Mag-aso Falls

Overview

Mag-aso Falls is a twin waterfall in Barangay Mag-aso, Antequera, approximately 20 km from Tagbilaran City. The falls drop roughly 25 feet (about 7–8 m) from a forested ravine edge into a natural pool. The name comes directly from the local experience of the falls: “aso” in Cebuano means smoke, a reference to the fine mist thrown up by the falling water that can obscure the falls from a distance.

At 25 feet, the twin falls sit against a backdrop of tall trees, wild plants, and giant ferns. The pool below is naturally deep beneath the cascade and shallows toward the rim. A section of the access and pool area has been fitted with concrete steps, shelters, and cemented seats and tables. These additions draw criticism from visitors seeking a fully natural setting, though they serve those who find steep trails difficult.

Antequera, while geographically accessible, is rarely included in standard day tour circuits because it does not lie along the main Loboc–Bilar–Chocolate Hills corridor. Travelers who reach it typically do so by prior arrangement or private transport.

Location

Barangay Mag-aso, Antequera, Bohol. Antequera is an inland municipality in western Bohol, approximately 20 km from Tagbilaran City (roughly 30 minutes by road). The municipality is bounded by Calape and Loon to the west, San Isidro to the northeast, Maribojoc to the southwest, Cortes to the southeast, and Balilihan to the east.

Getting There

From Tagbilaran City, buses and jeepneys serve the Antequera route. Disembark at the town proper (poblacion), then hire a tricycle or motorcycle to the falls. The clearing above the falls is a few minutes’ ride from the poblacion; from there, 197 steps with metal handrails lead down to the base.

For visitors without prior contacts in Bohol, standard tour agencies can include the falls in a customized itinerary, usually at an additional fuel surcharge since the site is off the main tour circuit.

Practical Info

197 steps with metal handrails descend to the falls from the upper clearing. The descent is steep — visitors unaccustomed to steep slopes will feel the climb back up. Stone seats at intervals allow rest stops. Rainy season makes the trail significantly more slippery.

Swimming is possible in the pool below the falls. The area near the falls’ base is deep; the shallower rim area is safer for non-swimmers. Strong current flows from the base toward the water outlet — avoid the outlet zone. Moss-covered stones throughout the trail and pool rim are slippery.

A small cave exists beneath and behind the falls, accessible by climbing the boulders — a route used by local youth.

[TO ENRICH: entrance fee, facility management contact, restroom availability, operating hours]

What to Expect

The 197-step descent passes through dense tropical vegetation. At the point where the sound of the falls becomes audible, the trail turns — the twin cascade appears at the foot of the ravine, frequently partially obscured by fine mist. The water is consistently cool and the atmosphere humid from the spray.

Above the falls, the stream feeding them is visible — a narrow channel running between the boulders over which the water tumbles. The flat-topped boulders where the stream runs off, worn smooth and white from centuries of water flow, can be climbed for a view of the falls from above.

Further downstream from the pool, a deeper swimming area exists in the stream channel — stronger current and suitable for experienced swimmers only.

Antequera on Sundays: the town market becomes the basket capital of Bohol, with woven baskets of every size and shape sold to buyers from Cebu, Manila, and export markets. The market adds a practical reason to combine the falls with a Sunday market visit.

Notes

Other waterfalls near Antequera mentioned in source material: Inambacan Falls (19 km from Tagbilaran, 1 km from Antequera poblacion, estimated 8,000 gallons/minute output draining to the Abatan River), and the Buhong Tiawan, Hagakgak, and Antequera karst caves nearby. The area’s landscape is rolling and rugged with intermittent rice fields and ancestral homes along the approach road.

Mag-aso Falls drops 10 m according to one source (the Bohol falls overview), 25 feet (~7.6 m) according to the primary narrative — within the same range. The discrepancy likely reflects different measurement points.