Paradise Philippines - Pagsanjan Falls

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Pagsanjan Falls is one of the most popular tourist spot day trip in the Philippines. Located in Laguna city near the town of Santa Crus, about 100 km SE of Manila.

Pagsanjan is most famous for its falls. The town itself dates from early Spanish times and lies at the confluence of two rivers, the Balanac and the Bumbungan. Indeed legend has it that the name of the town derives from the Tagalog word "Pinagsangahan" meaning 'juncture.'

Founded in 1578 by a Spanish Franciscan friar, the town quickly became a center for local trade because of its strategic location. In 1668 the Governor of the Philippines formalized the status of "town" and the newly created parish chose Mexico's Our Lady of Guadeloupe as the town's patroness. It must be remembered that Governance of the Philippines by Spain was indirect and in fact the local Spanish authorities reported to Mexico which was the principal trade route to Europe at that time.

Indeed it is the Falls and the journey taken to reach them - the boat ride along the Pagsanjan River and shooting the rapids along the journey - that provide the main attraction to visitors. While popularly known as the Pagsanjan Falls, locally they are "Magdapio Falls since their actual location is not in Pagsanjan at all but in the adjacent town of Cavinti.

Shooting The Rapids

The journey begins along the tranquil headwaters of the river that skirts the town but the pace soon quickens as you leave behind the houses and farms to "shoot the rapids." The river quickens as it passes through magnificent scenery that combines tropical gorges with rainforest and river wildlife. The journey itself takes between two to three hours and watching the dexterity of the boatmen as they navigate the boulders as well as the other boats is entertainment in itself.

Eventually the river comes to an abrupt end in the form of a horseshoe canyon with the waters tumbling 300 feet at one end. Here you can rest for a while and swim in the pool at the base of the falls.

The boatmen usually only manage one trip a day and so you are free to linger. The trip back to Pagsanjan, in which you are traveling with the river, takes only half the time.

You can do the whole journey to and from Manila with a trip to the falls within a single day but if you have the time it is well worth it to stay over and take the time to savor the other joys of the town. Hotels are clean and comfortable and moderately priced and there are a number of fine restaurants from which to choose and which offer a combination of Filipino and Spanish food as well as international dishes. Since the town can receive up to 1,000 visitors a day during summer months, if you plan to stay it is wise to book ahead.