I once posted this photo on my Facebook account and was asked by a friend of mine if the color of the water was edited. “Just see for yourself,” I replied. End of discussion. 📍Sugba Lagoon, Del Carmen
🇵🇭SIARGAO ISLAND ADVENTURE PRIMER🇵🇭
✈️🛳🚌 How to get to Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte:
⏺ Take a plane from Metro Manila to Sayak Airport in Siargao (e.g. Cebu Pacific and SkyJet).
⏺ Alternatively, you may fly from Metro Manila to Butuan City via Cebu Pacific or Philippine Airlines.
⏺ Charter a tricycle to get to the bus terminal in Butuan.
⏺ Ride a bus bound for Surigao City (travel time: approximately 3 hours).
⏺ Hail a tricycle to Surigao Port.
⏺ Take the public boat/ferry to Dapa Port in Siargao (travel time: 3 – 4 hours depending on sea condition).
⏺ If you are coming from the town of Socorro in Bucas Grande Island, there are available public boats that ply the Socorro Port-Dapa Port route (travel time: 1 – 1.5 hours).
The island of Siargao has world-class beaches, lagoons, caves, tidal pools and waterfalls. You name it. Siargao truly boasts of these natural wonders which make the island worthy of the title “best island in the world”. 📍Sugba Lagoon, Del CarmenI’ve been familiar with Siargao since I was a kid. I’ve seen postcards showcasing surfers in Cloud 9 since Siargao is known as the “Surfing Capital of the Philippines.” Just like Boracay, the island of Siargao wasn’t really on top of my bucket list. I am not a surfer anyway. But through the advent of the internet, travelers around the globe was introduced through blogs and online articles to the world of Siargao beyond surfing. I’ve been roaming around the Philippines since 2011 but I was only able to set foot in Siargao in 2017. 📍Magpupungko Tidal Pool, Pilar
🏄🏝🚴 Sites to Explore/Activities:
⏺ Island Hopping (Naked, Daku and Guyam Islands)
📌You may join group tours if you are traveling alone.
⏺ Cloud 9, General Luna (Surfing)
📌This is the most famous surfing spot in Siargao
📌There are lots of inns/resorts where you can stay and eateries/restaurants in the vicinity.
📌Cloud 9 is approximately 30 – 40 minutes away from Dapa Port so coordinate with your service/tour guide the time he will pick you up when you arrive.
⏺ Sugba Lagoon, Del Carmen
📌Register at the tourism office.
📌Charter a boat to get to Sugba (travel time: roughly 30 minutes) .
📌There are available paddle boards which you can rent in the lagoon.
⏺ Tayangban Cave Pool, Pilar
📌You will be accompanied by two guides once you paid the entrance fee.
📌Prepare to get wet especially if it is high tide.
⏺ Magpupungko Tidal Pool, Pilar
📌Take note of the tide chart since Magpupungko is not visible during high tide and they won’t allow you to swim because of the strong current.
📌You may also confirm the schedule of the low tide with your tour guide.
My friends and I just finished our tour in Bucas Grande the day before. It was still dark when we left our accommodation the next morning to catch the first trip of passenger boat going to Dapa Port in Siargao Island from the town of Socorro. 📍Sugba Lagoon, Del CarmenThe calm sea that morning greeted us as our boat traveled its way to the famed island. The public boat was fully loaded with passengers since the town of Socorro just celebrated its annual town fiesta. 📍Magpupungko Tidal Pool, PilarOur contact welcomed us the moment we arrived in Dapa. We had breakfast first at a local eatery before heading to General Luna to check in our bags at our hostel. Because my friends weren’t first-timers in the island, I just let them decide the best itinerary for our adventure in Siargao. And since they were already able to avail of the island hopping tour during their visit the previous year, they agreed to remove the beaches such as Naked Island from our itinerary. I guess that calls for a revisit in Siargao so I could see these islands next time. 📍Sugba Lagoon, Del CarmenOur rented tricycle took us to our first destination that day. We traveled for about 45 minutes to reach this cave pool of Tayangban.Compared to the caves found in other parts of the country, I think the best thing about Tayangban Cave is that you don’t have to trek for so long to reach it because the swimming area is just near the highway.You will be welcomed by this natural pool that will surely entice you for a refreshing swim.We were accompanied by two guides as we walked farther towards the mouth of the cave. I had my tripod with me so I could get sharp long exposure photos.The mouth of the cave seemed to be whispering in my ears to enter and explore the world inside this dark hollow. I badly wanted to. Unfortunately, we were pressed for time and we actually just got one whole day to explore the island.One of the things I am looking forward to once I return to Siargao is to try out the spelunking tour inside Tayangban. Next time, I told myself. We bid goodbye to the cave and hastily walked back to our tricycle. We could have stayed a bit longer but the rock pool of Magpupungko would disappear as the tide level was getting higher.Upon reaching Magpupungko, we entered a beach resort and paid the entrance fee. Thank the gods the tidal pool was still not submerged.We walked a few meters to reach the tidal pool. I came across some tourists swimming by some huge rocks and continued walking until I reached some more rock formations. I asked my friend, “So where is it?” They already went here the year before so the place was not new to them. “This is it,” she said. “Seriously? This is it?” I exclaimed. So the pool where the tourists were swimming was actually the tidal pool of Magpupungko. Boy was I surprised. Don’t get me wrong. It was beautiful but I was expecting it to be huge because it actually seemed wide based on some photos I’ve come across online.I have seen the majestic pools of Northern and Eastern Samar which are way bigger and more stunning than this so you really can’t blame me if I have such high standards for natural swimming pools like this one. They’re so big that tourists would never look cramped in a small pool for quite a number of people. Although I was not impressed with Magpupungko, it was still a nice place to chill out nonetheless.Magpupungko has two faces which are divided by big rocks in the middle. This smaller portion is deeper so a fewer number of people swim here.We went here at the wider but shallower part to take some more photos. We were lucky that the place was not that crowded. At least we got a chance to get solo shots without people in our frames.We spent some more time at the tidal pool while enjoying the sunny weather. A few foreigners arrived to take a dip as well.We then decided to have lunch at one of the restaurants near the entrance of Magpupungko before going to our next destination.
⏰⏳ SAMPLE ITINERARY:
DAY 1
10:00 AM ETA Siargao
12:00 PM Check-in at Cloud 9 / lunch
2:00 PM Free time/surfing
6:00 PM Dinner
DAY 2
7:00 AM Wake-up call / breakfast
8:00 AM ETD for Whole day island hopping
12:00 PM Lunch
4:00 PM Head back to lodge/hotel
6:00 PM Dinner
DAY 3
6:00 AM Wake-up call / breakfast
7:00 AM ETD for Tayangban Cave Pool
8:00 AM ETA Tayangban Cave Pool
10:00 AM ETD for Magpupungko Tidal Pool
11:00 AM ETA Magpupungko
1:00 PM Lunch
2:00 PM ETD for Sugba Lagoon
3:30 PM ETA Sugba Lagoon
5:00 PM Head back to lodge/hotel
6:00 PM Dinner
DAY 4
6:00 AM Breakfast / check-out
8:00 AM ETD for Siargao Airport or Dapa Port
💰💶 ESTIMATED BUDGET (for a solo traveler): Php 7,000 – Php 8,000 (exclusive of airfare)
***Expenses may vary depending on the type of accommodation you will avail and personal consumption of food and other necessities. If traveling alone, you will solely shoulder the guide fees, boat rental fees for island hopping and tricycle/motorcycle transfer and tour rates.
The feel-good vibe I felt when we arrived in Siargao was the same as the aura I felt in Catanduanes. That soothing tropical island life ambience is surely one of the things that tourists love about this place. No wonder why a lot of foreigners have been staying in Siargao for years. 📍Sugba Lagoon, Del CarmenThe best way to reach the far-flung spots of Siargao is to hire your motorycle or tricycle service for your island tour. It is also one way to help the locals. There are also motorbikes for rent if you want to drive around on your own. 📍Sugba Lagoon, Del CarmenThe natural attractions of Siargao are really far from each other. The wind blowing against my face already lulled me to a short nap on our way to the municipality of Del Carmen. I was then woken up when we were getting wet due to a sudden rainshower. We continued traversing the highway then reached the tourism office of Del Carmen in about half an hour. 📍Sugba Lagoon, Del CarmenWe were welcomed by a downpour when we arrived. We waited out the rain inside the tourism center where we registered and paid for our boat that would take us here at Sugba Lagoon.As soon as the rain turned into a drizzle, we hopped on our boat and left for the lagoon. We sailed through a mangrove area and reached Sugba Lagoon in less than an hour. I thought we already arrived as soon as the water turned emerald in color but it turned out that the best part of the lagoon was right at this spot behind the two-storey house constructed in the middle of this natural gem. We were so fortunate that Mum Nature cleared up the clouds to make way for the sunrays we needed for our photo session.It felt like I discovered an incredible treasure the moment my eyes laid on the diving board. It’s finally time for some fun and action.Jump. Swim. Repeat. I honestly lost track of how many times I jumped off this board. Who would get tired savoring this piece of Eden anyway?Stand up paddle boarding is another activity you can enjoy when you visit the lagoon. My friends and I were too lazy to paddle so we decided to just rent one paddle board to use for our pictorial.We spent a huge bulk of our time in Siargao here at Sugba Lagoon. Who would wanna leave a place so beautiful and pristine? We’re glad that the lagoon was not jam-packed with tourists during our visit.The multiverse was so generous that it gave us a chance to see Sugba Lagoon in its full glory under the perfect weather. That’s because it started drizzling again on our way back to the tourism office of Del Carmen.Our tricycle driver took us back to General Luna and dropped us off at Cloud 9. When someone sees a picture of this boardwalk, they would know right away that this photo is taken in Siargao. We originally planned to surf that afternoon but the sea was calm and the swell was not that big and ideal to ride on. Besides, we were so exhausted from all the adventure. We walked back to our hostel which is just across this famous surfing spot.We were supposed to wake up at dawn to capture a timelapse of the Milky Way but the rainy weather ruined our chance to get some awesome shots of the cosmos.
📜✏️ Tips/Reminders:
📌This travel guide only includes the natural attractions found in Siargao mainland. For the tourist spots of Bucas Grande (which is also part of the whole Siargao Island), please check out this link.
📌You may hire a motorcycle, tricycle or van for a whole day for your tour.
📌You may include Bucas Grande in your itinerary. If you are traveling alone, coordinate with your tour guide and ask if you may join group tours since the boat rental fees in Bucas Grande are quite expensive for a solo traveler.
📌Bring enough cash since available ATMs can only be found in Dapa.
📌Expect rain and rough sea condition during monsoon season (June-February).
📌Always observe the LNT principles.
☎️ Contact:
📌Tour Operator: Kuya Bebot (09560134664/ 09064595679 / 09309749974) – you may join his public tours if you are a solo traveler.
The heavens didn’t stop crying the next day. We were about to leave Siargao before lunch but we didn’t want to say goodbye to the island without trying out the best activity Siargao has been known for since time immemorial.Together with our surfing instructors, we patiently waited for the right waves and tirelessly rode them after every epic fall. It felt cold because of the weather as we were submerged in the water.Boy was I on cloud nine every time I’d successfully sustain my position on my surfing board as if I were floating above the waves. Not bad for a beginner, I’d say. Getting stoked as you ride the waves of Cloud 9 has always been the highlight of every Siargao trip. Braving the swell of this island is perfect for adrenaline junkies. You don’t have to worry if you are a first-timer since there are instructors available to guide and teach you.Prior to this Siargao trip, my only surfing experience was in Baler’s Sabang Beach in 2014. I gotta admit, surfing in Siargao was way more fun but for an inexperienced like me, I prefer Baler’s sandy shore. Whenever I’d fall off my longboard, I wouldn’t have to worry because I’d be falling on plain sand compared to the reef of sharp and uneven surface here in Siargao. It felt like you’re landing on concrete flooring. And because I am a beginner and the waves were chaotic, I couldn’t maintain my poise and I just threw myself into the water in a very funny and clumsy way. Falling gracefully was definitely out of the question.The surfing lesson lasted for an hour yet it seemed like a whole day because we were so drained and battered by the waves. It felt as though we were stuntmen in an action film and the bruises I was rewarded with in Cloud 9 were an addition to my battle scars I received in all my years of traveling. My body did ache a lot the next day but it actually felt good to be sore.One distinct feature that the island of Siargao is proud of is the diversity of activities and tourist destinations one can experience. You can surf, go on an island hopping tour, swim in the cold pool of Tayangban Cave, jump into Magpupungko or frolic in Sugba Lagoon. These adrenaline-pumping activities wouldn’t disappoint a traveler hungry for adventure.We walked back to the boardwalk and took our last shots in Siargao before returning to our accommodation to pack up. Our tricycle driver picked us up and took us to Dapa Port where we rode a ferry en route to Surigao City. This backpacking trip of ours in Mindanao would continue in Misamis Oriental before flying back to Manila via Laguindingan Airport.I have visited most of the provinces in Mindanao but the region of Caraga has become one of my personal favorites among all the regions in the country. The natural wonders in this part of the Philippines will leave travelers speechless and wanting for more.
***For other destinations in Surigao del Norte and Caraga Region, you may visit this link.
3 Comments
Pingback:
Marle
Very detailed post. Everything is well and explained. Keep up the good work
Riley
thank you