About the Area
Getting to Siargao Island and seeing the unusually high waves may intimidated first-timers. But don’t worry, these waves are not as scary as you think simply because they are considered to be one of the island’s main attractions, also home to local surfers.
Known as the Surfing Capital of the Philippines, Siargao is a teardrop shaped island located in the north-eastern part of Mindanao, which consists of nine municipalities and a couple of smaller islands surrounding the Siargao main island.
Siargao is a simple town where locals live a simple tropical life surrounded by vast coconut farms, isolated coves, and enormous waves. It was around 2010 when tourists started coming in as they discovered how majestic the waves on this island are. News about this new surfing destination spread like wildfire and the influx of tourists since then has become unstoppable.
Siargao is surely a place you’ll fall in love with, so it’s best if you spend at least four days on the island. The best time to visit is during its dry season, between March and November; but for thrill-seeking surfers, the waves are strong all year round! You can even try joining the Siargao Cloud 9 Surfing Cup, which is held particularly between September and November.
Experiences in Siargao
Surf, obviously.
You can’t visit the Surfing Capital of the Philippines and not try riding the waves. Siargao has 15 different surf breaks around the island whichprovides different surfing levels for all kinds of tourists, whether they are beginners or expert surfers. Some of the more popular surf breaks are Cloud 9, Stimpy’s, Daku Reef, and G1.
Drive through the palm tree-lined roads.
Aside from swimming or surfing, you’ll see pictures from Siargao with the view of roads with coconut tree farms on the side, truly a tropical paradise. Even without planning on it, you’ll pass by this road on your way to the other spots in Siargao, such as Magpupungko Rock Pool or Tayangban Cave. The most common mode of transportation in Siargao is a motorcycle, also the best way to enjoy the picturesque view during your road trip.
Jump off the diving board in Sugba Lagoon.
Sugba Lagoon is a popular spot for tourists that’s surrounded by mountains. It’s a short daytrip away from General Luna. Stretching over 4,000 hectares,
Sugba Lagoon is also a nice place to do some cliff diving; a pontoon house in the area is readily available with a diving board you can jump off to. Tip: For a cooler photo, take pictures from the second floor.
Explore greater Siargao through island hopping.
The Siargao island-hopping tour will take you to three islands: Daku Island, Guyam Island, and Naked Island, together with a delightful seafood lunch. These are like small private islands that are just patches of sand, lined with a couple of coconut trees which all have crystal clear waters. If you like to have some fun, you can pretend that you’re a castaway stranded on an island.
Finish a whole pizza at Kermit.
One of the must-try food in Siargaois pizza from Kermit Surf Resort; it’s only served during dinnertime and sold as a whole (sorry, no single slice service!). People say that pizza here is so delicious that you’ll forget your name, you might even finish a whole pizza to yourself.
Kermit’s secret to a good pizza is sticking with tradition. Their pizza maker came all the way from Italy and they use the freshest ingredients from the island.
Travel Tips:
The waves in Cloud 9 can sometimes be immensely huge. For beginners, it would be best to hire a surf instructor so there’s someone to help you safely navigate the waves.
Waterproof your gadgets! Make sure they’re stored in a Ziploc bag while doing all your beach activities to prevent your phones, cameras, batteries, and chargers from getting wet.
Expect a rocky seabed in most surfing areas. Expect to get light scratches when you fall off your surfboard.
Learn the tide times. You can do this by asking locals or searching the web. Some attractions like
Sohoton Cove and Magpupungko Rock Pools are best visited during low tide.
Parties happen all around the island. The best parties are held on Friday nights.
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