Danasan Falls is a huge cascading waterfall deep in the rugged rainforest of Danao, North Cebu. We weren’t sure what to expect of Danasan Falls, having done zero research and knowing nothing about it other than the fact it was part of the Danasan Eco Park. With little to no expectations, we were blown away by its grandeur and multiple levels plunging into large swimming holes, one after another.
HOW TO GET TO DANASAN FALLS
Danasan Falls is located within the Danasan Eco Park, which is no small feat to get to. The Eco Park is in the mountainous area of Danao City, smack bang in the middle of North Cebu. It takes at least 2 hours from Cebu City, but if we’re being honest it’s more like 3 if the conditions aren’t great. It’s a long and bumpy ride through the mountains on a poorly developed road, so better to take it slow and safe.
If you have your own car you can make the trip to the Eco Park yourself, but even then we wouldn’t recommend it unless you were a confident driver with a 4WD. The easiest way to get there is to book a private transfer on Klook (click here), and then you can also book your Danasan Park tickets the same way (click here). This way it takes all the hard difficulty out of planning!
WHAT TO BRING TO DANASAN ECO PARK
Prepare for your trip to Danasan Falls with our must-have travel essentials.
Waterproof backpack & phone case: Earth Pak 35L or 55L Heavy Duty Backpack, IPX8 Waterproof Phone Case Included (click for price)
Quick-dry microfiber travel towel: Wise Owl Outfitters Camping Travel Towel (click for price)
Insulated water bottle: Hydro Flask Vacuum Insulated Water Bottle (click for price)
Hiking Sandals: Teva Women’s Hurricane Hiking Sandals (click for price), Teva Men’s Hurricane Hiking Sandals (click for price)
If you’re interested in photography and/or videography this is the gear we can’t live without:
Professional camera: Sony a7iii (click for price)
Action camera: GoPro HERO9 Black (click for price)
Drone: DJI Mavic 2 Pro (click for price)
BEST CEBU TOUR PACKAGES
WHAT TO EXPECT AT DANASAN FALLS
Our adventure started well before we reached Danasan Falls. We’ve been to many a waterfall before, but never have we made the trek there on a tractor. There had been a lot of rain in the days leading up, so the road was muddy, bumpy and full of holes. Luckily the team at the eco park had this enormous John Deere that had no problem maneuvering the difficult road.
It wasn’t all muddy roads and farmlands. We passed through a small village where we attracted quite a few stares from curious children and even a few who hitched a ride. It really is more fun in the Philippines!
From where we parked the tractor it was a short trek down to the river, and a little farther still to the top of Danasan Falls. The falls cascade down several levels, and we started on the very top.
We made our way along the side of the waterfall to the lower levels which were better for swimming. Mind you, the water isn’t usually this muddy, but all that rain had stirred the silt up. We spent most of the time exploring Danasan Falls with just our guides, before a group of local teenagers joined us. Unlike so many waterfalls in Cebu, Danasan Falls is so difficult to reach, it won’t be overrun with tourists so you’re guaranteed a pretty peaceful experience.
Before heading back to the Eco Park, we threw the drone up to snap a few photos of the lowest levels of the falls that we couldn’t get to on foot. From this angle it was plain to see how deep in the untouched jungle we were, which is just how we like our adventures!