Badian canyoneering to Kawasan Falls

A day of jumping, swimming and sliding down a turquoise river through a jungle gorge, ending at the famous tiered falls of Kawasan.

Area

South coast

Start from

Alegria or Badian

Distance

about 4–5 km through the canyon

Time needed

1 day

Best season

Best December – May; not after heavy rain

Difficulty

Moderate

Transport

Bus or car from Moalboal or Cebu City; habal-habal to the start

Tickets & rules

Licensed guide, helmet and life jacket required; environmental fees

Why go

Canyoneering in Badian is pure joy: you put on a helmet and life jacket, step into a cold, milky-blue river and spend three or four hours floating, wading, sliding down smooth rocks and jumping into pools from ledges. The gorge is narrow and green, the cliffs drip with ferns, and the water is the colour of a gemstone.

The jumps vary from a metre or two to around ten metres, and the higher ones are optional; guides know a way around. Swimming skills help, but life jackets make it accessible to most reasonably fit people. Between the jumps you float with the current, look up at the strip of sky and listen to the roar of the next drop.

At the end you reach Kawasan Falls, a series of tiered waterfalls with a broad, turquoise pool. It is very busy by midday, but arriving there wet, tired and happy, after a whole canyon of your own, is a great feeling.

The story

Kawasan Falls has been a local swimming spot for generations, and the name is said to come from a Cebuano word for a wide space or expanse. The water runs from limestone springs in the hills, which gives it that milky turquoise colour from dissolved minerals.

Canyoneering took off here in the 2010s, when local guides started taking visitors down the Kanlaob River and Matutinao gorge from Alegria. Within a few years it became one of the most popular adventures in the Visayas, providing work for hundreds of guides from nearby villages.

The route passes small farms, banana groves and bamboo bridges. At several points, locals sell drinks and snacks from huts on the rocks, carried down by hand.

Typhoon Rai (Odette) in December 2021 badly damaged the area, uprooting trees and changing the shape of some pools. The canyon was cleaned and reopened, but conditions change after every big storm, which is part of why local guides are required.

Getting there

From Moalboal, buses and private cars take 30–40 minutes to Badian; from Cebu City, about three hours. Most canyoneering operators collect you at your hotel or meet you at the main road, then take you by habal-habal to the start in Alegria.

Booking through your accommodation or a registered local operator is easiest; packages usually include guide, gear, transport to the start and a meal.

A suggested plan

1. 7:00Pick-up in Moalboal or meeting point in Badian.
2. 8:00Habal-habal ride to the start, briefing, gear check.
3. 8:30Begin the canyon: jumps, slides, swimming and wading.
4. 12:00Arrive at Kawasan Falls; swim in the big pool, lunch.
5. 14:00Return to Moalboal or continue south towards Oslob.

Where to stay

Moalboal is the obvious base, with many places to stay and operators who arrange the trip. Some guesthouses near Kawasan in Badian allow an early start before the crowds.

Good to know

• Wear sports sandals with straps or water shoes, not flip-flops.
• Bring a waterproof bag or phone case; guides often take photos.
• Start early to finish before the midday crowds at Kawasan.
• Book only with licensed guides and check the gear.