Kinawa Falls

Overview

Kinawa Falls is a waterfall in Barangay Tausi-on, Valencia. The name derives from the Visayan word kawa, meaning cauldron — a reference to the cauldron-like shape of the falls formation. The water is described as ice-cold. Large rock formations surround the base, and stone formations extend beneath the water surface. Forest cover keeps the site shaded and cool. In his 2023 State of the Municipality Address, Mayor Dionisio Neil A. Balite, PhD identified Kinawa Falls as one of fourteen potential tourist sites with capacity to support Valencia’s ecotourism programme.

Location

Barangay Tausi-on, Municipality of Valencia, Bohol. Valencia sits approximately 16 kilometres from Tagbilaran City in the central-southern part of the province.

Getting There

[TO ENRICH: road access from Valencia town proper, habal-habal availability to Tausi-on, trail distance and condition from barangay road to falls.]

Practical Info

• Water temperature: notably cold (described as ice-cold)
• Surrounding terrain: large rock formations, submerged stone landscapes
• [FACT NEEDED: entrance fees, operating hours]
• [FACT NEEDED: swimming safety, depth of plunge pool]
• [FACT NEEDED: whether facilities such as cottages or rest areas exist]

What to Expect

What sets Kinawa apart from other Bohol falls is the rock: formations continue below the waterline as well as above it, and the basin’s cauldron shape — the source of the name — is legible in the surrounding geology rather than just implied by it. Dense forest keeps the site shaded and the water running notably cold. As of the 2023 municipal address, it remained on Valencia’s ecotourism development agenda rather than formally opened with infrastructure.

Notes

Valencia municipality also includes Danao Lake, Banderahan Peak, and Cabjawan Cave, making it a practical base for a combined nature day-trip from Tagbilaran. [TO ENRICH: current development status of the ecotourism sites mentioned in the 2023 SOMA.]