Everything You Need to Know Before You Go to Siargao
Imagine an island in the Southern Philippines completely filled with coconut trees, with crystal clear blue waters and smiling locals. Our time on the island was short and sweet, but as a result definitely became our favourite place in the Philippines.
This was our third time in the Philippines, and after exploring Sagada, Banue, Palawan, and Cebu, we jumped at the chance to explore the southern islands.
How to get to siargao
Up until recently, it was rather complicated to get to Siargao from Manila, as you would have to fly through Cebu. Now, Cebu Pacific offers a brand new route to Siargao on their Cebgo route, and getting to this paradise island is so easy! We used www.valuealliance.com to book our flight to Siargao, as we found the cheapest options on there.
The airport in Del Carmen, Siargao, is a super basic airport, with just two rooms- one for arrivals and one for departures. There are 2 ATMS located outside the airport doors, and while there are no food vendors inside the airport, the airport parking lot has plenty of snack stalls set up. There you can also buy a sim card for your phone- we found that the phone company Globe had the best coverage for data in Siargao.
Another option is to fly to Surigao City and take the $5 ferry to Siargao Island.
Siargao Island is relatively small in size and you can drive around the whole island in about 5 hours- but there are so many things to do that you’ll want to stop every so often. It is best to pick a base and set off on your daily explorations from there.
Getting around siargao
The best way to get around Siargao is by scooter bike. You can easily rent one for $5 a day- just don’t forget to wear a helmet. The roads are well paved and very wide, and if you haven’t learned to drive a motorbike, this is the perfect place to learn!
If you are uncomfortable on a motorbike, there are various private car services you can rent for the day (or week) when you’re in General Luna.
Where to stay?
There are two main places to stay in Siargao- General Luna and Pacifico. These two towns are about an hour apart. General Luna is bigger, with far more restaurant and accommodation options than Pacifico. All of the island hopping boats also take off from the harbourfront.
Siargao is still a relatively undeveloped island, and you will notice that most accommodations don’t have hot water heaters or decent Wifi. Tomaides Place Homestay was simple but perfect for us- it was a room with a private washroom, the best wifi we found on the island, and a lovely family that made you feel at home. Other affordable options are Sentro Suites, Balay Hayahay, and Avocado Tree Hostel.
If you are looking for luxury, there is also Siargao Blue Resort and Nay Palad Hideaway.
What to do?
Siargao is one of those places where everything to do is outside. We recommend renting a scooter for 300 PHP a day and heading out on your own. The roads are really safe and not busy at all- this is the perfect place to learn to drive a scooter if you don’t already!
There are countless places to explore in Siargao, from coconut tree roads, lush mangrooves, and island hopping. Click here for the best places on Siargao.
Where to Eat?
Siargao has some really tasty food options, and you can find somethings for everyone’s budget.
Cheap Eats
Miguel’s Taqueria- tasty quesadillas, burritos, and tacos for $1.50- you can’t go wrong here! Their beer is served ice cold and the wait for the food is never long.
Aventino’s- simple pizzas that start at $2.50. They are more on the basic side but for that cheap, you can’t complain!
Mama’s Grill- affordable Filipino BBQ eats. It gets really busy in the evenings so be sure to arrive early!
Affordable Eats
Kitya’s Place- this boho rustic café serves all day breakfast starting from 10:30 am. The shakshouka for $4 makes for an extremely filling breakfast and will leave you full to dinner. They also serve free water here.
The Pleasure Point Café- we found the most filling breakfast here. For 250 PHP, you can get 3 pancakes, fruit salad, and a cappuccino!
Sushi Nori- some of the best sushi we have had in a while. Their poke bowls and sushi tacos are to die for!
Harana- the restaurant of the surf resort which serves classic Filipino meals with a twist. We loved the Adobe Bibimpap and the chicken shawarma.
Bravo- run by a Michelin star trained chef, here you will find Spanish-style cuisine. The veggie burgers and the peri-peri chicken.
Altrove Siargao- this pizza chain seriously serves some of the best oven baked pizzas we have had in the Philippines. We try to go to one location every time were are in the islands.
Cev- some of the best ceviche we have ever had. They serve traditional ceviche and kinilaw, Filipipno ceviche. We absolutely love the General Luna kinilaw, which comes with the catch of the day, spiced mango, rice, sweet calamansi, sweet potato and black beans.
When to Go?
The Philippines rainy season differs from island to island. So the best time to go to Siargao might not always coincide with the dry season on another island.
March to May is when you will get the most sun while July to November is the best for surfing season. The one thing we learned is that the weather in the Philippines is never entirely predictable- the day can start off cloudy and end up being all sunny!
We actually went end of January during rainy season, and while it was cloudy with occasional rain 2.5 out of the 5 days we were there, we made the most of it. We were lucky and got to do almost all of the stuff we wanted to and got some epic beach shots as well. The sun is super strong here so we did get really nice tans.