumping and were surprised to find out that it's actually quite shallow, with large boulders in some sections. However, we found that there were some deep sections that were easily deep enough to jump into without touching the bottom. We were fortunate enough to have some local kids (10 years old at maximum), who showed us where to jump and impressed us with their backflips.

How Long to Spend at the Siargao Waterfall?

We spent just under an hour at Taktak Falls which I'd say is probably longer than most people do. We were having too much fun jumping off the tree and snapping photos of the falls!

I'd say you can easily spend about 30 minutes here and be content with the trip. With that said, this probably doesn't justify the long ride out here for most, which is why I recommend checking out all the other highlights too!

Afterward, check out these highlights nearby or on the way back to General Luna.

• The Palm Tree Viewpoint
• Siargao Bent Palm Tree
• Coconut Road
• The Tayangban Cave
• Magpupungko Rock Pools
• The abandoned lighthouse
• Pacifico & Alegria Beach

Where to Stay on Siargao

I hope that you've enjoyed this guide to visiting this little waterfall in the Philippines. For more travel guides and adventure inspiration for Siargao, make sure to check out some of my other posts below.

• Epic Things to do in Siargao - complete travel guide with hidden gems and top places to visit
• Siargao Tourist Spots - discover the main points of interest on this surfing and adventure island
• Where to stay in Siargao - complete guide to the best areas and hotel picks on the island
• Siquijor Island Guide - off-beat adventures in Siquijor
• Cebu Island Travel Guide - my ultimate adventure travel guide to Cebu