Discovering spirituality in Casaroro

Really, there is not much to do in Casaroro Falls, except perhaps to bathe in its many small pools, but then again, it is not about simply having a swimming party with friends. A trip to Casaroro is a spiritual experience that will help one to appreciate the beauty of a garden formed naturally with centuries of care by Mother Nature herself.

It will take you an hour’s climb to reach the mouth of the entrance of this mystical place. Then, having been permitted to enter its gates, you go down the 350 cemented and steel steps of a very narrow stairway lined on one side by wild flowers with bees and butterflies skipping from one blossom to the other, and on the other side a deep and perilous ravine.

Around you are the lush greenery of a forest untouched by human hands: giant wild ferns and thick foliage of various wild floras which may have existed for decades if not centuries.

On reaching the bottom, you take the cemented pathway bordered by blossoming wild flowers on the other side and a quite silky river humming its soothing song; then you cross a sturdy hanging bridge which may have been there for centuries.

The cemented pathway ends in a hidden shed where you can view the monstrous beauty from afar. But then it beckons you to come close, and should you accept to take the challenge, you go down and map your path amidst the slippery rocks and decaying fallen trees. You can hear the song of birds and other mysterious sounds egging you to move on.

This is not a scene from a fantasy-adventure movie, but this is the experience that you would have once you agree to take the challenge to brave the trek to Valencia’s mystical Casaroro Falls.

Safely tucked in an enclave surrounded by the rich flora of Mt. Talinis, Casaroro Falls majestically plunges into a valley that gently accepts its constant battery of ice cold sweet water.

Rocks smoothened by the caress of the water makes intrusion difficult, yet people brave to see and experience this scene. Not so much to bathe in its cool and refreshing waters, but just to view its endless beauty; to trace its flow; to look up and marvel at the rays of the sun gently pushing its way into the impenetrable cover of the trees above, forming a rainbow as it gently touches the spray of mist produced as the water gently flows to the bottom of the enclave.

The water smoothly glides down, passing huge rocks and creating small cascades, more welcoming and inviting. Along its course are small ponds and pools where people can play around and be refreshed by its cool waters. Running its course, it waters farms, fills public pools, a private resort, down to the city until it reaches the sea.

The trip to Casaroro Falls was a first for me, even though I am a certified Valenciano for most of my life. To be here, to witness and to be able to appreciate the beauty of the crudeness of nature made me realize that no artificial garden with its smoothened simulated waterfalls could match this.

Really, there is not much to do in Casaroro Falls, except perhaps to bathe in its many small pools, but then again, it is not about simply having a swimming party with friends. A trip to Casaroro is a spiritual experience that will help one to appreciate the beauty of a garden formed naturally with centuries of care by Mother Nature herself.

There is a reason why development has not caught up with Casaroro, and that is for us to be able to appreciate that none of the make pretends of this modern age could replace a natural wonder.

Casaroro Falls is located in Valencia, a 30-minute jeepney ride from Dumaguete City. From the town proper you can hire a motorcycle which will take you to a place near the entrance of the falls. You can leave your motorcycle in one of the many houses along the way, and to ensure that it will be looked after by the owner of the house, give him a small tip.