The Philippines is an archipelago surrounded by numerous bodies of water, both big and small. With so much geological diversity, it might surprise you to see a special feature you have never seen elsewhere in the country.

One such place is the Laswitan Falls and Lagoon, located in Cortes, Surigao del Sur.
This waterfall is so unique that it receives a huge number of tourists from nearby towns and from all over the country. I’m pretty sure you’d be joining the crowd once you read about it, too.

Rock formations and lagoons

The Laswitan Falls and Lagoon is actually a unique 20-foot rock formation located near the shore in Cortes. This geological feature creates three natural basins so that when the surf becomes high, the huge waves would flow and spill into the main basin on the other side, thus creating a waterfall effect.

The lagoon below the rock formation is so huge in that it can fit up to 200 people – maybe even more! Tourists visiting the place can dip in these pools and get themselves splashed by the sea water coming from the other side. The lagoon has a deep part which swimmers can enjoy but there is also a shallow area that other people can dip in.

Laswitan comes from the Visayan term, laswit, which means ‘sea water pounding on the rocks’.

The local government has been promoting Laswitan so don’t be surprised if a lot of tourists are already coming to see the area. It is recommended, however, to visit Laswitan from October to March, or during Amihan season, when the waves are stronger.

Me diving at one of the lagoons in Laswitan

Rates:

• Entrance Fee
  • Adult- Php 20
  • Children Php 10
• Open Cottage Rental – Php 200
• Life Jacket- Php 20/hour
• Salbabida – Php 20/whole-day

How to Get to Laswitan:

From Surigao City, take a 4-hour ride in a south-bound bus going to Tandag and drop off at Cortes. From Cortes town proper, go on a 15-minute ride in a habal-habal to get to Laswitan.

Those coming in from Tandag will have to take a 1-hour ride on a north-bound bus to Surigao City instead.

To get to Surigao City, flights are available via Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines. You can also opt to go on a 7- to 8-hour ride to Tandag from Davao City.

The Philippines offers a lot of awesome destinations with breathtaking views and unique geological formations. Before you head on out to explore places outside the country, why don’t you start checking out all 7,107 Philippine islands from top to bottom first? There’s still a lot to explore and so much more that will amaze you.