Pacalat River, situated in Mangatarem is a great way to cool off on a humid day. If you’re in Pangasinan we recommend heading to Pacalat River for a relaxing day with friends and family.
You can easily spend the whole day here so we have created this complete guide to Pacalat River with everything you need to know.
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Where Is Pacalat River?
Pacalat River is located near the town of Mangatarem in the province of Pangasinan on the island of Luzon. Although not overly touristy, Pacalat is a popular hotspot with the locals.
How To Get To Pacalat River?
The easiest way to see Luzon in our opinion is to bring your own tricycle or hire a car, however, it can be done by bus…
From Manila you need to head towards Bolinao on a Victory Liner Bus and get off the bus at Mangatarem Public Market. From here hire a tricycle to take you to Pacalat River, we advise you to ask your driver to come and collect you as public transport from the river is non-existent.
If you’re traveling by car, the road to Pacalat is extremely bumpy and virtually off-road, therefore we recommend parking up in the town and hiring a tricycle from there.
How Much Does Pacalat River Cost?
The entrance fee is ₽10 per person. Kubos are also available for rent for ₽300
When Is Pacalat River Open?
7am – 6pm
Pacalat River, Mangatarem, Pangasinan
The Pacalat River is connected to a nearby Dam, primarily used to provide irrigation to nearby towns’ crops. The river is the perfect stop over for people hiking Mount Mangatarem and nearby locals visiting for a relaxing day in the summer months.
What To Expect At Pacalat River
If you have your own trike, there is tricycle parking next to the river. Here you can hire a kubo for the day to leave your things, eat and find some well needed shade.
The river itself is pretty shallow until you make your way further down the towards a collection of boulders where the depth goes down to around 9ft meaning you can jump and dive into the river.
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Overlooking the river is a long hanging bridge, we think this is no longer in use as it looks run down and dangerous… so we wouldn’t recommend trying to cross that.
We enjoyed a full day at Pacalat River, sharing good food from the nearby town with our friends and family. There are also a few vendors selling fish balls, snacks and souvenirs onsite.
Alternatively for a cheaper day out, if you bring your own trike or car you could bring lunch for everyone to enjoy in your Kubo!
Essential Items for Backpacking
Allowing you to fill up water whenever and wherever with peace of mind, plus you’re helping the environment
The week sprays will not work! Make sure to bring a high DEET percentage spray made for the tropics. We also use Mosquito Wipes.
Water Shoes – Lightweight with Protection
Stay protected from sea urchins with these shoes. Also useful for trekking to waterfalls and snorkelling. We also love our microfibre towel and dry bag.
Life while travelling will never be the same again! Charge multiple devices all at once in any country… game changer.
Top Tips For Travelling The Philippines
If you’re visiting the Philippines here are our top travel tips:
- Book flights in advance – they can become expensive if you leave it last minute… oh and check your luggage allowance to skip expensive check in fees at the airport. Don’t forget your Apple Airtags to track your bags
- Agree on taxi prices upfront – when getting into a tuk-tuk, tricycle or taxi, make sure you agree on a price or they have a meter, so many tourists get ripped off with a huge price tag at the end of the ride.
- Take it slow – don’t feel the need to see all the islands, we recommend picking a few and doing them properly. See the island in full, find some locals and sing Karaoke..
- Embrace the chaos and get stuck in, the locals are friendly and love to help and share information about their home!
- For a checklist of what’s needed to pack for your trip, read: How to Pack for Backpacking to South East Asia: Backpacking Essentials and Accessories
Final Thoughts On Pacalat River
Overall, the Pacalat River Mangatarem Pangasinan is a great day out with friends and family, whether you have young kids to entertain in the shallows or a group of friends to have a drink and do some cliff jumping into the deeper water. Rent a kubo, grab a beer, enjoy some great food and have a great day out on the Pacalat River!
