[Where I've Been] Canyoneering in Alegria, Cebu

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Traveler Rachel Lim‘s story: Canyoneering with buddies in Alegria, Cebu

Where was this photo taken?

This photo was taken in Alegria, Cebu. The edges are blurry because of water on our GoPro.

My best friend had been raving about it to me after watching a video about it circling around social media. It seemed like an exciting alternative adventure outside of the usual beach trip so we made sure to put it on our list of places to visit.

When you go canyoneering, which could take hours, you explore the location on foot and in our case, dive in to enjoy the beautiful waters. There are some jump-off spots, and you can see beautiful views by climbing the rocks and hiking the surrounding areas. Be careful – make sure you’re physically up to the task.

How to get there, how much?

This is 3 hours from Cebu City. A van rental costs about P4500 and P700 per person for canyoneering. If you have a van waiting, parking will cost P200, P75 for the environmental fee, P50 for a stop at Aguinid.

For canyoneering in Alegria, there is an option to do 3 hours of Alegria then you can ride the van to Kawasan Falls. Otherwise, you can do the full 5-6 hour hike/canyoneering which also ends at the falls.

More tips:

Bring multiple waterproof cameras among your group and make sure you take dry bags with you to safeguard your gadgets. Make sure to have footwear with good traction for better balance – this will make it easier for you to take photos from many different vantage points.

You can also coordinate with your tour guide/s and ask them to take photos so you don’t have to worry about documenting and instead focus on enjoying the moment.

What’s next on your Philippines bucket list?

Next on the Philippines bucket list is the Enchanted River in Surigao, Islas de Gigantes in Iloilo, there is the Maldives of the Philippines they’re talking about (Manjuyod Sand Bar, about two hours from Dumaguete), and possibly a Tao Philippines expedition.

Send us your photos and share your view of the Philippines with Rappler.com.

Update: Here are some gorgeous pictures sent in by reader Tim Blanza:

Photo courtesy of Tim Blanza