--- title: "Top 10 Things To Do in Siargao, Philippines | Wimup" description: "The Philippines' surf island: Cloud 9, Sugba Lagoon, the country's largest mangrove forest and the tidal pools at Magpupungko. The Wimup guide to Siargao." url: https://wimup.com/city/siargao type: City guide updated: 2026-09-06 publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com) --- # Top 10 Things To Do in Siargao Siargao, Philippines · Asia · By Wimup Editorial, 14 min read Siargao is a teardrop island in the Philippine Sea that runs on swell. Cloud 9 joins the world surfing tour in October 2026, but the island is wider than its wave: the largest mangrove forest in the country sits on the west coast, and the lagoons, tidal pools and palm roads fill the rest of the week. ## Quick answer Base yourself in General Luna and take the island in three directions. South and east is the surf: the Cloud 9 boardwalk, Jacking Horse for a first lesson, Tuason and Stimpy's once the swell fills in. North is a road trip past the Sea of Palms, Maasin River, the Magpupungko tidal pools and Pacifico. West is the water, Sugba Lagoon and the mangroves at Del Carmen. ## Quick facts - **Best months:** March to October - **Ideal length:** 5 to 7 days - **Budget per day:** ₱2,500–5,500 - **Language:** Surigaonon, Cebuano and English - **Getting around:** Rented scooter and habal-habal - **Tourism board:** [Official site](https://surigaodelnorte.gov.ph/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## The 10 best things to do in Siargao ### 1. Cloud 9 boardwalk and surf break Surf break · Barangay Catangnan, General Luna The right-hander that put Philippine surfing on the map breaks over shallow reef a few hundred metres out, and a timber boardwalk runs to a three-storey tower above it. Non-surfers pay a small fee and watch. From 31 October 2026 the wave is a World Surf League Championship Tour stop. - **Time:** 1 to 2 hrs - **Cost:** ₱50 to ₱100 boardwalk - **Best at:** Dawn or sunset - **Tip:** Reef break, not a beginner wave Links: [World Surf League](https://www.worldsurfleague.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 2. Sugba Lagoon Lagoon · Del Carmen, reached by boat from Del Carmen port A jade lagoon walled by karst and mangrove, twenty to thirty minutes by boat from Del Carmen port, with a diving board, a floating cottage and kayaks for hire. There is no road in. Go early: the tour boats out of General Luna all arrive in the late morning. - **Time:** Half day - **Cost:** ₱100 plus ₱50 environmental fee - **Best at:** Early morning - **Tip:** Boat hire splits across the group ### 3. Magpupungko Rock Pools Tidal pools · Barangay Magpupungko, Pilar A shelf of volcanic rock that traps clear pools as the tide drops, with a jump ledge at the deep end. The pools exist only at low tide, so the tide table sets the visit and not you. Check it before riding the 45 minutes north from General Luna. - **Time:** 2 to 3 hrs - **Cost:** ₱50 entry, ₱20 parking - **Best at:** Low tide - **Tip:** Snorkel or life jacket hire, ₱200 each ### 4. Naked, Daku and Guyam islands Island hop · General Luna boat pier The standard three-island run. Naked is a bare sandbar, Daku is the big one where the boats stop for lunch, Guyam is a single stand of palms you can walk around in five minutes. Boats leave from the General Luna pier and the circuit takes most of a day. - **Time:** Full day - **Cost:** Boat from ₱1,500 plus island fees - **Best at:** Calm mornings - **Tip:** A ₱100 environmental fee is collected at the pier ### 5. Sohoton Cove and the jellyfish sanctuary Day trip · Bucas Grande Island, Socorro Kayaks thread limestone caves and a lagoon where stingless jellyfish gather, roughly March to June. The cove sits off Bucas Grande, about two hours by boat, and entry is only with a guided tour on a registered boat. It is the longest day on this list. - **Time:** Full day - **Cost:** Tours ₱2,300 to ₱3,100 - **Best at:** March to June - **Tip:** A guided tour is mandatory ### 6. Del Carmen mangrove forest Nature · Del Carmen, west coast 4,871 hectares of mangrove, the largest continuous stand in the Philippines and a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. Boats and a boardwalk run out from Del Carmen, and the same channels carry on to Sugba Lagoon, so the two pair naturally. - **Time:** 2 to 3 hrs - **Cost:** Boat hire - **Best at:** Morning - **Tip:** Pair it with Sugba Lagoon Links: [Ramsar site record](https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/2553) ### 7. Maasin River River · Barangay Maasin, San Isidro A green river lined with coconut palm about 25 minutes north of General Luna. The bent palm that made it famous came down in Typhoon Odette in 2021 and a platform stands in its place; the paddle upstream to the cold spring is the better reason to stop. - **Time:** 1 to 2 hrs - **Cost:** Small entry fee - **Best at:** Late afternoon - **Tip:** Kayaks and paddle boards for hire ### 8. Tayangban Cave Pool Cave pool · Barangay Tayangban, Pilar A scramble through a crack in the rock drops into a waist-deep cave pool under stalactites, then out to a swimming hole. A guide comes with the ticket and is not optional. It is half an hour north of General Luna and pairs with Magpupungko on the same ride. - **Time:** 1 hr - **Cost:** ₱100 with guide - **Best at:** Midday - **Tip:** Wear shoes with grip ### 9. Pacifico Beach Beach · Pacifico, San Isidro The north coast's surf village, an hour and a half from General Luna and a different island: a reef break for confident surfers, a handful of places to eat and no queue for anything. Ride up for a night rather than a day trip. - **Time:** Half day - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** September to November - **Tip:** Fill the tank in Dapa or Burgos ### 10. Sea of Palms viewpoint Viewpoint · Coconut Road, near Maasin, San Isidro A rise on the road across the middle of the island looks over an unbroken canopy of coconut palm. It is a five-minute stop on the way to Maasin River or the north coast, and it is the picture most people come back with. - **Time:** 20 min - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Golden hour - **Tip:** Park clear of the road ## Best surf breaks in Siargao Eight named breaks, from a first lesson to a shallow reef. 1. **Jacking Horse** (Beginner · Catangnan): The beginner wave beside Cloud 9, a soft left that most first lessons are taught on. 2. **Guiwan** (Beginner · General Luna): A forgiving reef along the same coast, and the fallback when Jacking Horse fills up. 3. **Daku Island** (Beginner · Daku Island): A sandy beach break off Daku, twenty minutes out by boat and the softest water here. 4. **Cemetery** (Intermediate · General Luna): Named for what it breaks in front of, and the step up once a lesson stops being one. 5. **Stimpy’s** (Intermediate · Union): A left that walls up and hollows out on a long-period swell, and holds real size. 6. **Rock Island** (Advanced · Boat access): An offshore reef reached only by boat, and a heavy wave on the days it is on. 7. **Quiksilver** (Advanced · Catangnan): A fast, shallow right beside Cloud 9 that breaks harder than it reads from the tower. 8. **Tuason Point** (Advanced · Tuason): A long right south of General Luna that holds size and takes the Cloud 9 overflow. ## Best restaurants in Siargao Tourism Road in General Luna, where almost all of it is. 1. **Kermit Siargao** (Italian · General Luna): Wood-fired pizza and pasta at a surf resort, and the island’s best-known Italian kitchen. 2. **Shaka Cafe** (Vegetarian · Catangnan): Smoothie bowls near Cloud 9, plant-based and fast, and the reason a queue forms by nine. 3. **Miguel’s Taqueria** (Mexican · General Luna): Tacos and burritos at prices the rest of Tourism Road has drifted away from. 4. **CEV** (Seafood · General Luna): Kinilaw and ceviche treated as the same idea, which on this island they nearly are. 5. **Mama’s Grill** (Filipino · General Luna): Charcoal skewers and grilled seafood off a roadside grill, ordered by pointing at the tray. 6. **Lunares** (Cafe · General Luna): Breakfast in a garden off the main road, and the sit-down answer to a smoothie bowl. 7. **La Carinderia** (Italian · General Luna): Italian cooking run through a Filipino kitchen, and the one menu here that reads as neither. ## Best bars & nightlife in Siargao Five rooms within a scooter ride of each other, in the order the week runs. 1. **Harana** (Beach bar · General Luna): A beachfront bar with two stages, and the Saturday night the whole island turns up to. 2. **Kawayan** (Lounge · General Luna): Built out of bamboo on the shoreline, with acoustic sets most evenings and a long happy hour. 3. **Bravo** (Tapas bar · General Luna): Spanish tapas and strong drinks, and a poolside Sunday session that starts mid-afternoon. [Website](https://www.bravosiargao.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 4. **Rum Bar** (Cocktails · General Luna): A rum list longer than the island needs, and the sensible place to start an evening. 5. **Viento del Mar** (Beach club · General Luna): A converted house on the water running art nights, jam sessions and visiting DJs. [Website](https://vientodelmar.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## Best islands in Siargao Four boat trips beyond the standard three-island run. 1. **Corregidor Island** (Half day · Northeast coast): Also called Casolian: a hill of palms above a curved beach, with a short climb to the view. 2. **Mam-on Island** (Half day · Northeast coast): White sand and reef an hour out, and empty on the days the three-island boats are full. 3. **La Januza Island** (Half day · Northeast coast): Coves under palm-covered hills, usually paired with Mam-on on the same boat. 4. **Bucas Grande** (Full day · Socorro): The limestone island to the south, and the reason Sohoton Cove is a full day out. ## Best towns & areas in Siargao Six of the nine municipalities, and what each one is for. 1. **General Luna** (Southeast · General Luna): The surf town and the reason most people come: Tourism Road, Cloud 9 and most of the beds. 2. **Dapa** (South · Dapa): The ferry port and the island’s commercial centre, half an hour from General Luna. 3. **Del Carmen** (West · Del Carmen): The airport, the mangroves and the boats to Sugba Lagoon, all on the west coast. 4. **Pilar** (East · Pilar): The east coast municipality, and the one that holds Magpupungko and the Tayangban cave pool. 5. **Burgos** (North · Burgos): The far north: small cafes, a rough coastline and almost nobody on it. 6. **Santa Monica** (North · Santa Monica): Inland in the north, and the turning for the island’s only waterfall. ## Best waterfalls & caves in Siargao Three stops away from the coast, and the island only has one waterfall. 1. **Taktak Falls** (Santa Monica · North): A 15-metre fall in Santa Monica, the only waterfall on Siargao, on a short sealed path. 2. **Magkukuob Cave** (Bucas Grande · Socorro): A Sohoton cave you climb through and jump out of, and part of the guided cove tour. 3. **Hagukan Cave** (Bucas Grande · Socorro): A Sohoton cave entered by kayak at low tide, glowing where the light comes up through the water. ## Best markets & shopping in Siargao Three markets, and not a souvenir shop among them. 1. **Dapa Public Market** (Daily · Dapa): The island’s biggest market, beside the ferry port, and where the boats land the catch. 2. **General Luna Public Market** (Daily · General Luna): Fruit, fish and rice a street back from the beach, and cheaper than Tourism Road. 3. **Isda’market** (Mornings · Burgos): A small fish market in Burgos, and the excuse to ride to the north coast. ## Festivals & annual events in Siargao (2026) - **Philippines Pro, Cloud 9** (31 October to 10 November): Cloud 9’s first World Surf League Championship Tour stop, stop 11 on the 2026 and 2027 calendars. - **Hudyaka Festival, Dapa** (January): Dapa marks its foundation anniversary with street dancing and inter-town competitions. - **General Luna town fiesta** (24 June): The feast of St John the Baptist, and the day the surf town belongs to the people who live in it. - **Bakhaw Festival, Del Carmen** (July): Del Carmen’s fiesta for Our Lady of Carmen, named for the bakhaw mangroves the town is built around. - **Fiesta Pilar** (Mid-October): Our Lady of the Pillar, with processions and street dancing on the east coast. - **KaBiBo Festival, Alegria** (May): Two days in Alegria built around kape, bibingka and bodbod, the three things the town makes. - **Holy Week** (March or April): Domestic travel peaks and beds sell out across the island. Easter falls on 5 April in 2026. - **Christmas and New Year** (December to January): The island fills and the weather turns. This is also Siargao’s real typhoon window. ## Must-try dishes in Siargao, Philippines - **Kinilaw**: Raw tuna or mackerel cured in vinegar with ginger, onion and chilli, eaten within the hour. - **Sinuglaw**: Kinilaw folded through sinugba, charcoal-grilled pork belly, so it runs sharp and smoky at once. - **Grilled yellowfin tuna**: The catch off the east coast, split and grilled whole over charcoal. - **Lechon**: Whole pig roasted over coals for a fiesta, and the crackling is the point. - **Sayongsong**: A Surigao rice cake rolled in a banana-leaf cone, sweetened with coconut milk and sugar. - **Bibingka**: Rice cake baked between coals, and one third of what Alegria’s KaBiBo festival is named for. - **Biko**: Sticky rice cooked down with coconut milk and brown sugar, cut into squares. - **Buko**: Young coconut split at the roadside, which on an island of coconut plantations is everywhere. ## Siargao transport & airports - **Sayak Airport** (IAO): The island’s airport, at Del Carmen, turboprop only and about 45 minutes from General Luna. Cebu is the practical connection; there is no direct flight from Manila. [Cebu Pacific](https://www.cebupacificair.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **Fastcraft from Surigao City** (Dapa): About an hour and a half from Surigao City to Dapa, with most departures in the morning. Passengers only, no vehicles, and weather cancels sailings. - **Scooter hire** (Scooter): The island runs on rented scooters, roughly ₱300 to ₱500 a day. The circumferential road is sealed; the inland tracks are not. - **Vans and habal-habal** (Transfers): Shared vans meet the ferry at Dapa and the flights at Sayak for the run to General Luna. Habal-habal motorbike taxis and tricycles cover short hops. ## Siargao at a glance - **Country:** Philippines - **Region:** Surigao del Norte (Caraga, Region XIII), Mindanao - **Population:** 117,370 island-wide (2024 census), 25,208 in General Luna - **Founded:** Protected landscape and seascape since Proclamation 902, October 1996 - **Nickname:** The surfing capital of the Philippines - **Language:** Surigaonon and Cebuano, with Filipino and English widely spoken - **Currency:** Philippine peso (₱) - **Time zone:** PHT (UTC+8), no daylight saving - **Calling code:** +63 - **Airports:** Sayak (IAO), Del Carmen, about 45 minutes from General Luna - **Power:** 220V, 60Hz, type A and B sockets - **Emergency:** 911 ## Interesting facts - The mangroves at Del Carmen cover 4,871 hectares, the largest continuous stand in the Philippines. - Proclamation 902 made the island and its waters a protected landscape and seascape in October 1996. - The Del Carmen Mangrove Reserve is a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. - Cloud 9’s boardwalk and viewing tower were built in 1996, two years after the first surfing cup. - Taktak Falls in Santa Monica is the only waterfall on Siargao. ## Watch [Siargao Travel Guide](https://wimup.com/watch/siargao.md), 16:50 ## Siargao travel FAQ ### When is the best time to visit Siargao? April to September is the drier stretch and the easiest weather. Surfers come later: the Pacific swells that make Cloud 9 arrive from September to November. December and January carry the island’s real typhoon risk, which is when Odette struck in 2021. ### How do you get to Siargao? Fly into Sayak Airport at Del Carmen, a turboprop-only field about 45 minutes from General Luna. Cebu is the practical connection, with Clark and Davao also served, and there is no direct flight from Manila. The alternative is a fastcraft from Surigao City to Dapa. ### Do you need to surf to enjoy Siargao? No. The lagoons, tidal pools, mangroves and island hops fill a week on their own, and most of the ten places here are not waves. If you do want a lesson, Jacking Horse beside Cloud 9 is where they are taught. ### How long should you stay in Siargao? Five to seven days. General Luna, Cloud 9 and the three-island hop take two; Sugba Lagoon and the mangroves take another; the northern run to Magpupungko, Maasin and Pacifico takes a third, and Sohoton Cove is a full day on its own. ### How do you get around Siargao? On a rented scooter, roughly ₱300 to ₱500 a day. The circumferential road is sealed and the island is small enough to cross in under two hours. Habal-habal motorbike taxis and tricycles cover short hops. ## Nearby guides - [Cebu City](https://wimup.com/city/cebu-city.md): Philippines · 10 picks - [Iloilo City](https://wimup.com/city/iloilo-city.md): Philippines · 10 picks - [Boracay](https://wimup.com/city/boracay.md): Philippines · 10 picks - [All of Asia →](https://wimup.com/asia): 109 cities Part of the [Philippines guide](https://wimup.com/country/philippines.md) · [Asia](https://wimup.com/asia.md) ## Sources - [Siargao tourism board](https://surigaodelnorte.gov.ph/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Cloud 9 boardwalk and surf break: World Surf League](https://www.worldsurfleague.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Del Carmen mangrove forest: Ramsar site record](https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/2553) - [Bravo (official site)](https://www.bravosiargao.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Viento del Mar (official site)](https://vientodelmar.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Sayak Airport: Cebu Pacific](https://www.cebupacificair.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.