Having a reputation of being the summer capital of Davao Region due to its cold and rainy weather, Maragusan is the go to place if one yearns to experience foggy mornings and scenic mountain views. It’s also home to various waterfalls – some of which are still inaccessible to the public. Those that are accessible are enjoyed by both locals and visitors alike. Accessible means a lot of people visit them, ‘no? Not all the time, no. It still depends on the location, as well as its level of accessibility.

Tagbibinta Falls is Maragusan’s waterfall that is most easily accessible to the public. It would only take about 10 minutes of tricycle ride from the town proper. In addition, it has already been made into a resort-type of attraction where visitors can hire a cottage for themselves. A minimal fee is asked with the option to enjoy the waterfall and the vicinity’s swimming pools.

Now, another waterfall in Maragusan may be open to the public but it isn’t so easy to go to. I’m talking about Pyalitan Falls, a beautiful four-tier waterfall that caught our eyes even from afar. Let’s find out where it is and how you can also go here.

WHERE IS PYALITAN FALLS?

Pyalitan Falls is located in Bgy. Mapawa, which is about a 20- to 30-minute ride from the town proper of Maragusan. Upon going down from the tricycle, we only had to take about an hour to visit its highest tier – reportedly the most beautiful one – from the jump-off point.

I remember doing the following during our trek to this stunning waterfall:

• We had to walk through muddy and grassy terrain, which means visitors are advised to wear sandals or shoes that are designed for trekking.

• We also had to pass by cliffs with, thankfully, walkable paths.

• We traversed the river with waters coming from the waterfall itself. Reminder! We always have to be careful when passing through rivers, okay? Make sure you only pass through its shallow parts, which are easily seen during a fine, sunny weather. Do not attempt to pass by river waters during a stormy or even a rainy day. It can be dangerous.

• We had to climb a big, slippery boulder using a rope. Ask for assistance when going up in this part, especially when you think you’d have trouble reaching with your hands and feet. You’d know that the waterfall is already near by hearing its rushing, crashing sound. Make sure you get to it safely: asking for help definitely won’t hurt!

LO AND BEHOLD: THE PYALITAN FALLS

This amazingly beautiful waterfall, as mentioned, is a four-tier waterfall, with its highest tier measuring about 150 feet. It is one of the many waterfalls in the highlands of Maragusan!

HOW TO GET TO PYALITAN FALLS

Reminder: It is always best to contact the tourism office of Maragusan when you plan to visit the Pyalitan Falls. Here’s the contact number of their tourism officer, Sir Joeffer Bebat: 0917-167-0347.

There are several ways of going to Maragusan via land travel. If you are traveling from nearby cities or municipalities of other provinces like Mati and Tagum, you can ride the bus or the van. From Mati, you can also ride the bao-bao, which we did, and it took us about an hour and a half to reach the town proper.

If you’re coming from Davao City, go to their public transport terminals (e.g. Davao Ecoland Terminal) and ride the bus going to Tagum or Mati. Some sources say there are buses going to Nabunturan as well, though we didn’t ride one so I cannot confirm.

Here is my favorite picture in Pyalitan Falls that I hope may convince you to visit it while you’re in the province of Davao de Oro:

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I hope I was able to convince you to visit Maragusan in the province of Davao de Oro by featuring one of their beautiful travel spots: the Pyalitan Falls! The trek may be difficult or hard in some ways, but when you see and experience the waterfall, you’d know it’s all worth it. Thank you for reading, guys!