A Visit to Pinsal Falls

Hello everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend! As for me, I tagged along with my brother and his wife when they went to visit their home village in Ilocos.

Now, when we say Ilocos, the first things that come to mind are the cobblestone streets of Vigan, the white sand beaches in Pagudpud, or the delectable longganisa (pork sausages) and the crispy empanada, am I right? Well, think again. There are other beautiful places that are still under the radar, and one of such things is the breathtaking waterfalls we visited while we were there. Read on to find out just how beautiful this place is.

The place we visited is called Pinsal Falls located in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur. It was less than an hour's drive from my sister-in-law's place. We brought with us coffee, and hot bread to have for breakfast. We stopped by the town market to buy more food and we managed to buy cooked white corn which was very sweet and chewy!

The waterfalls is very accessible. You can drive to the entrance of the water park. I strongly advise to go there early in the morning to avoid the crowds so that you can take all the pictures you want without photobombers. I took this picture from the observation deck from a distance, and the right side is also a waterfall when there is more water, but since we are almost into the summer months, that part has already dried up.

At the place where you park your vehicles, there are bamboo rafts to cross the river, but since we went there early, they were not available yet, so we just walked at the side of the mountain on a tiny path for about ten minutes to get to the foot of the waterfalls. The water on the river was just knee deep so we crossed it easily.

The view on the second level is definitely worth seeing, that is, if you are brave enough to climb this set of stairs, plus going up a steep path carved at the edge of the mountain. I was game for it, and my nephew accompanied me to the top. My sister in law and her niece opted to stay below, and my brother came up after us a while later.

 Once you get to the top though, you forget all the fear you experienced while climbing the stairs and you just marvel at the beauty of it all. The surface is all limestone, so it is not slippery, that's why I was brave enough to sit on this part looking down the valley below. The tiny dots down there was the first group of people who were up top but went down on our way up.

   There is no entrance fee to the place, there are just a set of rules, like cleaning up after yourselves, being careful of the lagoons which can be very deep and thus dangerous, etc. It was just sad that some irresponsible people left plastic bottles behind. On our way down, we picked up those we can pick up to take with us on our way out. The tiny 'house' in the distance is the observation deck, and that's where the path is located as well.

 This is how the falls looks like from up top- the sun was already up and about when we got to the top, hence the color. Arriving later in the day would be too hot so it is best to be there early in the morning. We got there around seven in the morning, which was perfect time for breakfast.

 There are big boulders that are easy to climb, and there are lagoons and mini-falls on top. You just take your time exploring and take pictures as long as your battery lasts.

 It was very cold down there when we arrived, but I left my sweater because I knew that the hike up would warm my body, which it did, and by the time the sun came up, it was the perfect!

 Couldn't help but marvel at the greatness and the beauty of God's creation as I was looking down at the emerald water below. The water was very deep- I could not even touch the ground in most areas, so if you are not a good swimmer, you must be very careful. I mean every word of it.

I'll try not to put many pictures with me on it so that you can enjoy the place on its own. Imagine it during the rainy season, when there is much more water. Ahhh!

 The water is very clear and clean, and as you walk around, there are small pools and lagoons, there are parts where the water is flowing, and we saw quite a lot of small fish as well!

 The sound of the rushing waters is just so refreshing to hear. It was pure nature, and we were the only ones around to enjoy it, which made it all the more special.

 Some of the lagoons were very deep, you cannot see the bottom. Taking a dip in these lagoons would be quite dangerous, so be careful in choosing where to take a dip if you do decide to do so.

 That's my brother standing on the rock after he decided to come up. He was complaining of achy muscles when we came back though, ha ha!

This is how the valley below looks like. The person on the water is my sister in law trying to take a picture of us. The brown structures on the right side downstream are cottages for rent. The things covered in blue on the left side are the bamboo rafts, and that's where the parking area/entrance is located. Our picnic mat is also near the grassy area. :-)  

On the side of this mountain are also two more falls downstream but are dry. The falls are only there during the rainy season, but you see the limestone path made by the water.

 Here are some mini-falls. I can't help but imagine how it would look like during the rainy season. Perhaps going up during that time could be dangerous as the current will be strong and there would be much more water.

 The water was very cool to the touch- and the water oh so clear, unspoiled, and I hope it stays that way. I hope people learn to value and take care of nature so that we can enjoy them and we preserve them for future generations as well.

 This lagoon was not very deep- it was perfect for some private swimming. But since we had company down below, we resisted the urge and decided we'd swim at the biggest lagoon down there.

 This is yet another lagoon. You'll have to agree with me that the place is just marvelous, right? It is just one beautiful thing after the other!

Here is yet another one. Even if the hike up is a little tiring, it is definitely worth the climb!

Since we decided not to swim up top, I asked my brother to take a picture of me dipping my feet in the water while my nephew was having a moment with his music laying down on the limestone bedrock. :-)

We stayed up there until the battery of my phone was just 1 percent, ha ha! I left my power bank down below, because my battery was full when I went up! I did not think I would run out so fast with all the videos and pictures I took!

 Come March or April, I believe the small pools will dry up, but the deep lagoons will retain their water, me thinks. :-)

 The small pools have moss in them, which are food for the fish that are there. I also saw some snails.

 It was almost time to say goodbye to the extraordinary view up top, but while there was remaining battery life on my phone, I kept asking my brother to take pictures or I was clicking away!

When it was just one percent left, we decided it was already time to go down and reunite with our party below. We determined to go back at another time, perhaps when there is a little more water, God willing. 

 And then we came down to this. I took pictures first of course, right after snacking on some corn and bread, ha ha! Had to replenish my energy after the hike.

Don't know who put the piece of wood there, but it was perfect as a bench to take pictures. On the right side of the falls is another lagoon, and there should be another falls as well but it's dry this time.

It's swimming time! By then it was already 9 o'clock, but the lagoon is still shaded, and the water was super cold!!! But since we were already there, I decided that I will take a swim no matter what. My sister in law and her niece were not brave enough, so it was just me, my brother and nephew who took a dip!

To lessen the cold, we swam to the side where the sun was already shining, and we even jumped several times into the water! It was fun, and I remembered jumping into the water like this during my childhood. My brother actually jumped from the ledge right above my head. I actually climbed up there as well, but looking down from that height made me a bit scared so I decided to just do it from that part and a little higher during the next jumps.

  Had to pinch my nose after jumping to avoid water going into my nose. I could not even reach the ground- that means the water is very deep! Even my 6 footer nephew could not reach the ground when he tried to measure the depth.

This is the other lagoon on the other side. The limestone is visible where the smaller falls should be during the rainy season until the month of October.

 After frolicking in the water for maybe half an hour, I decided it was time for me to get dry, so I did and I walked around the area. Saw this thorny plant that reminded me of my childhood days as well.

 I wonder how long they  took to stack up this pile of stones? 

 Seeing that, I made my own pile of, albeit at a much smaller and less ambitious scale. When we go back, I'll check if it will still be there. If not, I might make a new one again.

How to get there: If you are commuting, you can just take any bus line that goes to Ilocos: Partas, Fariñas, et al. Just ask the conductor to drop you off at SaveMore Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur. From there you can hire a tricycle to take you to the falls, although I don't know how much they will charge. If you have your own vehicle, which we did, just set your Waze to Pinsal Falls and it will lead you there. Have a great time!

To read more travel adventures, you can go to this page.