Before we arrived in this breathtaking country, I got a lot of inspiration for what to see in The Philippines from Instagram.
I was constantly saving lots of amazing photos from The Philippines and thinking “I need to go there”.
Well, it turned out that the vast majority of those pictures were taken in beautiful Siargao.
So naturally, I was super excited to visit!
I was actually worried it wouldn’t live up to the reality of Instagram, but I can tell you... it's even better in “real life”!
So, sit back, relax and find out everything you need to know about this incredible island and the top things to do in Siargao.
First up...
Before they had an airport, getting to Siargao was a bit of an annoyance, but now there's an airport, you can get there super easy!
Flights go from Cebu and Manila directly, so if your starting point is either of those big cities, then just hop on a flight for around $50 (depending on the season).
We actually flew from Puerto Princesa in Palawan, with a stop over (of about 5 minutes haha) in Cebu, and it was the same price, so a visit to Siargao is still possible even if you’re on the other side of the Philippines.
We flew with Philippines Airlines, but Cebu Pacific also flies here. I suggest you check SkyScanner for the best prices!
Actually, you can also get to Siargao without a flight, but it’s a little more hassle. You’ll need to make your way to Surigao (which looks like Siargao, and also has an airport, so make sure you don’t book the wrong one when booking flights!)
From there you can get a ferry to Siargao to Dapa port, and you catch a quick ride to the “main” area of General Luna or Cloud 9 from there in about 20 minutes.
This website has information on all the different ferries available.
For transfers anywhere in The Philippines, you can find the best availability and prices with 12GoAsia.
When it comes to getting around Siargao, you've got a few options at your disposal.
Also Check Out: Getting Around The Philippines: All Your Questions Answered!
You can stay all over the island of Siargao, but below I’ve listed the most common spots and why they’re good.
Do remember that Siargao isn’t a very big island, you could round trip it in around 4 hours, so basically wherever you choose to stay, as long as you have a moped, you can easily access all the great parts of the island.
General Luna is the tourist hot spot of Siargao. It actually very much reminds me of Canguu in Bali. It’s got 2 tourist streets which are lined with restaurants, bars, boutique shops etc.
It’s also bursting with surf shops and great accommodation options. Basically, this is the best place to base yourself if you want easy access to everything on the island.
We stayed in an Airbnb, which I am not going to recommend as it wasn’t great. But, if you do opt for Airbnb in general, you can use my sign up code for money off your first booking here.
But you can check all hotels in General Luna here.
Cloud 9 is around 3 miles from General Luna and it’s the surfing hot spot of Siargao. The problem is, the surfing is so popular with beginners, it becomes way overcrowded and pretty unsafe to surf.
But the area itself is again filled with great bars and restaurants, and if you’re looking for accommodation that’s a little quieter, then it’s a great place to stay.
Bradley and I stayed in “9 Clouds Homestyle Accommodation” and it was perfectly fine. Good WiFi, good air con and the food was decent!
Dapa town is basically another town on the island of Siargao. It’s a good place to stay for surfers, because it’s got some pretty great intermediate spots.
It's also still close to the other two places I've mentioned above.
Read Also: Best Accommodation In Siaragao
Okay, now for the part you came for, a list of the top things to do in Siargao.
This list is based on everything Bradley and I did, apart from like 2 or 3 things as we ran out of time. However, I thought they were worth mentioning anyway so you can pop them on your Siargao bucket list.
So let’s get right to it, keep reading for my top guide on the best things to do in Siargao, Philippines.
If you don’t already know, then I’ll tell you. Siargao is actually really famous for the thousands upon thousands of palm trees on the island.
It’s covered by them, and this is probably why it's been voted one of Asia's most beautiful islands (and was voted as the very best in 2021). Anyway, this makes for some scenic shots.
But if you want to get an epic shot of the coconut palm trees stretching for miles, then make a stop at the viewpoint on the North to South Road (the island has 2 main roads, you’ll see it on your way to the Magpupungko rock pools).
You’ll also know you’re there (not because of the obvious thousands of palm trees in the distance) as everyone will be taking pictures and there's a couple of drinks stalls.
This is a great place to fly a drone, and if you want to avoid crowds, go early in the morning or around 2 o'clock (we drove past then and it was empty).
It’s a nice spot for sunset too!
Okay, the second Siargao activity to make my list is the rock pools otherwise known as Magpupungko.
I will be straight up with you, I was least impressed with this. Basically, I thought it was going to look like the pictures (bad idea, because once you do that, you always set yourself up for disappointment).
But, when we arrived, it was packed with people, and the “main” rock pool was crowded with kids and adults, with lots of children peeing.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s refreshing, but it’s not as impressive or “beautiful” as I’d hoped. Then again, the sun wasn’t fully out, so perhaps our timing was wrong.
Saying that, there are a few other rock pools which are smaller but away from the “main” pool which are much prettier.
Be sure to visit at high tide.
If you’re hungry, you can get food at the place as it’s lined with restaurants, but they’re crap and it took about 45 minutes for them to serve me a tiny piece of chicken and about 7 french fries...
Busy busy busy…
The Magpupungko Rock Pools are located some 35 km north of General Luna, which can be driven in under an hour.
Pacifico Beach is located up the east coast of the island, and is much less crowded than many other beaches. It’s actually one of the “pro” surfer spots, so rent a moped and get a surf rack, then get yourself on the road.
You can visit the Pacifico Beach Resort whilst there which has its own private beach bar. For just 100 PHP you can also enjoy all of the amenities on-site (such as their deck chairs and umbrellas).
There are a couple of bars and places to eat up there too, but we did visit one restaurant, waited an hour for food and it was pathetic and disgusting...great experience all round then! :P
Pacifico Beach is located around 43 km north of General Luna, and can be driven to in around an hour. Given its route, it’s worth doing a small road trip and seeing sights such as the Coconut View Point and Rock Pools of Magpupungko along the way.
Therefore, it’s the perfect destination to add to your itinerary around Siargao Island.
Surfing in Siargao is definitely one of the top things to do! If you’ve been craving some surf in the Philippines, then this is your best bet.
There are lots of great surf spots in Siargao but the most popular beginner spot is near Cloud 9 which is quite shallow and no exaggeration, has over 100 people in the water, so it’s not really safe for normal surfers.
Below is a list of the surf spots in Siargao and their level.
If the surf spot is located on an island off the coast (which quite a few are), you can get a boat there and back for 300 PHP. This gives you a minimum of 2 hours surfing the waves here.
Board rental is cheaper the longer you have it. So for 2 hours it’s around 300 PHP, for a day it’s 500 and you can rent for weeks/or even a month for an even better rate.
Bradley did surf in Siargao, but actually cut his back on the reef, so be super careful. You’ll see lots of people with bandages on their arms and legs from being dragged on the coral! Lol
But, if you do want to learn a new skill, then this should make your list of things to do in Siargao.
You can check out this comprehensive guide for more advice on surfing in Siargao.
So, this is one of the popular things to do in Siargao that we didn’t do. We went and everything, but turns out you need a guide to take you to Tayangban Cave Pool, and there was a 40 minute wait for the next guide and already a big group of people.
It was hot out and I actually hate caves with pools, so it would have just been Brad. But if you like to swim in blue waters in a cave pool, then this is perfect for you.
Entrance is 100 and a guide is 200, so it’s about 300 PHP per person.
Tayangban Cave Pool is located roughly 23 km north of General Luna, and can be driven to in around 30 minutes. The site is open from 9:00am until 5:00pm all days of the week.
Sugba Lagoon was one of those spots I saw on Instagram that I knew I had to visit when I came here. It’s super beautiful, and of course makes the list of top things to do in Siargao.
Okay, so there are two ways to do this. You can either book a tour. We were quoted 1900 pesos and that included the transport up to Playa Del Carmen, and the boat over to the ferry, including entrance.
We thought this was a little overpriced, so we decided to DIY, which is easy.
All you need to do is rent a moped for the day (average price of 350 pesos per day), then you’ll need to make the drive up to Port of Del Carmen. The ride takes about 40 minutes and you’re going to want to go on the first boat that leaves at around 8am.
So you’ll need to leave the General Luna/Cloud 9 surfing area at around 7am at the latest.
Check out my full guide on Sugba Lagoon for more information.
When we arrived, there was actually a wait for the first boat and it was already super busy (which was annoying), but anyway, boats started leaving at 8.30 am.
You queue for a ticket and you book a “tour”. There are actually a selection of tours available, some of which I’m going to discuss below too and then you’ll get an overall idea of price. (but you can check that guide I mentioned above for even more detail!)
Basically, the boat costs 1,600 regardless of how many people are in it. You can fit 6 people, so if you’re a group of 6 then, it’s going to be super cheap.
If you don’t have people you came with, you can ask the crowd if there is anyone that wants to join to keep costs down. We tried this and no one wanted us, so we had a boat for two!
We were maybe the second boat there and we had about 5 minutes of peace before crowds and crowds of people filled the water and the one deck that’s there to stand on (they charge you 50 pesos to use a table, 50 for a life jacket, and 300 for a kayak)
It’s a really beautiful place, but it’s too touristy, overcrowded and it’s ruined by that. Even being the first people there doesn’t work, as it gets super busy quickly.
I can’t even remember if we went on a weekend which made it worse, but it was crazy!
There are two jumps you can do, the most iconic one is basically just filled with locals taking pictures at the top and not actually jumping. Poor Brad had to wait in a queue of like 13 people just taking photos… stupid.
Anyway ,if you rent a kayak and go around the corner, there is another jump which is much bigger, and a lot scarier, plus hardly anyone at it! So if you love adrenaline, you can do that.
It’s not for me, so I stayed bobbing along in my kayak watching Bradley jump...
Sugba Lagoon is located some 10 km off the shore of Puerto del Carmen, with the boat ride between them taking around an hour.
You can also pre-book your spot to Sugba Lagoon. We recommend heading on this organized tour, which includes round-trip transportation, all safety equipment as well as a tour to the mangroves. Speaking of which…
The mangroves are pretty cool and they can be combined as part of a tour with the Sugba Lagoon. There are hundreds of Mangroves, and it’s one of the biggest Mangrove forests in all of the Philippines.
You can check out amazing wildlife and crocodiles, and you can head to the Mangrove viewpoint for an awesome view. It's another great place to fly travel drones!
The Mangrove Forest Guided tour is known as Tour B and costs 1,600 for the boat plus 300 entrance fee, or Tour A will give you the view from the deck for 600 pesos for the boat plus environmental fee.
This is a pretty basic but cool sand bar that you can check out on your way to Sugba Lagoon. It actually stops here first and it’s a great place to get drone shots.
The cost of the combination tour is 2000 pesos for boat rental, 150 for docking fees, and environmental fees.
There are other combination tours available which can combine all 3 sights and a stop at a beach, so check them out before you make a decision.
The Sand Bar is located on the same-named Kawhagan Island, which is located just 500m off the coast of Kangbangyo Island (where Sugba Lagoon is located).
Ah, Maasin Bridge has to make it on my list of top things to do in Siargao. It’s again another item I saw via Instagram and couldn’t wait to visit.
What’s super interesting about this place, is the fact that it’s just been made a tourist destination in December 2018.
Before that it was remote, secluded and you didn’t pay an entrance fee. Locals began to realize they could and it’s only a 20 peso entrance fee, and you can rent out a boat and rafts for a couple of hundred pesos if you wish.
We went early in the morning and there were lots of locals swimming and jumping in from the crooked palm tree into the water!
Bradley climbed and jumped twice, but be aware, this palm tree will eventually break….
Whilst you can visit independently, you can also book a tour if you prefer having all logistics handled for you.
It’s a really beautiful place and again a fantastic spot to fly a drone. I recommend it (if you've got the time) to rent a little boat and ride down the river itself.
The Maasin Bridge is just a 17 km drive north-west of General Luna, which takes around 25 minutes to get to. It’s open from 7:30am until 6:00pm all days of the week.
Alegria Beach is located in the “Santa Monica” area of Siargao, so up North, and it’s probably my favorite beach in all of Siargao.
It’s tranquil, quiet, clean and the water is lovely. It’s a great place to chill with friends with a bottle of rum. When we visited there was no entrance fee or cost to park your moped.
Alegria Beach is located in the extreme north of Siargao Island, although it takes just over an hour to drive to from General Luna in the far south.
Read Also: Great Backpacking Destinations Around The World
As you've worked out by now, Siargao is bursting with amazing palm trees, and you’re going to want to get pictures with some.
Basically, if you’re driving with your moped, just pull into a road that looks like it’s heading to the sea with palm trees and you’ll have the place to yourself.
We did this twice and on the first spot we met a bunch of friendly locals who were drunk at 11 am and offered us some rum (I took a sip so as not to be rude ;) ), then the second spot there was absolutely no one around apart from lots of little piglets which was super cute.
Now, what I will warn you is, coconuts fall and they can kill you.
Bradley was standing beside a tree and we heard BANG, right next to him a massive coconut fell and it would have killed him if it hit him, it was massive.
So, from that, we started walking between coconut trees and when we were near one, we wore our bike helmets.
You know coconuts will fall once they start to go brown, so if they’re all green, then you should be okay, but honestly it's not worth the risk.
In typical tourist spots they take down the coconuts to eliminate this risk, so when searching for new places on your own, just be aware of the coconuts!
If you’re close to General Luna and don’t want to go searching randomly, then you can also head to the classic Coconut Trees View Deck (which is just a 20 minute drive from the city).
Santa Monica Pier is basically in the Northern part of the island and it’s literally just a pier, but it does offer a nice view.
So if you’re looping the island anyway, then it’s worth a stop off, but don’t go out of your way purposely to visit. I think because this is such a non-touristy spot, it does make it one of the nicest places to visit in Siargao.
However, it's no Santa Monica Pier in LA :P
The Santa Monica Pier is located in the town of Santa Monica, which is a 1 hour drive from General Luna. We recommend heading around here in the evening to watch the sunset.
Sohoton Cove is a day trip from Siargao via boat. You can do this with a group tour, or a private tour. But there’s no way around it, you’ll need to go with a boat as it’s a little island area of its own.
Basically, it’s a long day and the area looks amazing, but we ran out of time, so if you’re staying more than 4 nights in Siargao, then you can easily add this onto your itinerary.
Imagine beautiful greens and contrasting blues that look like broccoli (in a way). Honestly, you’ll be impressed by its beauty.
Bucas Grande Island is an island in which the cove is located. There is lots to do from jumping off platforms, to countless caves and swimming, renting kayaks etc.
Since we didn’t do it, I can’t give you full details on the experience, but you’ll have seen the pictures on Instagram and it’s easy to book a tour by just stopping at one of the tour agencies in General Luna.
Sohoton Cove is located some 40km south-east off the shore of Siargao Island, and a trip here usually visits other nearby sites like the Jellyfish Sanctuary.
This was without doubt the number one top thing to do in Siargao, for me. I’d go as far to say this was one of my favorite island hopping tours and experiences in all of the Philippines.
It’s the same route for all island hoppers. You go to Guyam island, Daku, and Naked island where you can go snorkeling.
First stop is at Guyam island which means “small island” and it’s super small, but SUPER beautiful. The water is so pure and amazing and there are two “natural” swimming pools too.
It’s a privately owned island and you can actually rent it out for weddings or private groups to yourself...if I had to own a private island, I would choose this one.
(Psssst, check out my guide to booking the ultimate Siargao island hopping tour).
The next island is Daku, which is just as stunning, but a lot bigger. There are actually 700 families who live on Daku island, so there are lots of places to eat and drink.
At this part of the tour you have lunch here, and the lunch on this tour was the best I’ve ever had.
Not only were the portions massive, but they had noodles, which for someone who is allergic to rice, is just amazing, especially in the Philippines where rice is what they live on for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The last stop is Naked Island, which is basically a sandbar. It’s fine, but it’s not as impressive as it would be if it didn’t have loads of people on it. Also, put lots of suncream on when you’re here.
Afterwards you’ll get to snorkel at a coral spot and there are lots of great fishes on offer, even Nemo fish (Clown fish).
We went with Experience Siargao and it was an awesome day. What made it even better was the free flowing supply of rum we got all day for free.
I wasn’t aware about the rum, so when our lovely host said “So, shall I start making some rum for everyone”, I was like, wooo island hopping parttayy!
That was fun. It was the cheapest tour on offer as well with lunch coming in at 1000 per person and 150 if you want to rent a snorkel.
We had a fantastic day, with a brilliant group of people!
You can also head with this organized tour where you’ll visit all three islands. It includes transport, pick-up and drop-off, and all fees.
The Cloud 9 Boardwalk is literally just a boardwalk that goes out into the water with nothing on it in the Cloud 9 Surfing Area.
So I reckon it’s purpose is for the crowds that watch the surfing competitions here when they occur.
They charge you 50 pesos to walk down the pier, which I personally think is silly to charge, but hey ho. Don’t sneak, they catch you. But if you get the spot on its own, I reckon it would be one of the more romantic things to do in Siargao.
The Cloud 9 Boardwalk is located on the north part of the beach, and is pretty easy to spot once you reach the sands. As well as watching the sunset, it’s also a great spot to come and witness the beautiful sunrises too.
If you like to party, then you’ll love Siargao. As I mentioned before, it has a Canggu vibe to it, and honestly, every night there is a party going on.
Brad and I actually headed out for drinks on a Friday, watched live music, went to the “club” (the queues for drinks were really long and we just weren’t in the dancing mood”, but we did watch a guy do some pretty cool tricks with fire.
Basically there are endless places to drink, and when rum and coke (with very generous measures) are 60 pesos...then yano, you might have a hangover!
There are lots of great places to meet other backpackers if you’re traveling solo. This includes Mama Coco as well as in Hang Loose Hostel.
You can check out this comprehensive nightlife guide for General Luna which covers the very best spots.
I actually saw this advertised on the way out of Siargao to the airport, and I thought it looked pretty awesome.
Wakeboarding is essentially an extreme sport where you are towed by a boat and can also do jumps and other tricks.
It also looks really new here, but this is the poster for it, so you can get an idea of where to find it, and also who to contact if you are interested.
You can also head to the Siargao Wakepark which is located in General Luna, and is open from 8:00am until 8:00pm all days of the week.
If you’ve spent a while island hopping in The Philippines and just need some “me-time” and somewhere to relax and chill for a few days, or even a few weeks, then you’ll find Siargao is the best spot.
You’ll find healthy food options, yoga, massages and everything you need to relax and rejuvenate your body for a few days.
If you’re interested in yoga, then you’ll find plenty of options in General Luna. The Bodhi Yoga Centre is one of the best, as well as Tawhay which are both located just outside of the city center.
I hope you enjoyed my top things to do section here in Siargao. If you’re wondering how many days you need to fit all these things in, then keep reading as I discuss a variety of Siargao travel itineraries to suit you.
To help make your trip even easier and to ensure you get to complete our list of top things to do in Siargao, we’ve created some Siargao travel itineraries.
We stayed in Siargao for 4 nights and 5 days, but I’ve also provided a shorter 2 day Siargao itinerary, and a 3 day itinerary!
If you just want to experience the highlights of what’s on offer from Siargao, then I suggest you spend one day “looping” the island, which will include all the major stops. Then, on your second day, take an island hopping tour from 10 am to 5pm, then catch the sunset with a beautiful dinner!
A 3 day Siargao itinerary will include a loop of the island on day one to hit all the best spots such as the Maasin bridge, best beaches etc.
The second day will see you island hopping to check out all the amazing islands next to the island of Siargao.
The 3rd can be your day to visit the brilliant Sugba Lagoon, which we suggest you leave super early for, and then you can even add in other spots up there such as the Mangrove tour.
Since 4 days in Siargao is what we did, I've written a full guide that helps you plan your itinerary with exact places to see and things to do!
For more information, read my full guide on planning a 4 day Siargao itinerary.
I never really include sections on where to eat, but Siargao had some really great places that Bradley and I loved, so I thought they are definitely worth mentioning since there is A LOT of choice on the island.
This place does awesome vegetarian and vegan food, for a great price. You can literally dine on the beach under the stars and the drinks are very reasonable. I had a veggie burger (amazing) and brad had the faux Meatballs and Pasta!
We dined here about 3 times because we loved it. It’s a relaxed vibe offering burgers, full roasted chicken, wraps, etc and they are all fresh and delicious, AND super cheap.
Drinks are also really affordable, and the rum and coke measurements are to my liking...i.e LARGE! They are also open pretty much 24/7, which is awesome.
This is an Italian chain in The Philippines. It’s fine, it’s decent, but compared to Italian food elsewhere in the world, this place is overrated, BUT, if you’re looking for wholesome carb food and delicious pasta flavors, then I do recommend it, plus cocktails and drinks are super cheap.
It’s also a nice vibe as well, and I think it’s a great spot for a romantic dinner date.
It’s actually a chain in The Philippines and they do amazing smoothie bowls (picture-perfect). I loved their iced coffees and it’s 300 pesos for a smoothie bowl and iced coffee which isn’t a bad deal. It’s right on the beach which is a perfect spot to relax.
It’s really hard to get any sort of decent coffee in the Philippines (which pained me), but their coffee is great.
Siargao can be as expensive or inexpensive as you want it to be. Accommodation in the form of hostels and dorm rooms are pretty cheap, and you do have a lot of choice.
We don’t stay in dorm rooms, or hostels, so it’s a little pricier for private rooms. But if you want a double room, with a private bathroom and air con then you’re looking at around $20-25 a night.
Less, if you book in advance…
Food wise, you can again do super cheap if you eat local, for around $2 per meal. Or you can increase your budget and still get great food for around $3-5 per meal.
Drinks are around $1 for a rum and coke and $2 for a cocktail.
Island hopping is around 1000 pesos, and moped rental is around 350 per day.
So, I would suggest a budget of around $30 for a comfortable room, nice food and the chance to partake in all the activities, oh and a rum and coke!
So there you have it, my Siargao travel guide featuring the best things to do in Siargao.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and that I’ve included most of what you need to know about visiting the beautiful Siargao.
If you’ve been here, or you have anything else I should list on the best places to visit in Siargao, then do drop a comment below.
After Siargao you can take the time to visit one of the other epic islands in The Philippines:
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