Tinuy-an Falls

Tinuy-an is unusual in the Philippines for being wider than it is tall - a broad curtain of water dropping in three main tiers across a rock face some 95 metres across, in forest outside Bislig in Surigao del Sur. The bottom tier lands in a wide shallow pool where bamboo rafts are pulled on a rope towards the base, close enough that the spray soaks everyone aboard. On sunny mornings the spray throws a rainbow across the lower pool, usually somewhere between nine and eleven. A path and steps climb to the second and third tiers, which are quieter and have their own pools. The forest around it is thick and the road in is bad.

History

The name comes from Tinuyo-an, a Cebuano word for an act done on purpose to reach a goal, and it is also rendered as "a place you'll keep going back to". The falls are co-managed by the tourism office of Bislig and the Manobo Tribal Council, and in 2024 the birder Peter Kaestner saw an Orange-tufted Spiderhunter here, his 10,000th species and a new world record (Wikipedia, Tinuy-an Falls).

The landscape

• The main curtain - the broad three-tier fall, far wider than it is high.
• The bamboo raft - pulled on a rope to the base of the fall, guaranteeing a soaking.
• The morning rainbow - thrown across the lower pool by the spray on sunny mornings.
• The upper tiers - the quieter second and third levels reached by steps above the main pool.

When to go

March to June is the driest, though this coast of Mindanao is wet by any standard and rain arrives year-round. Come in the morning both for the rainbow and to be ahead of the weekend crowd from Bislig. After heavy rain the falls run brown and heavy and the raft stops running, and the access road becomes very rough.

Practical notes

The road from Bislig is bad enough that a habal-habal or a high-clearance vehicle is the sensible choice. Bislig itself is a long drive from anywhere - hours from Butuan or Davao - and there is little reason to stay. Entry, raft and the upper level are charged separately. Weekend crowds bring sound systems, and the water is often muddy rather than clear.

Nearby

The Enchanted River at Hinatuan and the Britania islands are up the same coast.

Key facts