An inspiring travel guide to visiting Taktak Falls, the one and only Siargao waterfall! Includes all the details you’ll need to get here and information on what to expect once you arrive.
If you’ve visited my blog before, then you’ll know that visiting waterfalls is a big part of what I like to do when traveling. When I found out that there was only one waterfall in Siargao, then I knew that I had to check it out.
Taktak Falls is an awesome little waterfall that’s a little off the beaten path but certainly worth checking out if you’re interested in an adventure.
Featured in: Siargao Island Travel Guide
About Taktak Falls
Taktak Falls Entrance Fee: 25 PHP + 10 PHP for motorbike parking
Taktak Falls is a roughly 14-meter waterfall located in ghd north of Siargao Island. While it's a little bit of a mission to reach this spot, I'd say that it's worth it as you'll get to check out many other Siargao highlights on the way.
These include:
- The Palm Tree Viewpoint
- Siargao Bent Palm Tree
- Coconut Road
- The Tayangban Cave
- Magpupungko Rock Pools
- The abandoned lighthouse
- Pacifico & Alegria Beach
I'll go into detail below on how to get here, and a bit more on what to expect as well.
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.
As you see above, there are plenty of things to do and see on the way. So, a road-trip is well-worth it.
Below I've pinned the exact location of Taktak Waterfall to help you find it on Siargao Island.
- Google Maps Pin: "Taktak Falls"
How to Get to This 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
Tip: Siargao Island is an adventure playground! If you're planning to rent motorbikes, I highly recommend travel insurance by WorldNomads. I swear by them as they are one of the only companies offering adventure insurance with cover for things like motorbikes.
Alternative: Siargao Land Tour (Highlights)
I understand that riding a motorbike for 1.5 hours on Siargao isn't everyone's cup of tea. Unfortunately, there aren't many guided tour options that you can currently book which include a visit to Taktak Waterfall.
However, if you're up for a bang-for-buck trip that includes most of the best things to do on Siargao, then check out the Land Tour. This is one of the most booked tours on the island and covers a bunch of highlights you'll definitely want to check out.
Find out more: Siargao Land Tour
Otherwise, make sure to check out the other articles I've written to my top 3 favorite experiences (in order).
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 25 pesos, plus 10 more to park your bike.
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.
More: Best Siargao Tourist Spots
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!
Where to Stay on Siargao
When planning accommodation on Siargao, you'll want to know that the main tourist hub is called General Luna. Here, there is solid tourism infrastructure like hotels, resorts, guest houses, restaurants, clubs, bars and tour offices. Below are my favorite picks for where to stay.
Tip: I've written a comprehensive Siargao accommodation guide as well which goes into a lot more detail on places to stay, don't miss it!
- Luxury Villas: Las Palmas Villas and Casitas Siargao - every popular luxury villas located within 100 meters from the beach. Includes swimming pool, bar, and tropical gardens.
- Luxury Resort: Kalipay Resort - the best tropical suites in Siargao, located in an excellent central location that is quiet at night but still very close to everything you need.
- Mid-range beach house: Surfing Carabao Beach Houses - beachfront tropical huts on Malinao beach with air conditioning and an awesome surf vibe.
- Hostel With a Vibe: Ilakai Hostel - the best hostel in General Luna with very impressive reviews.
More Siargao Travel Guides
I hope that you've enjoyed this guide to visiting Taktak Falls on Siargao Island, the Philippines. For more travel guides and adventure inspiration for Siargao, make sure to check out some of my other posts below.