Waterfalls in Cebu: Kawasan, Dao and Tumalog compared, with the map
What are the best waterfalls in Cebu, and how do I choose between them?
Short answer
Cebu’s best-known waterfalls all sit down the south coast, roughly in a line: Kawasan Falls in Badian (the famous one, with canyoneering and a big turquoise swim basin), Dao Falls in Samboan an hour further south (a quiet single-drop falls with a swimmable pool and none of the crowds), and Tumalog Falls near Oslob (a delicate curtain waterfall most people fold into their whale-shark morning). Which one suits you depends on whether you want adventure, a quiet swim, or an easy add-on - and because they sit along the same coast road, a private car and driver can string more than one into a single day.
Cebu has more than one waterfall worth the drive, and they are not interchangeable. Kawasan Falls in Badian is the famous one - a big turquoise swim basin and the finish line for the island’s most-booked canyoneering route. Keep going down the same coast and Samboan has Dao Falls, a quieter single-drop waterfall with its own swimmable pool and a fraction of the visitors. Head the other way, towards Oslob, and Tumalog Falls is a delicate curtain of water most people see as a short, easy add-on to an early whale-shark swim.
All three sit roughly along Cebu’s south coast road, so which one (or ones) you visit is really a question of what kind of day you want. This guide compares them honestly, shows where each one sits on the map, and lays out how our drivers usually combine them. Tell us your dates and what you want to see, and we’ll send one fixed-price quote for the driving.
The quick version: which waterfall fits you
If you only take one thing from this page, take this.
Want adventure and a big swim
Kawasan Falls, Badian - canyoneer in via the Kanlaob canyon or just swim and raft at the basin. The busiest and best-organised of the three.
Want a quiet swim without the crowds
Dao Falls, Samboan - a short riverside walk to a single-drop falls and a swimmable pool, about an hour past Kawasan with far fewer visitors.
Already doing Oslob whale sharks
Tumalog Falls - a few minutes uphill from the whale-shark area, an easy, beautiful add-on rather than a destination on its own.
Kawasan Falls, Badian - the headline
Kawasan is the waterfall most people picture when they think of Cebu: layered turquoise pools you can swim in, with bamboo rafts that take you right under the main cascade. It is also the finish line for the Badian canyoneering route down the Kanlaob River canyon from Alegria - a guided, regulated mix of cliff jumps, natural slides and swims through bright-blue water.
It is a long way south (roughly 120km / 3-4 hours by private car from Cebu City), so most visitors make it a full day, often paired with Moalboal’s sardine run about an hour back up the coast.
Dao Falls, Samboan - the quiet one
Keep going south past Badian and Moalboal, roughly another hour down the coast, and you reach Samboan, home to Dao Falls. There is no canyoneering course and no cliff jumps here - just an easy thirty-minute to one-hour walk along a shallow river, ending at a single-drop waterfall and a genuinely swimmable pool.
It suits travellers who want a real Cebu waterfall and a quiet swim without the crowds, gear or jumps of Kawasan. Because Samboan sits roughly an hour past Badian, some private-car itineraries visit both Kawasan and Dao Falls on the same long day.
Tumalog Falls, Oslob - the easy add-on
Tumalog Falls sits in Barangay Tumalog, a few minutes’ drive uphill from the Tan-awan whale-shark area in Oslob, on Cebu’s south-east coast. It is a different kind of waterfall to Kawasan or Dao: a wide, delicate curtain of water spraying down a mossy limestone face, more a place to stand under the spray and take photos than to swim laps.
Because it sits so close to the whale-shark launch point, almost everyone who does the pre-dawn Oslob swim adds Tumalog Falls straight afterwards, on the same morning, before heading back up the coast or on to Sumilon Island.
Further south: Aguinid Falls
Samboan also has a second, lesser-known cascade, Aguinid Falls, a short distance from Dao Falls. It sees far fewer visitors than any of the three above and doesn’t yet have its own guide on this site - for now, most people fold it into a wider south-coast loop rather than visiting it on its own. We’ll cover it properly in a future guide.
How to combine them
Because all of this sits along the same stretch of coast, the honest answer to "which waterfall" is often "more than one, on the right route."
South-west loop
Kawasan (or the canyoneering) plus Moalboal’s sardine run makes the classic single day. Add Dao Falls and Samboan if you have a second day or are continuing the loop towards Oslob.
South-east morning
Oslob whale sharks at dawn, then Tumalog Falls straight after while you are already there - the two are usually done back to back, not as separate trips.
The full southern circuit
Multi-day itineraries sometimes link Moalboal, Kawasan or Dao Falls, and Oslob (with Tumalog) into one loop before heading back to Cebu City - ask us to quote the route if that is what you have in mind.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best waterfall in Cebu?
It depends what you want. Kawasan Falls in Badian is the biggest and most famous, with canyoneering and a large swim basin. Dao Falls in Samboan is a quieter alternative with its own swimmable pool and far fewer visitors. Tumalog Falls near Oslob is a different kind of experience altogether - a curtain waterfall best treated as a quick add-on rather than a swim spot.
Can you swim at all of Cebu’s waterfalls?
You can swim at Kawasan Falls and Dao Falls, both of which have proper pools at their base. Tumalog Falls is a wide, shallow spray over a limestone face - people wade at its base and take photos rather than swim laps.
Can I visit more than one Cebu waterfall in a day?
Yes, if you plan the route. Kawasan and Dao Falls sit about an hour apart on the same south-west coast road, so some private-car itineraries visit both in one long day. Tumalog Falls is different - it is usually paired with the Oslob whale-shark morning rather than with Kawasan or Dao, since it sits on the south-east side of the island.
Are waterfall entrance fees included in a transfer quote?
No. Local entrance and guide fees at each waterfall are set and collected on site, so we do not quote or collect them - our fixed price covers the private car, driver, fuel and tolls for the day.
How do I get to Cebu’s waterfalls without a rental car?
Each is reachable by Ceres bus plus a habal-habal (motorbike taxi) for the last stretch, but because they sit a long way south and the timings matter (an early canyoneering slot, or a pre-dawn whale-shark start before Tumalog), most visitors use a private car and driver instead. Tell us which waterfall and what else you want to see, and we send one fixed-price quote.