Majayjay Falls

Majayjay's Taytay Falls sits on the lower slopes of Mount Banahaw, and the mountain is the reason people remember it: the water comes off the volcano's forested flank spring-fed and genuinely cold, colder than almost any other swimming fall in Laguna, dropping about ten metres over a rock face into a wide, clear basin with a shallow edge and a deep centre. The approach is easy by regional standards - a paved path of maybe fifteen minutes from the parking area through forest and along the stream, with cottages and stalls at the end - which makes it a favourite for families and church groups from the surrounding towns. Upstream, rougher trails reach smaller cascades and the pools that locals use, and the wider municipality carries the old stone church of Majayjay, one of Laguna's grandest colonial buildings, half an hour away. Weekends fill the basin; weekday mornings can be nearly empty.

What you actually see

• The cold basin - spring-fed water off Banahaw's slopes.
• The short forest path - fifteen minutes from the parking area.
• The upper pools - rougher trails to smaller cascades.
• Majayjay's stone church - the colonial pile in town.

When to go

November to May for the safest water; the cold is constant year-round. Weekday mornings for quiet, before the picnic crowds arrive.

Honest expectations

The water is properly cold - people last less time in it than they expect. Rocks are slippery. Weekend crowds and the cottage-rental economy are part of the experience.

Nearby

Hulugan Falls in Luisiana, Banahaw's pilgrim trails and the San Pablo lakes are all within an hour.