Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Iligan and around
Some 90km west of Cagayan de Oro, the port city of
ILIGAN
is served by regular ferries
from Manila and Cebu, making it an alternative gateway to Mindanao if you're
travelling on a budget. Little more than a village in the early 1900s, it boomed as an
industrial centre after the creation of a hydroelectric power scheme in the 1950s, but
was almost completely rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1957. Famed for its
waterfalls
,
it's a friendly, laidback place with a population of around 300,000. The best cluster of
cascades lies on the west side on the highway towards Ozamiz and Zamboanga.
NPC Nature Park and the Maria Cristina Falls
8.5km southwest of Iligan on the highway to Ozamiz and Zamboanga • Daily 9am-4pm, zipline closed Tues • P30, zipline P200 •
T
63 221
9032 • It's 150m to the park entrance from the main road jeepney stop; walking to the falls from the entrance takes 20min (800m), or there's
a park shuttle (P10)
The most impressive cascade in the region, within the
NPC Nature Park
, is the
Maria Cristina Falls
, which serves as the main source of power for much of Mindanao.
The twin falls (named after two heartbroken girls that are supposed to have jumped
from the top), plunge 100m into the torrential Agus River, and are at their best
Saturday and Sunday at 11am, when the Agus VI Hydroelectric Plant upstream
releases the most water. They can only be viewed from a deck inside the power station
building - you can't get up close. The park itself also contains some shabby
animal
exhibits
and a
zipline
across the river.
Timoga Springs and Macaraeg-Macapagal House
9.5km west of Iligan on the highway to Ozamiz and Zamboanga •
Timoga Springs
Daily 9am-6pm • Most resorts charge P50 for use of
the pools •
Macaraeg-Macapagal House
Mon-Fri 8am-noon & 1-5pm, Sat & Sun 9am-noon & 1-4pm • Free
Just 1km beyond the Maria Cristina Falls, the ice-cold, crystal-clear and non-chlorinated
Timoga Springs
flow freely to a collection of privately owned swimming pools and
resorts that can all get very crowded in summer.
Next door to the springs, right on the highway, is the
Macaraeg-Macapagal House
,
sometime home to both Diosdado Macapagal, the ninth president of the Philippines
and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the fourteenth. As a child, Gloria spent many happy
days in this house, built in 1950 by her maternal grandfather, and the handsome
property has been well maintained, preserved as it would have looked in the 1950s.
There's not much inside other than family portraits, including a sultry study of the
ex-president from 1983, and a statue of Gloria as a child outside, playing on a swing.
8
Tinago Falls
15km southwest of Iligan, off the Zamboanga road • Free • Jeepneys will drop you off on the highway where you can hike or take a habal-
habal to the start of the 365 steps down to the falls (P40/bike; arrange a return pick-up)
he
Tinago Falls
, a beautiful ribbon of water cascading 73m into a deep-blue pool, get
their name from their location, nestled in a dramatic ravine (
tinago
means hidden).
They became locally famous when they featured in the 2011 Pinoy movie
Forever and
a Day
. From the top it's 365 steps down, so the falls are best avoided if it's raining.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
ILIGAN AND AROUND
By bus
The northbound bus terminal, off Bonifacio Ave,
3km north of the centre, serves Cagayan de Oro (hourly;
1hr 30min). The southbound terminal off Roxas Ave, just
south of the centre, serves Dapitan (several daily; 4hr) and
Ozamiz (hourly; 2hr) to the west, and Marawi (hourly; 2hr)
and Zamboanga (8 hourly; 10hr) to the south. Jeepneys
and taxis are usually easy to find near both terminals.
By boat
Ferries from Cebu (7 weekly; 13hr) and Manila
(3 weekly; 34hr) dock on the edge of the downtown area;
walk towards the first tra
c circle and you'll find plenty of
taxis and jeepneys.
Tourist information
The tourist o
ce
(Mon-Fri 8am-
5pm;
T
063 221 3426,
W
iligancitytourism.yolasite.com) is
at Bahay Salakot on leafy Buhanginan Hill, next to City Hall
at the far eastern end of Quezon Ave; take a taxi or jeepney
up here from downtown. The enthusiastic staff have maps
and can help with transport and guides - ask here also
about trips to Lake Lanao and Marawi (see p.433).
