10 Reasons why you should visit Siargao Island



Facing the mighty swells of the Pacific Ocean, the teardrop-shaped island of Siargao has garnered numerous accolades in recent years; including being voted as the "World's Best Island" by Conde Nast Travelers—an esteemed travel and luxury magazine—and a number of widely-read travel sites. Despite the growing popularity of the island, Siargao still retains its remote vibe even in the face of increasing development. Therefore, more travelers are now opting to go to Siargao over other more touristy islands like Bali in Indonesia and Phuket in Thailand.

Reasons why you should visit Siargao Island

When it comes to holding its own against other popular islands in the world, Siargao present tourists a unique set of charms and appeals. If you’re still not convinced in visiting the island, here are ten reasons why you should visit Siargao Island soon—and for sure, you will understand why it currently holds the unofficial title of “World’s Best Island”.

Home to Pristine White Sandy Beaches and Islands


Siargao isn't only known for surfing. In fact—among many things—the island boasts of many picturesque white sandy beaches, sandbars and islets. Setting out on an island-hopping tour will gift you with a memorable experience jaunting from one jaw-dropping location to the next. There's the tree-less islet of Naked Island. Like its name suggest, it is bare and comprises only of a circling sandbar surrounded by pristine sea waters. 

Reasons why you should visit Siargao Island

Then there's Guyam Island, a small round-shaped island adorned by towering tropical trees in the middle and Daku Island—the biggest of the three. Daku Island is characterized by a long stretch of shoreline covered with fine white sand, swaying coconut trees and surrounded by azure-colored waters. It’s a must to reserve one whole day to explore all three islands.

Spectacular Set of Nature


Lagoons, rolling hills, caves, surfing breaks, sandbars and islets—and then some—comprises the great outdoor setting of Siargao Island. Blessed with an abundance of spectacular nature, one can never run out of activities to do in the island. From kayaking, swimming and platform diving in the emerald waters of Sugba Lagoon to catching the stellar sunset at the Magpupungko Rock Pools to other many hidden gems like hiking trails, waterfalls and caves—Siargao seems to have it all in terms of nature appeal.

Reasons why you should visit Siargao Island

Travel tip: Feast over sumptuous fresh seafood at Sugba Lagoon and take Instagrammable snaps of yourself standing on the wooden diving platform against the emerald-colored waters and the lush green forest of the surrounding islands. Chance your visit to Magpupungko Rock Pools during low tide so it’ll expose the natural pools. This usually coincides during the hour before sunset.

Even if it isn’t a part of Siargao, Bucas Grande is only a couple of hours by boat from Siargao Island. Don’t leave the island province without going to Bucas Grande to kayak to the lagoon filled with stingless jellyfish and explore the other gem known as Sohoton Cove. Allot a separate day to tour both Bucas Grande and Sohoton Cove.


Reasons why you should visit Siargao Island

Exciting and Vibrant Surfing Town


As the known surfing capital of the Philippines, Siargao has more than 15-plus known breaks. The most popular is Cloud 9—where even Red Hot Chili Peppers' front man Anthony Kiedis once surfed—located at the town of General Luna. Surfing season starts in the latter part of August and lasts until October. 

Reasons why you should visit Siargao Island

The rest of the year brings average waves ideal for beginners wanting to learn to surf. Almost all the resorts in General Luna employs expert surfer instructors who provide lessons. Notable resorts here include: Kermit Siargao, Harana Surf School and Buddha's Surf Resort just to name a few.

A Melting Pot of Cultures


It is not uncommon to meet someone in the island who came from other countries. In fact, most of them originally planned to stay in Siargao for only a few weeks—but ends up staying for months and even years. The exceptional appeal of Siargao Island attracts a mixture of people from all over the world and in turn, transform the island into one exciting melting pot of cultures.

Reasons why you should visit Siargao Island

Travel Tip: Don’t be shy in befriending other travelers from around the world. Treat each encounter as an opportunity for you to have a cultural exchange learning experience.

Delicious Local Culinary Scene


Where to eat in Siargao

Siargao has a thriving culinary scene where you can choose from a wide medley of local and global cuisine. Here, exists a fusion of varied tastes at the same time focusing on sustainability. Despite the growing number of food establishments, almost each one follows the "no single-use plastic" rule. With many restaurants opting to source their ingredients from local farms, a wide ranging selection of healthy food options are available on the island. Going on a food tour all over Siagao can already become a highlight of your trip. Every "Where to eat in Siargao" list can easily fill up twenty places to go.

Thriving Art Scene


There’s something about surfing islands that attracts artists from all over the globe. Siargao is no different. From painters, tattoo artists, spoken word poets, musicians, writers, actors and more—you’re bound to meet someone inclined to arts on this island. Mix them with the already talented local artists and you get a flourishing art scene that harness more creativity. So, if you’re a writer experiencing “writer’s block”, then a trip to Siargao will get you out of that funk.

Quaint Spiritual and Yoga Retreats


Sustainability, artistic enrichment and healthy living aren't the only growing lifestyle trends on the island. Spiritual holidays and Yoga are also becoming popular activities in Siargao. Many resorts are now offering spiritual retreats and yoga sessions to travelers. Many travelers end up staying for a month or two doing both. So, other than indulging in outdoor activities and binging on food, why not allot time to also enhance your body and mind through a quiet retreat or sessions of yoga in the chill setting of Siargao.

Chill Island Nightlife and Adventure Activities


After thrilling yourself to an abundance of adventure activities like scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, surfing, cliff diving, wakeboarding, cap your day by partaking in the island's night life. Each night, a designated place is penciled out for everyone to gather, meet and have fun. This is a great opportunity to meet like-minded travelers and meet new friends—of if you're lucky—meet the "one".


Friendly Locals


Filipinos are generally known as hospitable bunch. The residents of Siargao island is no different and may even be friendlier. Traveling to Siargao especially for anyone who doesn't speak the local language is very easy as most locals can speak English and Tagalog and are approachable and willing to help. Why wouldn’t they? they live in a very chill and laid-back setting.

Affordable and Sustainable-Friendly Accommodations


Apart from having a wide ranging selection of accommodations on the island catering to upscale, mid-range and budget travelers, most resorts and hostels on the island also practice sustainability measures. This means lesser use of single-use plastic (most are even banning the use of it), use of organic wastewater system, solar energy and refillable bottles for drinking water and shampoos and soaps. Aside from these wonderful development, the accommodations in Siargao features beautiful aesthetics and designs built from earth-friendly materials.

Travel Tip: To save up on money—and to meet other travelers, try staying at a hostel in Siargao.

Siargao doesn’t just get the title of “World’s best island” for no reason. In fact, these are just ten of the many reasons why you should visit and experience the island—if not now—then sooner the better.