Iligan Travel Guide

In a nutshell

Iligan is a city in the north of Mindanao Island in the Philippines and is best known as a tourist destination for great waterfalls. In fact, one of its nicknames is the City of Waterfalls.

Why go to Iligan

Iligan is a large city with almost half a million inhabitants. By landmass, it’s one of the largest cities in the Philippines.

Although the entire country is known for its beautiful and plentiful waterfalls, the city of Iligan in particular is replete with them. Tinago Falls, Maria Cristina Falls, Timoga Cold Springs, and Mimbalot Falls are the most famous waterfalls in and around the city, but there are dozens of less known ones that are more remote and are just as beautiful. If you choose to visit the more remote ones, you should expect fewer crowds, which is a plus! The majority of the waterfalls are to the south of the city, though there are a couple of falls to the north east of the city as well.

If you’re tired of fresh water and are looking for some saltwater, there are plenty of beaches in the area since Iligan is a beach-front city.

Other things to do in the city include a nine-hole golf course, other natural sights, such as caves, walking around the downtown area, and visiting the Macaraeg-Macapagal Ancestral house where two Filipino presidents, Diosdado Macapagal, his daughter, Gloria Macapagal-Aroyyo, and their ancestors lived.

When to go to Iligan

Weatherwise, it’s perfectly fine to visit the city at any time during the year - as neither the weather nor the rainfall changes much throughout the year. The precipitation is spaced out evenly and as such there isn’t a dedicated rainy season or dry season. The temperature only fluctuates only a couple of degrees depending whether it’s winter or summer, so no matter what time of year you visit, it’s going to be balmy and warm.

Where to stay in Iligan

When it comes to finding a room for the night, you may have issues if you don’t want a budget hotel or a high-end resort. Unfortunately, as of this writing, there are few options for lodging that are mid-range. Even so, the high-end options are very nice and the budget hotels are perfectly adequate for budget travellers.

Where to eat in Iligan

If we’re being honest, Iligan isn’t really known as a food destination. However, of course, that doesn't mean that you’ll go hungry either! Like many other Filipino cities that attract tourists, there are plenty of restaurant options for the Western palate. There are also numerous fast food chains such as McDonalds which can be found easily. Of course, if you came to the Philippines intending to eat local food, there are options for that as well.

And, if you've developed a taste for durian in say, a trip to Davao, you will be able to find many durian stalls along the side of the road if you're hankering for a fruity snack. There are plenty of other fruits available if you don’t like the king of the fruits, especially during the fruit season in the summer.

How to get around Iligan

Jeepneys or Jeeps are the most popular way to get around, with the minimum fare beginning at PHP7.5. If you are looking for a taxi, they aren’t hard to find and can be pre-booked with a call to the dispatcher. Habal-habals, or motorcycles with a sidecar are popular options for destinations which are outside the city limits. Or, if you’re very adventurous, you can take one of the tartanillas, which is a shared minivan and is the most popular mode of transportation for locals.

It’s also possible to rent a motorbike if you know how to ride one. Many of the resorts in Iligan can rent them out for their guests, or if you’re not staying in a resort, you can rent one from one of the many shops, which will probably give you a better rate than at the resort anyway.

How to get to and from Iligan

The best airport to fly into if you’re coming to Iligan is the new Laguindingan International Airport. Technically, it’s the airport for Cagayan de Oro, but is also the closest option to Iligan.

Flights arrive from Manila, Cebu, Davao, Bacolod, and Ilolio, and once you arrive it’s an hour and a half from the airport to the city. There is a shuttle that goes to the highway from the airport which costs PHP50. From there you can take the Super 5 bus which comes from Cagayan de Oro and goes to Iligan. The price of the second bus is PHP70. It comes every thirty minutes and is the cheapest way to get downtown from the airport. The most comfortable albeit expensive way to get to Align is with a taxi, which would cost between PHP800-1200.

If you don’t like to fly, you can also take a boat from Manila to Cagayan de Oro and then a bus to Iligan. This is a long journey, it’s not particularly comfortable, and it should only be undertaken by those who are boat fanatics or who really don’t like to fly! There is also a ferry that goes from Iligan to Ozamis if you want to visit or take a day trip.

Is Iligan a safe place to visit?

There have been questions about the safety of Iligan, but the city has been well-protected by security forces and hasn’t seen any incidents since at least 2014. Even so, it’s wise to check with things on the ground before you arrive there just to make sure the situation hasn’t changed. There have also been rumblings about extremists camped out in the mountains near some of the waterfalls that are further afield, so if you’re concerned about safety, you may want to stick with the more popular and therefore populated waterfalls.

However, the city of Marawi, which has made news headlines recently because of ISIS fighters trying to establish self-rule and attacking police and government officials and institutions, is only an hour away in the car, so you never know - things could spill over into Iligan, so again, it’s better to check before you go.