After checking in at Sta. Fe Forest Park, we still have free time before covering the Kalanguya Festival the next day so Rollie, Gener, Mon, Alex, Roel and I opted to explore the town’s Imugan Waterfalls, one of the town’s natural attractions. Ms. Ma. Theresa Farrah Dugay, Sta. Fe’s Municipal Tourism Officer assigned Mr. Emmanuel A. Caramat, Ms. Melany C. Lazaro and Mr. Regie Catalbas as our guides.

Imugan Falls

We all boarded our van for the 7-km./30-min. drive to the jump-off point at Brgy. Imugan for the hike to the falls, arriving there by 3 PM. At the barangay hall, we observed a float being prepared for the next day’s Kalanguya Grand Parade. Their float’s theme is centered on the ubiquitous, pear-shaped and light green chayote (Sechium edule, locally called sayote), the barangay’s principal produce.

Imugan Barangay Hall

Preparing a float

Jump-off point to Imugan Falls

According to Emmanuel, the nearly 1-km. hike to the falls would take us around 30 mins. The initial part of our hike was along a cemented pathway between an irrigation canal with flowing spring water and newly watered rice paddies. After crossing a stream, we now traversed a narrow, leaf-strewn but mildly graded dirt trail through a light dipterocarp forest.

Initial hike along a concrete pathway between an irrigation canal and rice paddies

Hiking a narrow dirt trail strewn with dead leaves

A hanging bridge

The hike was scenic all throughout, with views of a hanging bridge and the boulder-strewn stream emanating from the falls below us and, along the trail, of wild orchids clinging to trees, giant ferns and stems of tiger grass (scientific name: Thysanolaena maxima), used in the manufacture of the popular walis tambo or soft broom).

Tiger grass

An exotic orchid

An orchard of sayote

Also along the way we passed numerous orchards of sayote, all sprouting on vines clinging to a moderately-spaced mesh of G.I wire and supported on poles along the steep slope of the mountain side.

Melany crossing a boulder-strewn stream

After rounding a U-shaped bend along the trail and crossing a stream, we soon heard the rush of falling water signaling our arrival at Imugan Falls which is located between two mountains in the Caraballo Mountain Range. With a height of about 35 ft. and falling in 2 levels, its refreshing mountain spring waters drop down into a shallow catch basin.

The author at Imugan Falls

As we didn’t bring bathing attire, we didn’t swim its bracingly cold waters but we did savor its natural beauty, pristine setting and quiet surroundings. To the left of the falls are some rather steep steps carved into the rock face which, according to our guides, lead to the fall’s smaller first level which also has a basin. We passed on this opportunity though and, instead, made our way back to Imugan. Our hike to the falls was truly a fitting start to our visit to Sta. Fe.