Heading up to TakTak waterfall in Santa Monica is a full- day adventure to the north part of the island. From General Luna the waterfall is 1.5-hour drive but is well worth the effort. We enjoyed the waterfall to ourselves. Cliff jumping, tree jumping, and exploration to the top of the falls were the highlights of the adventure.
How to get to TakTak Waterfall on Siargao
To get to TakTak Waterfall from the tourist region of General Luna, you will need a moped or a vehicle. The drive took us 1.5 hours but like always it was a scenic cruise on this beautiful island. There are island tours that include TakTak waterfall as one of the stops but there is no need for a tour guide for this adventure.
When you reach the point Google maps sends you to there are two, awkwardly worded signs in both directions. The sign says “TakTak Waterfall 500m turn right”. This actually means turn right straight away and the waterfall is 500m in off the main road. We thought it meant drive 500m further and it is on the right.
How much is the entrance fee for TakTak falls?
Once you turn off the main road, follow the dirt road for a few hundred meters. There will be a small hut where you will need to pay 25 pesos, which is only 50 US cents. A 10 pesos parking fee for mopeds also applies. Once you have paid there is another 150m to drive along the dirt road before you reach the only waterfall on Siargao.
TakTak Waterfall
When we arrived at the waterfall, there was no-one else around. At first glance, we haven’t blown away. However, we had been blessed to visit the epic Tiu Kelep Waterfall on Lombok just a few weeks earlier. This isn’t the most epic waterfall you will ever visit but it’s good fun nonetheless.
The waterfall is about 15 meters in height and has a few small ledges, which I don’t advise scaling… but we did. There is a tree that overhangs the pool below that falls. It’s about 5 meters above the pool and if you jump into the right area you can make a safe landing. The pool below isn’t too deep and only in a few spots is it safe enough to jump in.
When we were done jumping from the tree with the local kids we decided to make our way to the top of the waterfall. We chose the worst possible route up the steep hill and regretted it immediately. There is a small path to the left of the waterfall, which we found on the way down.
After cutting up our feet on the sharp vines during the climb up we chilled atop the waterfall looking out over the pool. Jorden even made the jump from halfway up the waterfall after ambling down.
TakTak waterfall ended up being a cool little spot to hang for half a day. You could easily come, look and leave all within 20 minutes but if you explore to the top of the falls and do all of the cliff and tree jumps you will make the long journey from General Luna count.
After visiting TakTak waterfall we headed to Alegria beach to cool off and drink some freshly harvested coconuts.