Barili hosts the tallest waterfall in Cebu

By Marlen D. Limpag

In Barangay Campangga in the town of Barili, the waters of Mantayupan Falls rush down from a rocky ridge with abundant vegetation on either side. The top of the falls seem so far way while people bathing downstream appear so tiny. 

In fact, the innermost falls of Mantayupan measures 321 feet or 98 meters tall.  Its gushing waters form a natural pool at the bottom and provide visitors with an ideal place for bathing or just communing with nature. It is considered the tallest of Cebu’s waterfalls.

Rocks and boulders lie in the shallows, some submerged while a few stick out, and serve to reinforce the ground enclosure that keeps the water in but allows it to flow out on one side to form a short river.  Farther on, the river forms the beginnings of a group of four waterfalls.

Inspires painters

Russian artist Vladimir Anisimov was so taken in by the combination of lush greens and falling water that he wanted to skip the rest of his guided tour and stay there painting by the waterfall.

 
“It’s amazing. The water is clean. It’s beautiful,” said the 55-year-old landscape painter who visited Cebu with fellow Russian artists.
 
To get to the innermost waterfall, visitors have to cross a narrow bridge that is around 46 feet or 15 meters from the ground. This is also roughly the height of a group of four falls that flow side by side on the same level.
 
Overnight stay

The bridge offers a vantage view of the four falls, which the town refers to as the second level falls. These are what tourists first see from the main road.

Vehicles can drive up to the entrance of this tourism destination and park for a minimal fee.

After guests pay an entrance fee of P10, it is only a short walk to the Mantayupan Falls.
 
For overnight stays, three rooms made of light materials and one concrete room are available for between P500 to P1,000 for two persons.

How to get there

Barili, a third-class municipality, is 61 kilometers southwest of Cebu City. It is about two hours by bus from the South Bus Terminal located along N. Bacalso Avenue in Cebu City.

Buses leave for Barili from the terminal at intervals of 30 minutes to an hour. They stop at the town center, where tricycles or motorcycles can be hired to take guests to the Mantayupan Falls in Campangga.