Baluarte, Dinaratan, and (upper) Kanep Falls of Ilocos Sur

"Salcedo is a place of some waterfalls. You just have to know how to get around"

-pagnapagna

Please practice the leave no trace outdoor ethics when going to these nature places. Let us not vandalize, put graffiti on their rocks and stone walls. Manage and dispose our waste products properly.

-my pagnapagna- 

It was 8:08 in the morning when we arrived at Candon City, Ilocos Sur.

Public transport tricycles at Candon City going to different towns has a name tag placed at its passenger’s front shield.

We went looking for the terminal that is located beside San Jose Barangay Police Outpost at San Juan Street corner Abaya Street and rode a tricycle bound for the said town. We arrived at Salcedo town proper at 8:30 am. 

At Salcedo town proper, we found a tricycle driver willing to take us to the falls. 

We rode the tricycle, left downtown at 9:10 am and arrived at the river where the Nagtablaan mini dam is located at 9:30 am. The river was shallow, just enough for trucks and jeeps to cross but not hardy for tricycles, so we crossed the river riding on a bamboo raft with  20 pesos fare. At the other side of the river, we went back on the roads. We passed by a portion barangay of Sta. Lucia then back to Salcedo again.

Our first stop was the waterfalls located at barangay Baluarte. The driver parked the tricycle and we hiked our way to the falls. A family was having their picnic at the falls, we greeted them and continued our hike going to the top through a stairs at the side of the falls. A group of ladies was resting near the top end of the stairs along with them were firewood which they have gathered from the forest above. 

After exploring the top, we went down to view the cascade. We had some few photographs then walked back for about 10 minutes to the drop-off point where the driver parked the tricycle. We chanced upon a group of people going to the falls for a picnic. Together with them was an old man, maybe in his 70's and he was holding a logbook. He was Barangay tanod Herminio Aragon who collects fees of 5 pesos per person for the barangay.

It was 11:11 am when we departed from Baluarte and went to barangay Dinaratan.  From the barangay Hall of Dinaratan at 11:35 am we went to the almost dried river to hike upstream to the falls. We passed some 3 cascades before we arrived at the main waterfalls at 12:14 pm.

We stayed some ten minutes on the waterfalls and started hiking back at 12:24 pm to the barangay hall where the driver waited. Tired from walking under the hot summer noon sun, we went for a snack at the store nearby. We talked with the store owner and gathered more information about the next falls located at Lucbuban but they said it would be risky going there this time and we decided not to go in that area, so we went back on the same roads passed by by the river, downtown Salcedo and into sitio Victory of barangay Calangcuasan, Salcedo.

The driver showed us the connecting road going to the other falls (Gilong Kanep Falls) at sitio Victory. We paid him and went on our own, hiking a road traversing the hill until we reached Barangay Kilang of the municipality of Galimuyod (15 to 20 minutes hike). Tired and thirsty we went to have a snack at a corner store and gathered more information regarding the falls. From the store area we can see the welcome arch of Barangay Baracbac few meters away.
 We hiked all the way up on cemented road.  Arrived at a bridge (3:21 pm) then we went off road going down to the falls. A small cascade pours to a natural pool (the people prefer going in this area for it is quite deep for swimming). We noticed that we were still above a higher waterfall so we went back to the main road to look for the trail going down to its base. We asked people along the way.

We did see the entrance trail going down the higher falls but we cannot find the connecting trail after passing through the farms’ area. The afternoon is getting deep so we decided not to push through and come back another day.

-end of pagnapagna-


for more photos CLICK HERE 

Subject   : DINARATAN Waterfalls Location : Barangay Dinaratan                  Municipality of Salcedo                  Province of Ilocos Sur Subject   : Baluarte Waterfalls Location : Barangay Baluarte                  Municipality of Salcedo                  Province of Ilocos Sur How to get there: 1) From Manila, ride any of the buses going to any of these places : Laoag City, Vigan City, Candon City and Bangued, Abra. Go down at Candon city fronting the Catholic Church. 2) At Candon City ride a passenger tricycle going to Salcedo town proper. Their terminal is located beside San Jose Barangay Police Outpost at San Juan Street corner Abaya Street. 3) At Salcedo Town proper, you may ask the tricycles to take you to the drop-off point to the falls and take the hike (ask for directions along the way). (Please visit their Municipal hall for more information during office days).

 © All original content copyright sparkPLUG, 2012-2013. Please ask permission for content use.