Have you ever visited a new place in a foreign country and immediately felt like you belonged? Like somehow the air you breathed came a little easier? And the sites you saw seemed familiar but exciting at the same time? This experience happened for me on a tiny little fairly unknown island in the Philippines called Siargao. After months of traveling through big cities in Asia, the island life of A 5-day trip in May turned into a 2 week stint on this little slice of paradise and it’s a place I know we will visit again.
Siargao is a surfer haven located southeast of Cebu that is what I imagine Bali was like 20-30 years ago. Between stretches of palm trees are dozens of white sand beaches with incredible surf waves based on their position between the reef and neighboring islands. People are rarely seen in anything but a bathing suit and cover up walking around barefoot or in flip flops with seashell anklets and necklaces for any small accessory. The Philippines sun quickly turns even the most sun-deficient skin tanned so bronzed expats zip past on motorbikes heading to a healthy cafe for a smoothie bowl or to a far off beach to catch a wave. And while surfing is a main draw to the island, there is plenty to do off of a surfboard including island hopping, snorkeling, swimming with (non-stinging) jellyfish, indulging in a massage, enjoying some incredible food or of course relaxing on the sand.
Outside of the stunning scenery itself, Siargo is also special for the people that inhabit this small island. I talk about resilience a lot but it’s especially prevalent on this island. In December 2021 it was slammed with Super Typhoon Odette, a Category 5 storm that had winds up to 162 mph. It was the second costliest storm ever in the Philippines (around $1 billion in damage) and had at least 410 fatalities. Thousands of homes, businesses and other infrastructure was completely destroyed and the entire island was devastated. We visited just 1.5 years later and while still in rebuild mode, the residents had put their heart and soul into rebuilding their beloved island, making it an even more magical place to visit. So here's how to get there and what to do!
How to Get Here
Siargao is a 45-minute flight from Cebu. If you are going straight from Cebu, it’s an easy flight on Philippines Air or Cebu Pacific and should be cheap if you book in advance (around $50 USD). If you’re coming from anywhere else in the Philippines like we were, you’ll have to connect through Cebu, which is true of most every destination in this country. Once you get to the airport, there are shared shuttles waiting outside that will take you and other passengers straight to your accommodation.
Where to Stay
Because we hadn’t expected to stay as long as we did, we actually stayed at two places on the island. In general, most people stay in General Luna which is on the Southern tip of the island and where I’d recommend basing yourself. The town of Pacifica on the Northern tip is building itself up and has decent accommodations and food options but is still much smaller than its counterpart.
Our first Airbnb was straight out of a design magazine (listing here). A newly finished white-washed Spanish style bungalow on i’s own private stretch of beach, it was exactly what we wanted to relax and unwind. Because of its private dipping pool and food delivery services on the island, we spent most afternoons and evenings here on the days that we spent at this place. We loved enjoying the sunset at the edge of our yard and watching the neighborhood kids play around the beach, always screaming “Hi!” at us and “What’s your name!”. When I told them “Jordan” they looked at me confused. So using my popular reference I said, “like Michael Jordan”. Still surprisingly blank stares. Then finally one of them says “OH like Jordan Poole!”. I guess the new generation has arrived! After the sunset you could see every single star in the sky due to a lack of light pollution, which is a magical way to end the night. Besides the lovely architecture the place had great finishes like a full espresso machine and my favorite part, a house dog named Obi and a house cat named Kimchi (a name I will now be stealing for my future pet). Kimchi in particular became our constant companion and I still miss her cuddles. It is further from town in a smaller village outside of General Luna which we loved because we got a better glimpse into daily life, but you will need a motorbike to get into town. I highly recommend renting from Lola’s Rentals and Tours. The process was super easy and the bikes are in excellent shape, it was the best rental experience we had in all of Asia.
Because we couldn’t extend at this place we moved to a new Airbnb (listing here) right on the most famous beach in Siargao, Cloud 9. While the first was hard to top, we would actually recommend this place over the first. The location is unbeatable, you are literally staying on the best beach on the island steps away from the surf, delicious restaurants and sunset cocktail spots. It comes with two comfortable rooms and two bathrooms and the best part of all is the host, Mary, a Swedish expat who married a Filipino man and settled in Siargao. The villa is on her family's land and next to her husband's grandparents house so they are always hanging out. It was easy to feel like you were quickly part of their community and Mary was the absolute best at giving recommendations, helping organize things like the best massage ever and our ride back to the airport and when there was one small issue she dropped off the most delicious and huge loaf of banana bread. She is a true testament to what hospitality should look like and we all hugged like we were long-time friends when we finally had to depart.
Either way, stay somewhere close to General Luna where you can enjoy all the town has to offer.
What to Do
Get a surf lesson - obviously this is a surfer paradise for a reason and there are waves ranging from beginner to advanced. They even host a surf competition here in September when the waves are huge. But for us beginners, me included, you can rent a board and a surf instructor on Cloud 9 beach for $10 for an hour. There are literally dozens of locals walking the beach offering lessons and rentals so you just need to get to Cloud 9 beach and you’ll be set!
Rent a motorbike and do a loop around the island - This 3 hour(ish) loop is a great way to see the island. Start in General Luna and head to Pacifico where you can have lunch and hop in the water. If you continue along the loop on the Northern island you’ll pass through stretches of road with palm trees flanking all sides and stay along the coastline that we thought resembled Hawaii. Plus you’ll pass through local villages of curious and friendly kids.
Beach Hop - Instead of regurgitating everything, you can follow this guide that Johnny Melon put together for the best beaches on Siargao that we used. Just remember to check the tide charts to make sure it’s high tide when you go!
Swim with hundreds of jellyfish - 2 hours off the coast of Siargao is a jellyfish sanctuary, one of the only places in the world where you can swim with and hold hundreds of jellyfish. On the tour you also get to visit a few other caves, do some cliff jumping and explore the beauty of the Philippines islands
One of the activities that put Siargao on the map a few years ago is an iconic palm tree rope swing that became a must for insta photos. It’s now very touristy (we didn’t partake) but it’s still something you can visit and some love to see while on the island.
Shopping in General Luna! The streets are lined with swimwear, cute t-shirts, dresses, surfboards, etc. I bought a couple necklaces with natural sea pearls grown right off the coast of the Philippines for a very good price. There are lots of gems to find when walking around the town.
Sunset drinks at Pop Up Bar Siargao - This is literally right next door to the second Airbnb that we stayed at and on Sunday and Wednesday nights they have live music. It’s the best spot to chill and watch the sunset with some cocktails or a San Mig beer.
Watch the sunset at Sunset Bridge. Aptly named, this is a bridge at the edge of General Luna that has an excellent sunset view. While the sun is descending, vendors set up snack carts and pop up bars and tourists and locals alike take up residence on the sides of the bridge and longboarders skate down the middle. It’s a great energy at the best time of day.
Where to Eat As I mentioned, Siargao is full of delicious and mostly healthy food. There are tons in General Luna but here were our favorites:
Las Barricas - Best food we had on the island. The tacos are great and we loved the stuffed peppers so much that we ordered them twice. Plus the staff was super kind and asked for every guest's name and remembered them the entire time we were eating there, plus made connections between guests when we said where we were from (we met another couple from Los Angeles who were just starting their year of travel so it was fun to talk with them about our experiences!). Overall great place to eat
Cumin Siargao - Yummy Mediterranean food. The salad and skewers were delicious
Goodies: Cafe, Restaurant & Gift Shop - We ate here a few times and I may have bought just a few things from the adorable gift shop. All healthy items like salads, wraps, sandwiches and bowls. Plus you can order tacos from the truck next door
Spotted Pig Cafe - Great for breakfast / brunch items. They’re known for their eggs benedict but I went rogue and ordered a tuna sandwich (much to Tim’s chagrin he hates canned tuna). But it was amazing to me!
Shaka Cafe - Famous for smoothie bowls. You’ll find half the island eating here around 10 am post surf or sea dip
Zicatela Siargao - Another great one for tacos (we were really enjoying the great Mexican food here). You can tell that these people have actually been to Mexico and know what Mexican food should taste like
Munchies @ Jacking Horse - Right on Cloud 9 beach. Fresh seafood with huge portions. We had the fish sigsig which is a Filipino dish with chopped up fish, peppers, onions and other delicious things. Sounds a bit odd but tastes great!
It’s hard to put into one short article the magic of this speck of an island in the vast archipelago of the Philippines. While we enjoyed other parts of the country, this was by far and away our favorite place and we fantasized numerous times about buying a piece of land and just staying put. And I’m not alone in my assessment - Condé Nast Traveler’s readers named Siargao the Island of the Year in 2021. So, when you’re craving a tropical vacation outside the norm of Hawaii or Bali go check out Siargao (and maybe bring me with you?!). But please, don’t tell too many people. Let’s keep it our secret :)
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