Take the off-beaten path and visit Tagnote Falls when in Butuan. Butuan City is located in the province of Agusan Del Norte, and is known as the gateway of the south because of its location in between other provinces in Mindanao, and its accessibility via plane and ferry. It was also known as a trading hub back in the early days. 

Butuan City is a busy place, with a couple of shopping malls and lots of restaurants, but there is really nothing much to see there. I did some Googling on the tourist attractions within the city and to be honest, none of them was looked remotely enticing. I Googled for places near Butuan and two results came up - a mountain good for a minor day hike and a waterfall. Because I wanted to be back by lunch time to do some last minute shopping, I decided to go to the waterfall.

Roughly an hour away from Butuan City is Tagnote Falls. It is a hidden gem that is easily accessible by taking public transportation from the city. I took an early morning van from Butuan City and arrived at the waterfalls a little more than an hour later, and it was beautiful. Not to mention that since it was still early, I was the only person there.

Travel Notes

How to get there:

  • From Butuan City, take a van or a jeepney going to Cabadbaran and ask the driver to drop you off at RTR. The van ride is around 30 minutes. Landmark is Rose Bakery at the corner. From there, take a tricycle going to Tagnote Falls. The tricycle ride takes 15 to 20 minutes.
Expenses:
  • Van from Butuan City to RTR - Php50
  • Tricycle - Php30 (but I opted for a round trip which cost Php100)
  • Entrance Fee - Php20
  • Jeepney from RTR to Butuan City - Php30

It was a short yet sweet trip and I like getting to explore remote places like this. Tagnote Falls was breathtaking, and it definitely satisfied my craving for a nature trip that weekend. This trip also ticked off my 30th out of 81 provinces in the Philippines: Agusan Del Norte.

I would definitely recommend going to Tagnote Falls if ever you find yourself in Butuan City. It can be done as a half day trip and it is very cheap to go to.