Siargao
Hi there! 👋 I’m @benjtupas and welcome to another Travel PH82 Guide 🇵🇭 where I write DIY and budget-friendly guides for group and solo travelers on how to visit all 82 provinces of the Philippines!
Let’s virtually explore Siargao in the province of Surigao del Norte!
Summary
Siargao is an island with one of the friendliest people, great cafes, diverse activities, friendly dogs everywhere, and a place where life is slow! 🤙
Day 1: ✈️ Direct Flight to Siargao 🚌 Van Transfer (Book Here) 🛖 RGL Place Siargao (Book Here) ☕️ Siargao Corner Cafe (🎥 Episode) 🌅 Catangnan Bridge (🎥 Episode - 5.2M views) 🥄 Yassi Siargao (🎥 Episode)
Day 2: Land Tour (Book Here) 💦 Maasin River (🎥 Episode) 🌴 Maasin Coconut View Deck + Highway (🎥 Episode) 💦 Sugba Lagoon (🎥 Episode + Perfect Dives) 🌊 Magpupungko Rock Pool (🎥 Episode) 🌊 Cloud 9 Boardwalk (🎥 Episode) 🥄 Kurvada (🎥 Episode) 🥄 Halika (🎥 Episode)
Day 3: Island Tour (Book Here) 🥄 JMs Carenderia 🏖️ Naked Island (🎥 Episode) 🏝️ Daku Island (🎥 Episode) 🏝️ Guyam Island (🎥 Episode) 🌊 Secret island (🎥 Episode) 🥄 Pan de Surf 🥄 Loose Monkey (Cartel) (🎥 Episode) 🍺 Harana (🎥 Episode)
Day 4: Surf at Cloud 9 🛵 Rent a Scooter (Book Here) ☕️ Spotted Pig 🏄 Surf at Cloud 9 (Book Here) (🎥 Episode + Comedy) 🥄 Lunch at Karinderya in front of Kurvada 🥄 Shaka Siargao 🌅 Cloud 9 Boardwalk 🌅 Catangnan or Sunset Bridge 🥄 Bravo
Day 5: Discover Uncommon Places 🛵 Rent a Scooter (Book Here) 🏝️ Secret Beach (🎥 Episode) 🏝️ Doot Beach (🎥 Episode) ☕️ Green Waves Cafe 🚌 Van Transfer (Book Here) ✈️ Flight Back Home
Let's start with the complete 5-day travel guide. 😍
Day 1: Foodtrip and Sunset Bridge
✈️ Book a Direct 2-Hour Flight to Siargao via Cebu Pacific
Things to Note:
Please choose a window seat! You'll see the majestic Mayon Volcano on the way to Siargao. Unfortunately, the window of the plane had a lot of scratches. I didn't have good photos. 😆
There's this huge penis-shaped island. I'm not sure where this is. If you know, please send the name of the island on Instagram. 😆
Siargao's airport has the smallest baggage carousel I've seen so far and I think it’s unnecessary 😆
🚌 30-Minute Van Transfer to General Luna
Book a van transfer from the airport to your accommodation. (Book Here)
Siargao offers decent vans. You'll feel like a celebrity for a fraction of the cost. Good job to their tourism office. 👏
🛖 Check-in at RGL Place Siargao
General Luna is the center of Siargao's tourism. This is where we booked our accommodation.
We chose this place coz Kurvada, Siargao Corner Cafe, Green Waves Cafe, Halika, and the tourism office of the Island Tour are just within walking distance.
P1,100 per night for 2 persons (Book Here)
Say hi to the friendliest island dogs during our stay. This dog in the photo excitedly welcomes us every time we come back from the tours. Consistent since day 1! Well-trained employee of the place.
☕️ Brunch at Siargao Corner Cafe
The cafe looks beautiful in the morning and even more beautiful at night.
It has a mini view deck on the second floor.
You have to leave your slippers before going up to truly experience the island life: eat breakfast on bare feet. 😍
Sample order: Hungarin Suasage (P179) and Latte (P120)
📍Catangnan or Sunset Bridge
Also known as Sunset or AFAM bridge 😆
Ride a tricycle for only P50 if your accommodation is within General Luna
There’s nothing special about this bridge but wait until 4PM to 5PM onwards:
It gets crowded with skateboarders from beginners to pros who will entertain you for free. 😂
If they see you pointing a camera at them, they will put on a show so you’ll have an awesome memory to share.
You’ll be presented with a beautiful sunset 🌅 and the relaxing sound of the waves 🌊 from the beach heading toward the bridge
🥄 Dinner at Yassi Siargao
They serve one of the best chicken barbecues (P139) and halo-halos (P200).
That’s coming from a guy who grew up in Bacolod, the home court of the best chicken barbecues in the country, and apparently for people who are not humble. 😆
There are a lot of dogs there!
Day 2: Land Tour
🥄 Breakfast at RGL Place Siargao Sample order: Tapsilog (P150)
🚌 Land Tour 07:30AM to 04:30PM P1,900 per person (Book Here)
💦 Maasin River
🌴 This is where you'll find the legendary coconut tree swing. 🚣♂️ You can ride the kayak or balsa here 💪 The main event: jump from the diving platform to the river. I didn’t jump here but I jumped twice in Sugba Lagoon in day 3 of this guide! 😂
🌴 Maasin Coconut View Deck + Highway
Siargao won’t be complete without coconut trees standing tall everywhere you go. 🏝️
You can find these areas here: 1. After the exit of Catangnan or Sunset Bridge 2. Coconut Mountain View Deck - You can find the popular human drones here. 😍 Just pay them the amount you are willing to pay or buy the products they are selling. 3. The road between the Coconut Mountain View Deck and Maasin River
💦 Sugba Lagoon
⛵️ During the boat ride, the route is walled with mangroves and you’ll enjoy looking at other boats frequently going in the opposite direction. 😍 Sugba Lagoon offers diverse activities from platform diving, kayaking, paddle boarding, balsa, and swimming. 💪 I jumped twice on the diving platform. I wanted more but there were so many people waiting in line.
🥄 Free Lunch Near the docking area of Sugba Lagoon.
📍 Magpupungko Rock Pool
🏊♂️ During low tide at Magpupungko Beach, you can enjoy the popular Rock Pools made of natural rock formations and sea water. You can swim and jump from the towering stones. 😱 Don’t attempt to swim on a high tide as the waves can be extremely violent. (See drone shots) 🌊 You’ll enjoy watching big waves, especially during sunset. Sadly, it was raining and the vibe is so gloomy during our time but still pretty.
📍 Cloud 9 Boardwalk
Drop-off if interested.
The Land Tour was so much fun already and it drained our energy so we decided to go home and visited Cloud 9 for a full day on the 4th day.
🥄 Kurvada for dinner
🥗 They serve healthy food here at around P250. 📱 Their marketing is really smart. You must take a photo of your food, show it to the cashier, then pay. There’s a very high chance that you’ll upload the photo on your social media accounts.
🥄 Halika (Ice Cream)
🍦 Delicious gelato! 🍦 2 flavors (Salted Caramel Oreo and Cookie Monster) for P200 😍 You can also taste test first before buying.
Day 3: Island Tour
🥄 Breakfast at JMs Carenderia (Near Kurvada)
⛵ Island Tour 08:30AM to 04:00PM P1,400 per person (Book Here)
Start of Tour:
📍 Meet-up: GL Boulevard (Convergence or Tourism Desk)
I love how Siargao's boats are so colorful. 😍
You need to pay P100 for the Environmental Conservation Fee to the tourism desk
You might need to ride a tricycle to go here coz there's no pick-up for this tour.
Good thing RGL is just a 5-minute walk from the Tourism Desk
🏖️ Naked Island
⛵️ Naked Island is usually the first stop of the Island Tour. 🏖️ It’s called such coz it’s just a bare island but it comes with a beautiful white sand beach and crystal clear turquoise blue water. 🤿 Just a few meters away from the island, you can also snorkel. But there were no visible corals during our time, I guess it was due to the high tide and really strong current. Instead, we took awesome underwater shots because of the transparent water.
🏝️ Daku Island
🧠 Daku means big. If your guide is funny, you’ll hear the joke: The Island of Daks (Pinoy slang for guys blessed with big bananas 🍌) 😆 🏝️ It is indeed the biggest island of the Island Tour. This is where you’ll eat the famous and beautifully designed Siargao boodle fight. 😍 Just like most islands in Siargao, the sand of the beach is as white as Edward Cullen 🧛 and crystal clear blue water.
🏝️ Guyam Island
⛵️ The second to the last destination of Siargao’s Island Hopping Tour. 🧘 You can just chill on the beach, sit or stand on the surfboard swing (this is so cool), and nipa hut swings. 🥤 There’s a store here that offers snacks and shakes but we were still full from the heavy lunch at Daku Island. We haven’t got the chance to try the food.
📍 Secret island
⛵️ The last stop of Siargao’s Island Hopping Tour 🏝️ This island only appears during low tide. We went during high tide so it was secretly hidden underwater. 🤫 Hence, Secret Island. 💧 Not exaggerating but this was the clearest sea water I’ve seen so far. It’s perfect for underwater photoshoots. 😍
🥄 Pan de Surf (Pan de Coco)
One of the best pan de cocos on the island.
After your Island Tour, just walk towards the Tourism Road and ask for Pan de Surf.
You would see them selling on the streets.
We brought it home and our island dog was staring at it non-stop. I think he wants one. 😆
🥄 Loose Monkey (Cartel)
We ate here coz there was an event at Harana so the restaurant was closed.
No regrets though. We love the place and the food was good.
They serve Mexican food. You can eat dinner here before you drink and party at Harana.
🍺 Harana
We were planning to go here to party but there was an event so the party was off.
We only had drinks & left disappointed. 😆
See you on the next visit, Harana! I'll promise to party really hard by then. 👋
Day 4: Surf at Cloud 9
🛵 Rent a Scooter (Book Here)
The reason why we skipped Cloud 9 during the Land Tour is that this place deserves a whole day to itself.
(Hey. Who's into crypto? 😆 There are Bitcoin murals there.)
Since the major tours are done, we rented a motorbike at P400 per day so we can freely tour other beautiful destinations in Siargao. Contact details are curated at the tail end of this Travel Guide.
☕️ Spotted Pig
🥄 Another favorite spot to drink coffee & eat breakfast before surfing near Cloud 9 Boardwalk
🏄 Surf at Cloud 9
👌 The most popular surfing spot in Siargao. 🏄 Book Here 💸 There was a P100 full-day entrance fee but you can skip it by entering via Shaka Siargao's main entrance.
🥄 Lunch at Karinderya in front of Kurvada
If you're aiming for budget meals, there are a lot of karinderyas in front of Kurvada.
Also, I need home-cooked vegetables. 🙏🏻
🥄 Shaka Siargao
Good dessert after lunch
They serve delicious smoothie bowls you can enjoy in front of the beach.
🌅 Cloud 9 Boardwalk
😍 Good news about the Cloud 9 Boardwalk, it's now finished!
🌅 Catangnan or Sunset Bridge
We went back to Catangnan Bridge again to chill and just ride the motorbike aimlessly after. (See Day 1)
🥄 Bravo
They are a resort with a restaurant & a skateboard bowl. Really cool!
You’re allowed to just walk in and eat in their restaurant.
You'll pass by their beautiful garden on the way to the restaurant.
Day 5: Discover Uncommon Places
🛵 Rent a Scooter (Book Here)
This is the reason why you need to rent a scooter so you can explore uncommon places in Siargao.
📍 Secret Beach
🌅 We woke-up at 4AM in the morning to drive to Secret Beach to catch the sunrise. 🛵 It’s a 20 to 25-minute drive from General Luna using a scooter and the location is available on Google Maps. 🚶 You need to walk 10 minutes from the main road to the beach. 😍 The effort was worth it. The sunrise was beautiful and we were the only people there.
📍 Doot Beach
🛖 The Bali of Siargao. A resort that’s being built in this area reminds me of Seminyak in Bali. 🛵 We were on our way back to our hostel from the sunrise viewing at Secret Beach when a local recommended this beach. 📍 It’s only 15 minutes away from Secret Beach using a scooter and the location is available on Google Maps.
☕️ Green Waves Cafe
🥄 They serve good coffee and delicious breakfast. Highly recommended!
✈️ Flight back
Book a van transfer. (Book Here)
Check in and fly back home! 🥹
Thanks for reaching this far!
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Travel Dates: February 23 to 28, 2023
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