Mantayupan Falls in Barili: Your Most Updated Travel Guide to Cebu’s Tallest Waterfalls

Heading to Mantayupan Falls? In this travel guide, I’ll walk you through the step-by-step process to get there as well as highlight the latest fees and fare.

Mantayupan Falls is located in Barangay Campangga in Barili, an agricultural municipality located on the western side of Cebu Island and 55 kilometers away from Cebu City. It is Cebu’s tallest waterfall with a height of 98 meters or roughly 322 feet. Locals call the falls Ambakan, which translates to “jumping point,” due to its height.

Before you get to the main falls, there is a smaller 14-meter one at the lower level. Mantayupan Falls is a protected eco-reserve, which means you could encounter local wildlife like birds and monkeys along the way. But more than a tourist attraction, Mantayupan Falls plays a significant role in the local community, providing irrigation to ricefields in the lowlands of Barili and a water source for a mini-hydro powerplant nearby.

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How to Get to Mantayupan Falls

➡️From Cebu City

Head over to Cebu South Bus Terminal (see map) and take any local bus bound for Poblacion Barili. The fare is around 120 PHP (~1.50 USD). The trip could take up to 2-4 hours, depending on the traffic. If you take the bus very early in the morning, like 4:00-5:00 AM, you’ll get there in 2 hours. You may also take a Ceres Liner bus bound for Bato via Barili and tell the driver or conductor to drop you off in Poblacion.

Alternatively, you could ride a white van that locals call the “V-Hire.” Slightly more expensive than the bus, this is an air-conditioned van that can carry up to 15 individuals. Because it is smaller, it is also faster than the public bus and could arrive in Barili in 2 hours.

From Poblacion, it is only a 3.7-kilometer journey to the entrance of Mantayupan Falls. I personally legged it all the way since I was only carrying a backpack and I wanted to see more of the center of town. You may also take a habal-habal or motorcycle taxi for 100 PHP (~2 USD).

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➡️From Moalboal

At the Moalboal Bus Terminal (see map), take a bus bound for Cebu City and let the driver or conductor know you are getting off in Poblacion Barili. The journey takes about 45 minutes and costs 100 PHP (~2 USD).

From Poblacion, take a habal-habal to Mantayupan Falls. This ride usually costs 50 PHP (~1 USD).

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➡️From Oslob

Oslob is on the other side of Cebu Island. To get to Barili from Oslob, take a tricycle, habal-habal, or bus to Bato Terminal in Samboan and then take another bus bound for Cebu City via Barili. Tell the driver or conductor to drop you off in Poblacion Barili.

Oslob to Barili takes approximately 3-4 hours and costs about 280 PHP (~5 USD).

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Mantayupan Falls Fees

Admission to Mantayupan Falls is 50 PHP (~1 USD) per adult and 30 PHP (~0.5 USD) for senior citizens, PWDs, and children from 6-10 years old. Children below 5 years old can enter free of charge.

If you want to rent a life jacket, you only need to pay 50 PHP (~1 USD). There’s also a bamboo raft or balsa that you can rent for 100 PHP (~2 USD). Tables and chairs are also available for 200-250 PHP (~4-5 USD).

Accommodations are also available at Mantayupan Falls enough for 6 people. Deluxe rooms cost 1,500 PHP (~27 USD) per 24 hours, while ordinary rooms cost 1,000 PHP (~18 USD) per 24 hours.

As for food, you can choose to cook your own food or sample the menu at the Campeo Eco Top Grill.

Mantayupan Falls Opening Hours

Mantayupan Falls is open for sightseeing and swimming from 6:00 AM to 5:30 PM daily. They also have overnight accommodation if you want to stay at Barili for the night and experience its other attractions.

Visiting Mantayupan Falls

I visited Mantayupan Falls in 2022 after touring the cities of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu. Barili was an itinerary that I reserved for the second day of my 5-day vacation because I wanted to experience the falls to the fullest.

I left my hotel at 5 am on a Monday morning and headed over to the South Bus Terminal where I boarded a Ceres bus that took me directly to Barangay Poblacion in Barili. Since I left early, our bus reached the area in roughly 2 and a half hours.

The real adventure begins when you arrive at the trailhead. This is where you’ll pay the entrance and parking fees.

Mantayupan Falls in Barili Cebu — A welcome arch invites visitors to Mantayupan Falls

I was amazed when I found out that they actually allow people with pets to bring their furbabies along when visiting. If you have a fur family and you also want them to experience Mantayupan Falls, they’re very welcome here. You just need to be responsible for their waste and behavior.

Unlike Kawasan Falls in Badian, walking to Mantayupan Falls is short. You’ll walk through a path that passes through a thick canopy of trees before reaching the smaller falls.

If you don’t want to spend some time on this one and would like to head on to the main attraction, you only need to cross a hanging rope bridge with wooden planks to get there. The hanging bridge overlooks the 14-meter falls and its circular freshwater pool. This is a great opportunity to take pictures with a bird’s eye view perspective of this gem of nature in Cebu Province.

Mantayupan Falls in Barili Cebu8 — Some signs you will see along the way to Mantayupan Falls

By the way, the path is not paved and you will need to climb some rocks to get to the hanging bridge. Make sure to wear sturdy trekking shoes that have a good grip, or else you might slip on the stones, which have been dampened by the morning dew.

The hanging bridge itself is not very long, but, for those who are not used to the swinging that comes with this kind of bridge, getting from one point to the other would definitely be an adventure. In any case, you will want to take selfies and group shots before you reach the other side. I know, because I took the time myself as well.

When I got to the main falls, I was blown away. The falls are a majestic cascade of water that seemingly drops in slow motion to its pool with a loud crash you could hear several feet away. The craggy cliffs on either side of this body of water are overgrown with moss and banana trees.

There’s even a flat spot in the cliffs on the right side from which you can attempt a dive. The water is a clear and vibrant emerald color that empties into the smaller falls and into the pool at the first level. On busy days, the locals said, the falls would be full of people diving from the cliffs or paddling out to the falls on the balsa.

I’m not a fan of cliff diving, and I’m apprehensive about possible rocks that I might hit on the way down. As I was alone, I didn’t see the appeal of rafting either. I was content to wade into the shallower parts of the pool and immerse myself in its cold and refreshing waters.

After cooling myself off, I decided to visit the Campeo Eco Top Grill and have some local pork barbecue and grilled fish. They also have other seafood on their menu as well like squid, which, I was surprised to learn, can be prepared in many ways. One of these dishes is calamares (deep-fried squid rings).

I also availed myself of a bottle of local beer. There’s the internationally known San Miguel brand, which offers the Pale Pilsen, Light, and Flavored varieties.

There’s also a karaoke machine, but I’m not a good singer so I gave it a hard pass. I didn’t want to disturb the silence of the ecosystem with my subpar singing skills.

Best Time to Visit Mantayupan Falls

Mantayupan Falls is popular among both foreigners and locals alike. That’s exactly why I chose a Monday to visit it. The majority of the locals are at work during weekdays, which means I had the place almost to myself and the workers employed to keep an eye on things there.

If I chose to visit on a weekend, the place would be bustling with holidaymakers, mostly locals and a few expatriates. That could work for me, of course, since I love conversation and activity. However, for this particular visit, I wanted peace and quiet to enjoy one of Cebu Province’s ecological gems.

I also highly recommend visiting Mantayupan Falls just before or after sunrise. I was at the falls at about 8:30 am since I only walked to the entrance from Poblacion. Barili is in the southwestern part of Cebu Province, so it took a couple more hours before the sun was high enough to be scorching. The depth of the cliffs and the woodland above also kept us shielded from the sun in any case.

Your Ultimate Cebu Travel Guide

Mantayupan Falls is truly ideal for your next holiday in Cebu Province. It is nearer to the city than the beaches of Moalboal and Badian, in which Kawasan Falls is also located. Rates in Mantayupan Falls are also very affordable even for locals, and the place is highly self-sustaining. It even has its own restaurant to feed visitors and accommodation for those who want to spend the night in Barili.

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