Whenever I think of Siargao Island, I imagine myself waiting for a decent swell to roll in. When it finally does, I follow through by paddling my way to meet the forming waves head-on—the first step in a notoriously difficult process culminating in trying to stand up on my surfboard right before crashing hard and being swallowed by the white water. It is a failure of catastrophic embarrassment, ending with my head emerging from the ocean almost short of breath and struggling to swim back to safety.
Siargao Sans Surf Board: Exploring the Non-Surfing Attractions
As if my surfing shame doesn’t end there, I mentally visualize countless veteran surfers laughing hard at me. While my vision of Siargao may seem daunting and frightening—akin to walking straight into a lion’s den—in this instance, it's a beach littered with the watchful eyes of the surf community's elite, leaving a poser like me with nowhere to hide.
That’s Alright Brother
But that’s not the case in real life, as I quickly found out. While taking photographs of the beach on our first morning, a local surfer sleeping comfortably on a hammock at the Cloud Nine view deck asked me if I was going surfing. I answered him in Tagalog, “I’m just a newbie, maybe next time.” He replied back with a reassuring smile, “Okay lang yon kuya, lahat nag-sisimula sa hindi marunong” (That’s alright brother, everyone starts from scratch when learning to surf).
I realized the local surfers aren’t the type to make fun of wannabe learners. Nobody was born an expert at anything, anyway. As much as I wanted to give surfing a serious shot, I knew I still needed to accumulate countless hours of practice in a more laid-back surfing location—such as La Union or Baler—before I dared take up space in the lineup with the surfboard-riding sharks of Siargao.
This is the exact reason why I eagerly welcomed this chill journey to Siargao as part of Cebu Pacific Air’s media trip. A big part of my relief came from seeing the itinerary only mention “Surfing” on the very last day—and even then, it came with a cautious note stating “if we have time.”
The immense pressure of visiting Siargao to show off non-existent surfing skills and risk total embarrassment somehow vanished into thin air. I know I’ll eventually have to return to this island with an advanced ability to ride the waves. But until then, I would much rather explore the rich, non-surfing attractions of Siargao first.
Plotting a simple Siargao itinerary other than hitting the many surf breaks? Here's a brief rundown of the places we visited.
Sugba Blue Lagoon
Situated right smack in the middle of a protected 4,000-hectare nature sanctuary—which also boasts the second-largest mangrove forest in the Philippines—the sight of the clear waters of Sugba Blue Lagoon sliced through my consciousness like a Zen knife. A deep state of calmness quickly took hold of me. I was utterly amazed at how magnificent Mother Nature formed these azure-colored waters as they snake around the scattered karst islets off the coast of Del Carmen.
A forty-minute drive from General Luna to Del Carmen and another hour and a half of boat riding completed our morning journey to Sugba Blue Lagoon. As we cruised inside the mouth of the lush mangrove forest, I saw small fishing houses built on stilts, surrounded by the thick vegetation of the islets.
Inching nearer, the waters became increasingly greener, and the very first thing I noticed as we approached the makeshift wooden jetty was the lone pontoon house, housing the dining and receiving area where visitors are advised to check in and hang out.
This is also where you can rent stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, and various inflatable flotation devices. After securing a table to place our gear, our group split up to pursue our own agendas. I started off with the paddleboard before shifting to a kayak.
There were more than fifty people visiting that day, but the sheer size of the lagoon means you can still thoroughly enjoy a profound sense of isolation surrounded by various kinds of coastal shrubbery.
An eight-foot wooden diving board built adjacent to the walking platform became our primary playground after a satisfying lunch consisting of adobo squid, grilled liempo, steamed shrimps, and fresh crabs. Everyone eagerly egged each other on to jump, and when someone displayed hesitation, two little girls displaying massive bravado stepped up to show how it's done. They took turns jumping into the water more than a dozen times, to the absolute astonishment of everyone—including their mother. “Mommy, we’re going to jump again!” the older girl would declare the moment they swam back up to the dais.
Magpupungko Natural Rock Pools
We took our sweet time at Sugba Blue Lagoon, knowing we didn't have to rush our drive to Magpupungko, which is located about an hour away. The absolute best time to visit this geological wonder is during low tide, so the stunning tidal pools fully emerge from beneath the receding ocean.
We arrived slightly ahead of the afternoon crowd at around 4:30 PM. While the tides weren't completely low yet, the golden sheen of the setting sun kissing the rugged rock formations provided a surreal, cinematic scene. Seeing the clear waters shining like polished crystals, I wasted no time and quickly waded right into them.
Not long after, our entire group was submerged neck-deep in the refreshing tidal basins, thoroughly enjoying a late afternoon dip to cap off a beautiful day exploring Siargao sans a surfboard.
Naked Island
The next day, after returning from Bucas Grande—which is located two hours away by boat from the main island of Siargao—we passed by the stunning stretch of Naked Island.
Naked Island is one of three widely visited white sand islets located off the coast of General Luna in Siargao. Because we were pressed for time, we only managed a quick stopover at Naked Island. Good or bad depending on your travel preference, the island is decidedly not a nudist beach; rather, it is similar to many pristine sandbars across the Philippines, such as the White Island in Camiguin—completely bare, blindingly beautiful, and I'm deeply hoping it remains that way forever.
Despite a heavy downpour and cloudy skies, we still made the most of our short time here, and whatever “wish I could stay longer” thoughts I had quickly morphed into plans for a return trip to Siargao soon.
Time is always a bummer, so we unfortunately missed out on the two other islands: Guyam and Daku. We made up for it, though, by spending the rest of our brief 4-day trip in Siargao going on a food-trip feast, checking out some of the island’s best places to eat.
And yes, next time I head back to Siargao, I better finally pick up surfing—and never miss out on Guyam and Daku islands again!
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Since December 17, 2017, the Philippines’ leading carrier, Cebu Pacific Air, has been flying direct between Manila and Siargao six times a week.
