Waterfalls in Negros: Casaroro, Pulangbato and Mambukal compared
What are the best waterfalls in Negros, and how do I choose between them?
Short answer
Negros splits its best-known waterfalls across its two provinces. On the Dumaguete side (Negros Oriental), Valencia has Casaroro Falls, a tall narrow cascade at the foot of roughly 335 steps and a 20 to 30 minute river walk, and Pulangbato Falls, a smaller falls set in a striking red-rock canyon next to a sulphur hot spring. On the Bacolod side (Negros Occidental), Mambukal Resort in Murcia has a trail of seven forest waterfalls plus its own hot springs. Which you visit comes down to which city you are based in, since the two clusters sit on opposite sides of the island with no quick road between them.
Negros is a big island split down the middle by a mountain range, and its waterfalls follow the same divide. Around Dumaguete, in Negros Oriental, Valencia is the gateway to Casaroro Falls, a slender cascade reached by roughly 335 steps and a boulder-hopping river walk of 20 to 30 minutes each way, with Pulangbato Falls close by in its own red-tinted canyon next to a sulphur hot spring. Across the island near Bacolod, in Negros Occidental, Mambukal Resort in Murcia climbs a forest trail past a chain of seven waterfalls, alongside its own natural hot springs.
None of the three sit close enough to combine in one trip, so this guide compares them honestly by which side of Negros you are on, rather than pretending you can string them together in a day. Tell us your dates and which side you are based, and we will send one fixed-price quote for the driving.
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The quick version: which falls fit your trip
If you only take one thing from this page, take this.
Based in Dumaguete, want the signature waterfall
Casaroro Falls, Valencia - a tall, powerful cascade about 20 to 30 minutes from the city, but reached down roughly 335 steps and a river scramble, so allow about two hours at the trailhead. The most photographed falls on this side of Negros.
Based in Dumaguete, want something quieter and different
Pulangbato Falls, also Valencia - a smaller falls in a red-rock canyon, easily paired with Casaroro and the Red Rock hot spring on the same half day.
Based in Bacolod, want a full waterfall trail
Mambukal Resort, Murcia - walk past several of the seven falls on an easy forest trail, or push further for the higher ones, then soak in the hot springs. About 45 minutes to an hour from the city.
Casaroro Falls: the signature Dumaguete-side waterfall
Casaroro is the falls most visitors picture when they think of Negros: a tall, narrow drop into a green plunge pool. It sits above Valencia town, about 10 km and 20 to 30 minutes by road from Dumaguete, followed by a further stretch to the trailhead itself.
Be clear-eyed about the walk, because most listings undersell it. From the trailhead it is roughly 335 concrete steps down into the gorge, mossy and slippery in places, and then 20 to 30 minutes each way following the river upstream over boulders, crossing the water where the route demands it. That second stretch is not a maintained trail - it was wrecked by Typhoon Sendong in 2011 and by river floods since, and you follow red arrows painted on the rocks rather than a path. Reckon on an hour and a half to two hours from leaving the car to getting back to it.
It still fits comfortably into a half day alongside Pulangbato and the Red Rock hot spring nearby - but it needs proper footwear you do not mind soaking, it is a poor idea straight after heavy rain when the river is high, and it does not suit anyone who cannot manage steep stairs and uneven rock. There is a small restaurant at the trailhead, so anyone sitting it out has somewhere to wait.
Pulangbato Falls: the red-rock canyon next door
A short drive from Casaroro, Pulangbato Falls tumbles over rocks stained rust-red by mineral deposits, a striking contrast to Casaroro’s green pool. It sits beside the Red Rock hot spring, so most visitors treat the two as one stop: a shorter, easier falls followed by a soak.
Because it needs far less walking than Casaroro, Pulangbato works well as the gentler half of a Valencia day, or as the one to keep if energy or time runs short.
Mambukal: the Bacolod side’s trail of seven waterfalls
Mambukal Resort, in the hills of Murcia at the foot of Mount Kanlaon, is Negros Occidental’s answer to Valencia: about 30 km and 45 minutes to an hour from Bacolod. Instead of one showcase waterfall, a forest trail climbs past a chain of seven falls at different levels, alongside natural hot sulphur springs, a boating lagoon and a canopy walk.
Most visitors walk to the first two or three falls on an easy trail and turn back; reaching the higher ones is a longer, steeper hike best done with a local guide.
Why you cannot combine Valencia and Mambukal in one trip
Valencia sits in the hills above Dumaguete on the eastern side of Negros; Mambukal sits in the hills above Bacolod on the western side. The two cities themselves are a long cross-island drive apart on their own, well beyond a single day once you add waterfall walks at both ends. Treat them as belonging to separate legs of a Negros trip, not stops on the same itinerary.
If your trip covers both Dumaguete and Bacolod, the practical plan is a Valencia half day on one leg and a Mambukal half day on the other, rather than trying to chase all three falls in one visit.
Getting there
Neither cluster has convenient public transport for visitors carrying much beyond a day bag. Valencia has jeepneys from Dumaguete to the town, then a habal-habal or tricycle up towards the Casaroro trailhead. Mambukal has jeepneys towards Murcia, then a habal-habal up to the resort gate. Both are workable but slow to combine with anything else the same day.
A private car and driver who knows the roads and waits at the trailhead is the easier way to do either. Tell us which side of Negros you are on and we will quote a fixed-price half day with waiting time built in.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best waterfalls in Negros?
Casaroro Falls and Pulangbato Falls in Valencia (Negros Oriental, near Dumaguete), and the seven-falls trail at Mambukal Resort in Murcia (Negros Occidental, near Bacolod) are the three most visited. They sit on opposite sides of the island, so which you visit usually comes down to whether you are based near Dumaguete or Bacolod.
Can I visit Casaroro Falls and Mambukal in the same trip?
Not in one day. Valencia (Casaroro and Pulangbato) is in the hills above Dumaguete on the east side of Negros, and Mambukal is in the hills above Bacolod on the west side, with a long cross-island drive between the two cities themselves. Plan each as its own half day on the relevant leg of your trip.
Which is harder, Casaroro or the Mambukal falls trail?
Casaroro, comfortably. It is roughly 335 steps down and back up plus 20 to 30 minutes each way over boulders on an unmaintained river route, about an hour and a half to two hours all in. Mambukal’s trail is far gentler for the first two or three falls, on a proper forest path, and only gets steeper and longer if you push on to the higher ones with a guide. If fitness or mobility is a question in your group, Mambukal is the one that flexes.
Is Pulangbato Falls worth visiting alongside Casaroro?
Yes, if you have a half day in Valencia. Pulangbato needs far less walking than Casaroro and sits next to the Red Rock hot spring, so most visitors do Casaroro first while fresh, then Pulangbato and a soak afterwards.
How many of the seven Mambukal waterfalls can I actually see?
Most visitors walk to the first two or three falls on an easy forest trail. Reaching the higher falls is a longer, steeper hike best done with a local guide, and how far you go is entirely up to you on the day.