If you’re not a surfer, chances are you’ve never heard of Siargao. It’s one of the tiny islands in the Philippines, and it’s the best place to surf in the country. Sure there are other places in the country where you can surf, but there are times in the year that the surf in those areas grow flat. According to locals, Siargao is the only place in the country where you can surf all year round. The biggest and best waves appear during the peak season from August to November, but you can find good surfing spots any time of the year— at least that’s what the locals say. And the best part is, there are a lot of surfing spots to choose from. If the famed Cloud 9 gets crowded, you could find a good surf break elsewhere that you might even have all to yourself.
Even if you don’t surf, Siargao has so much more to offer. The island has lots of beautiful beaches, arguably some of the best ones in the Philippines. And the best part? It’s not that touristy so it doesn’t get as crowded as the other beaches in the country. Even during peak season, the place exudes such a laid back vibe. Yeah there’s a kick ass nightlife, but it doesn’t get too rowdy. Probably because the island mostly attracts surfers from all over the world, and generally surfers tend to be more laid back when they gather around.
Now since it’s not really one of the top tourist destinations in the country, the options of getting to the island are pretty limited. The easiest way is to take a plane from Manila or Cebu. Planes from Manila can be quite expensive, so it’s best to book in advance if you plan to go to Siargao. Planes from Cebu are much cheaper, so it’s a better option if you’ll be basing yourself in the center of the country. A slightly cheaper way would be to fly to Surigao and just take a ferry to Siargao. Now, since peak surfing season coincides with the monsoon season, keep in mind that flights do get canceled depending on the weather. Even the ferries from Surigao get cancelled because the waves in the sea between Surigao and Siargao can often be large and erratic. It’s less of a problem during the summer months, though it can still happen during sunny weather according to one local I’ve spoken to. So if you plan to travel during peak surfing season, keep your schedule really flexible. The cheapest way from Cebu would be to take a ferry to Surigao City and then take another one to Siargao. This whole trip costs about 25-30 USD. It’s really cheap but again, keep your schedule flexible since these trips get cancelled in inclement weather.
I usually stay at hostels whenever I travel, but as of now choices are pretty limited in Siargao. Those that are available are pretty good though, as long as you’re not too picky since these hotels are pretty basic. You see, the Philippines isn’t really a common backpacking route in Southeast Asia, hence there’s a paucity of hostels in the country. You’ll find a lot in very touristy areas that seem to attract backpackers like El Nido and Boracay, but in most places in the country you won’t find any. Siargao lies in between these two extremes. Since the island has been attracting a lot of surfers from other countries, hostels started to sprout up. These hostels are fairly new. I’ve been told that 5 years ago there were no hostels on the island. That doesn’t mean there are no budget accommodations. What you’ll usually find in the Philippines are cheap motels, small hotels/ resorts, or pension houses — those are like bed and breakfast places in the US, only without breakfast lol. Even with the presence of hostels in Siargao, staying at pension houses or small hotels and resorts can be a cheaper option if you’re not traveling alone. If you want to splurge, there are luxury resorts in Siargao. Even those fancy places exude a laid back island vibe. The commercialized resorts and hotels haven’t invaded yet, and that’s certainly a good thing. Food and transport is cheap too compared to the more touristy places in the country. It might be quite pricey getting to Siargao, but you won’t break the bank once you’re there.
Even surfing lessons are priced quite fairly. If you wan to learn how to surf, this is supposed to be the best place in the Philippines to learn. An hour of lessons only cost a little over 10 USD. If you already know how to surf, you can just rent a board for about 8-10 USD for the whole day. For advanced surfers Cloud 9 is the most popular spot, and with good reason. This is where you’ll find barrel waves during the peak months. Even if you’re not an advanced surfer, it’s worth a visit since it’s a good place to hang out and watch the pros as they catch and ride waves. The surf break is quite far from the shore. To make it easier to reach the break, they built a wooden walkway where surfers would go down at the end where it’s closer to the waves. This way, surfers also avoid having to wade through the shallow reef. The viewing deck is also at the end of this walkway. There’s another surf break in the middle of two islands (Daku and Guyam) and it seemed real crazy the first time we got there. Our boat stopped in the middle of the sea and i thought our guide was kidding when he said to jump and just wait for the waves. That was the first time i did something like that. Usually you’d come from the shore, swim to the waves, and the waves will take you back near the shore once you ride em. On this surf break, the waves petered out in the middle of the sea, still quite far from shore. That surfing session was really surreal. i forgot what that surf spot was called but for sure the locals know it! Take note that most surf breaks around the island are in the middle of reefs, so be prepared for several cuts here and there if you plan to surf. I had lots of battle wounds on my legs and back after each surf sesh!
Most travelers stay at General Luna since that’s where most of the surf spots are. This is also where you’ll find most resorts and restaurants. But if you’re not into surfing, there are other places on the island where you could stay. Rates are cheaper too. An hour away by land is the town of Pilar, quite famous as a jumping off point for game fishing. I don’t really like fishing, plus the waves were ridiculously gigantic when we went out to sea that day— there were literally walls of water on both sides of our boat i honestly thought we were gonna capsize. If i was surfing i would have loved waves like that— not so much when I’m on a small wooden boat. I swore I’d never do that again lol. There’s a nearby attraction in Pilar for those who don’t like fishing– the Magpupungko Tide Pools. During high tide it looks like any other beach on the island, save for this huge rock that should be tipping over but it doesn’t. During low tide the landscape changes altogether. You’ll see dozens of mini pools of varying depth. It’s like something you’d see in a fairy tale.
As for other stuff you can do— island hopping would be on top of the list as well as snorkeling. The most famous tour would be a tour of the nearby three islands: Pansukian (i.e. Naked Island) Guyam, and Dako. Pansukian is a sand bar in the middle of the sea. You won’t see anything there at all, save for a few birds. Quite interesting and you can take some neat photos, but it’s not a good place to spend a lot of time on due to the lack of shade. Guyam island is picturesque. It’s a small island with coconut trees in the middle. From afar, it looks like something you’d see in a travel magazine cover. Some people choose to spend a lot of time here, but most opt to stay at Dako island, which is big enough to house a community of people. here you’ll find several stores and it’s a good place to relax and sunbathe since most tourists stay on the mainland. It’s easy to find a secluded spot all to yourself.
A trip to Siargao wouldn’t be complete without going on a day trip to the Sohoton Lagoon. Well technically it’s on another island, the Bucas Grandes, but it’s a common day trip from Siargao. It only takes about an hour by boat— it’s kind of a long trip but once you get there, you’d realize that the scenery makes it all worth it. It’s way different from what you can see in Siargao Island. There are caves that you can explore, as well as lagoons that you can swim in. There’s even one lagoon filled with non stinging jellyfish and you can swim in it (as long as you don’t put sunblock on)! And I used to think I’d only find a place like that in Palau!
Overall, I loved Siargao and i wouldn’t mind coming back again and again. Sun, sand, and surf all year round. And it maintains that laid back vibe despite the influx of tourists. What more could you ask for? Siargao is truly a tropical paradise.
no roads to follow 