Walking to Pundakit Falls

There are two ways to get to Pundakit Falls from Pundakit, San Antonio, Zambales.

Option 1 (This option is no longer available since there is a fence blocking the trail to the falls near the ridge)

1. From the beach of Pundakit, walk towards the ridge (picture on the right). You will be crossing the Pundakit River on your way there. You may opt to take the cheap boat ride if Pundakit River has strong current.
2. When you reach the ridge, there is a small river. Walk upstream to reach the falls.

Notes

• During the dry season, the river is turned off. But you could still follow the water pathway to get to the falls.
• The rocks are slippery, be careful.

Option 2 (Advisable)

1. From the beach of Pundakit, cross the Pundakit River. After crossing, walk about 20-40 meters away then turn left and look for a pathway that is parallel to the beach.
2. Just walk on the pathway for about 150-200 meters and you’ll be arriving at the falls.
   

   (Left) Local guides we got from Mang Florante; (Center) Ana, Sir Nap and Sir Jun walking on the pathway; (Right) Some part of the trails are filled with water because of the rain

Notes

• I wanted to put specific points on where you need to turn left from the beach. But the beach in Pundakit is very dynamic. Sometimes the beach had a short shoreline. Sometimes the beach had a long shoreline that even the connection of Pundakit River to the sea is blocked.
• According to Mang Florante, a local bankero, sometimes there are people that ask for a fee on the pathway for you to pass through. This is illegal, you could go to the baranggay hall to report the incident.

If you’re unsure on the way to the falls, it is best to ask help and directions from the locals. Plus, if you’re lucky they’ll tell you information regarding the place. Just like we did. 🙂

When we arrived at the falls, some of the locals were having their drinking sessions. My first reaction was “Two thumbs up for getting a great place for a picnic!” but I quickly switched into observation mode checking if we were disturbing their inuman session. Since I wanted to go up to the falls, I needed to pass beside them. They all smiled and offered me a drink. I respectfully declined and quickly changed the topic if the falls were always active. According to them, we were lucky to arrive at the falls during a rain because it is the time when the falls are at its best. During the dry season, there was not enough water for the falls to be active making the water stagnant, with lots of insects and stinky.

I excused myself by saying that I wanted to go to the top of the falls. They all warned me that I should be careful since it will be a steep climb with slippery rocks. It was!

As I went up, local children arrived. They were quick to climb and when they reached a high ground they suddenly jumped! Some of the people who were drinking also followed. That’s when I realized that there was a deep basin in between the cascading falls.

When I got back near the inuman session, they told me that the basin was about 10-12 feet deep. Though this is a fun thing to do, be careful when doing this. Don’t do this unless you have someone watching you and measure how deep the water first before jumping. Remember that you are about 15 minutes walk away from Pundakit baranggay proper.

If ever you get to Pundakit Falls, please be accountable for all your trash. Bring them back to your resort and throw them in trash cans. Please practice Leave No Trace. Please don’t ruin the beauty of the falls by leaving your garbage and vandalizing the place.

Also, respect the locals by using the words “po” and “opo”. This is their place, not yours.

Follow my Pundakit, Zambales Series

• Nagsasa Cove – Anawangin Cove – Capones Island – Camara Island Itinerary
• Boat Rate Standardization at Pundakit, Zambales
• Walking to Pundakit Falls
• 5 Peso Boat Ride in Pundakit
• The Clean Vendors of Anawangin