Siquijor: Our Tips for the Philippines’ Dream Island

Things to Do on Siquijor

Although Siquijor isn’t particularly large, there’s so much to see here. The island is one of the most beautiful destinations in the Philippines. To visit all the highlights, you should plan on spending at least two days here.

If you don’t want to explore the island on your own or are short on time, a guided tour is absolutely worth it.

Waterfalls on Siquijor

There are two waterfalls on Siquijor. The smaller of the two is Lugnason Falls, which plunges about ten meters into a pool below — perfect for a swim and a cool-off.

Lugnason Falls are located just past San Juan. If you follow the road east from San Juan, take the first left at the first fork. The road isn’t really paved and is easy to miss.

We loved the Cambugahay Falls even more — they tumble into the valley in several cascades, and you can swim here and even swing out over the water on a vine. Seriously fun.

The Cambugahay Falls are located north of the town of Lazi in the southeast of Siquijor. Coming from San Juan, drive straight toward the San Isidro Labrador Church in Lazi. To the left of the church, there’s a small gravel road where the waterfall is signposted.

Simply follow this path to reach the Cambugahay Falls parking lot. You can park your moped for a fee of 10 PHP (approx. 0.20 euros), and then it’s time to climb the stairs.

About 100 stone steps lead downhill to the waterfall. The bad news: after your visit, you’ll have to walk back up — but it’s totally worth it.

Churches on Siquijor

Every single village on Siquijor, no matter how small, has its own church. Some are simple wooden structures, but most are genuinely impressive buildings.

Our favorite was the San Isidro Labrador Church in Lazi. It dates back to the 19th century and is well worth seeing both inside and out.

If you happen to be on Siquijor on a Sunday, we’d suggest a trip to San Antonio in the interior of the island. Jesus himself is said to visit the church there. Since we weren’t there on a Sunday ourselves, we can’t confirm this — but it sounds like a great reason to go!

A giant tree and voracious fish

The Balete Tree is the oldest tree on the island — and a true giant. In front of it, there’s a water basin filled with hungry little fish.

Sit down at the edge and dip your feet in. In no time, a whole school of fish will swarm around your feet and nibble away at dead skin.

It tickles like crazy, but it’s genuinely fun and supposedly healthy too. You’d normally pay a lot for a fish spa like this — here it’s free.

There’s a 5 PHP (approx. 0.10 euros) entrance fee at the tree. A small donation is requested for using the fish spa.

Mount Bandila-an

Mount Bandila-an is the highest peak on Siquijor at a whopping 557 meters. There’s an observation tower at the top from which you can look out over the island.

In theory, anyway — during our visit, the surrounding trees and bushes had grown so tall that you could barely see anything.

Directions to Mount Bandila-an

Mount Bandila-an is in the center of Siquijor and isn’t that easy to find.

Coming from San Juan heading west, take the very first left turn. The road is more of a track than a road and easy to miss.

After that, the route follows more or less paved paths up and down through small villages.

Every now and then you’ll hit a fork in the road — just ask a local for directions and you’ll be fine. That’s how we made it all the way to the top.

Budget two to three hours for Mount Bandila-an, including the drive through the interior.

Butterfly Garden

After the not-so-exciting mountain, a real highlight awaited us on the way out: Siquijor’s Butterfly Garden.

A local named Dante has fulfilled his lifelong dream here and opened his own small butterfly park. Don’t expect a huge area — right now it’s just one enclosure.

Still, there are plenty of butterflies to see, and Dante himself is super friendly and loves explaining everything.

Admission costs 100 PHP (approx. 2 euros) per person. Dante is also happy to accept donations to help expand the garden.

Directions to the Butterfly Garden

The Butterfly Garden is on the eastern edge of Bandila-an National Park. Driving east from Mount Bandila-an, you’ll reach an intersection where a small sign points the way.

From there, continue straight along a small gravel road — after about 200 meters, you’ve arrived. You can also leave your moped at the intersection and walk the rest of the way if you’d rather skip the bumpy road.

Beaches on Siquijor

Of course, no visit to Siquijor is complete without the beaches — and there are some really beautiful ones.

Solangon Beach

One of the most beautiful stretches of sand was right on our doorstep. Solangon Beach is a long, wide sandy beach lined with palm trees and dotted with fishing boats. It’s not great for swimming though — the water is very shallow and wading in feels more like a mudflat hike.

Solangon is a small village west of San Juan. There are several accommodations right on the beach here, making it something of a low-key base for visiting Siquijor.

“Low-key” is really the word for it — there’s not much more than a few wooden bungalows along the long sandy beach, and honestly, that’s exactly the charm.

In the evening, the sunsets here are absolutely sensational. And a little later, a starry sky unfolds that is second to none — perfect if you want to try your hand at astrophotography.

Salagdoong Beach

Salagdoong Beach is one of the most stunning beaches on Siquijor, tucked away in the east of the island behind a small forest called Salagdoong Forest.

The Salagdoong Beach Resort sits right on the beach. There’s an admission fee of 20 PHP (approx. 0.40 euros) per person and 30 PHP (approx. 0.60 euros) per moped to enter the grounds. The beach itself is beautiful and ideal for swimming.

From a photography standpoint, we actually found the access road through Salagdoong Forest the most interesting part — the tree-lined avenue makes for a great shot.

The beach is lovely, but it does get pretty crowded.

Directions to Salagdoong Beach

Salagdoong Beach is in the east of Siquijor between the towns of Maria and Enrique Villanueva. Coming from Maria, follow the island road along the coast.

After a few kilometers, you’ll see a sign for the beach on the right. Turn there and follow the beautiful avenue down to the sea.

Kagusuan Beach

Kagusuan Beach is a small, almost deserted stretch of sand in the southeast of the island. It’s not particularly long, but the setting is really idyllic. If you’re lucky, you’ll have the whole place to yourself.

Some travel guides warn that pickpockets lurk in the bushes around Kagusuan Beach, waiting for you to go into the water and leave your valuables behind. We haven’t encountered anything like this firsthand, but you probably shouldn’t leave your expensive camera unattended there anyway.

Directions to Kagusuan Beach

Kagusuan Beach is at the southeastern tip of Siquijor. Coming from Lazi toward Maria on the island road, turn right onto a road that varies between paved and very much not paved.

There’s a very small, faded sign at the turnoff — you basically have to be standing right in front of it to read it.

After you leave the main road, continue straight for a while until the road splits. There’s no sign here, but you need to turn left.

You’ll pass through a small village where another sign appears. Eventually you’ll turn right — also signposted — and you’re nearly there. Walk down a few steps and enjoy the beach.

Getting There and Ferries to Siquijor

There are several ferry routes that can get you to Siquijor.

We took the Oceanjet ferry, which runs daily from Cebu City, Bohol, and Dumaguete to Siquijor and back.

Ferry tickets from Bohol to Siquijor

Ferry tickets from Dumaguete to Siquijor

There are also other ferries to Siquijor, most of which go directly to the port in Siquijor Town. A few stop in Larena in the northeast of the island. Since ferry schedules in the Philippines change regularly, it’s worth checking locally to confirm the best route when you’re there.

Getting Around on Siquijor

Most of the island’s attractions are along the coastal road, which circles Siquijor and is about 75 km long. The best way to explore is by renting a scooter. If you’d rather not, tricycles are available and can take you anywhere you need to go.

Renting a Scooter on Siquijor

Riding a scooter on Siquijor is really fun. There’s almost no traffic on the island — you might see a car once every ten minutes, but otherwise the roads belong to scooters and tricycles.

Even if you’ve never dared to ride a scooter before: this is the perfect place to start!

An automatic scooter costs between 250 and 350 PHP per day (5 to 7 euros). The scooters are generally in good condition, and renting one was completely hassle-free — we didn’t even need to leave a deposit. We’ve never had such a relaxed rental experience anywhere else.

The best move is to rent your scooter right after you arrive at the pier. That way you can ride straight to your accommodation, and at the end of your stay, simply ride back to the ferry.

The coastal road is almost entirely paved and in good shape. The inland roads are often unpaved and bumpy, but still totally manageable even for beginners.

One thing to be prepared for: flat tires. We had two in three days. Fortunately, there are small repair shops (vulcanizing shops) all along the main road that can patch or replace your tire. A new inner tube costs the equivalent of 2 to 3 euros, and the labor is even cheaper.

Even if you break down somewhere in the countryside, someone will always help you out. We got stranded in a small village with a flat tire, and by the end there were probably 20 people gathered around us, fixing it and having a great time doing it.

Their requested payment: “One big bottle of beer, Sir, ok?!” Still the best currency around. When we turned one bottle into two, everyone was thrilled — and so were we.

Gasoline is available everywhere in Coke bottles on the side of the road for less than one euro per liter. We had a blast on the scooter and can’t recommend it enough.

Tricycles on Siquijor

If you’d rather skip the scooter, tricycles are your next best option. When you arrive at the pier in Siquijor, an armada of tricycles is already waiting for passengers.

From the pier, there are fixed prices to various locations on the island, listed on a large board. To San Juan, where many places to stay are located, the ride costs 250 PHP (5 euros).

That’s relatively steep for a 15-minute ride. Renting a tricycle for a full day will run you around 1,000 pesos.

That said, we’ve heard the listed prices are likely negotiable — so it’s worth trying your luck. Let us know if it works out!

Where to Stay on Siquijor

One important thing to know: during peak season, many accommodations on Siquijor fill up fast. You can still show up without a reservation and look for a room, but don’t count on finding a beachfront bungalow.

We’ve seen backpackers wandering from place to place in the dark — book ahead to avoid that situation.

Our pick: Charisma Beach Resort

Most places to stay are on the south coast around San Juan. That’s where we based ourselves, at Charisma Beach Resort — and we’d recommend it without hesitation.

There are two simple wooden bungalows with fans and direct beach views, one of which we had. The bungalows cost 4,740 PHP (69 euros) per night.

There are also several stone bungalows with air conditioning by the small pool for 4,740 PHP (69 euros) per night.

Check availability at Charisma Beach Resort

More options around San Juan

There are plenty of other places to stay around San Juan. The Dolce Amore Resort made a really strong impression — it’s a bit pricier than the Charisma, but everything felt a notch higher in quality.

Right next door to the Charisma is JJ’s Backpackers Village. We often went there for breakfast or dinner. The rooms are affordable and the crowd is mostly young backpackers. One warning though: skip the burgers. They get a lot of hype in Lonely Planet, but honestly they’re not worth it.

The most comfortable resort on the south coast is the Coco Grove Beach Resort. If you want a touch of luxury, this is your spot.

Staying in the north and east of Siquijor

For something a bit more off the beaten path, check out the Aquamare Beach Camp Resort in the north and Zosimo’s Inn in the east, right on the beach.

There are also more and more options on Siquijor available on Booking.com:

Browse all accommodations on Siquijor

Best Time to Visit Siquijor

You can visit Siquijor year-round, but the best weather runs from October to April. Rain is rare during this period and temperatures are pleasant — warm, of course, but not oppressive.

June through October is typhoon season, which means you should expect heavy rainfall. On the upside, accommodation is much easier to find during this time and significantly cheaper than during peak season.

How Much Time Do You Need for Siquijor?

We spent four nights there, giving us three full days to explore. You could technically see the main sights in two days, but three felt just right to us.

Honestly, time just melts away here. If there weren’t so much else to see in the Philippines, we would have happily stayed longer.

Practical Tips for Siquijor

There are ATMs that accept Visa cards in the larger towns of Siquijor Town, San Juan, Larena, and Maria. That said, these ATMs have a reputation for being unreliable, so bring enough cash with you to the island just in case.

Our resort didn’t have a laundry service, but there’s a reliable laundry service in San Juan where you can get your clothes washed for 35 PHP (approx. 0.70 euros) per kilogram.

It’s a bit hidden — you’ll find it behind the small basketball stadium. Ask locals for the police station, which is in front of the stadium; the laundry is at the back, right by the sea. Walk across the court, exit at the back, turn right, and you’re there. It’s open daily except Sundays from 9:30 AM, and turnaround takes one day.

Internet on the island exists, but it’s patchy at best. Most resorts have Wi-Fi, and during quiet periods it worked reasonably well for us — but as soon as a few more people logged on in the evening, it ground to a halt.

Mobile data was equally inconsistent, bouncing between H, E, and nothing at all. It’s enough to check emails or post a photo on Instagram, but you can’t really work remotely from Siquijor.

More reading about Siquijor

A few other travel bloggers have written some great pieces about Siquijor that are worth checking out if you want to dive deeper into this beautiful island.

Somewhere Else: Siquijor: A Search for Magic, Witches, and Healers
Globe Tourists: Siquijor: The Jewel of the Visayas
Faszination Südostasien: Siquijor: Beaches, Snorkeling, and Shamans