As my days backpacking in the Philippines were almost coming to an end, I was making my way towards Cebu where I had my departure flight. Before that I spent a few days in another beautiful island. If you’re looking for things to do in Siquijor keep reading!
I decided to visit the Island of Siquijor instead of the more famous neighbour of Bohol as a local friend in the city of Dumaguete told me Siquijor was going to be less crowded.
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How to get there
From my chosen “base” of Dumaguete, I took a boat to the chilled island of Siquijor.
The journey takes just over an hour and cost 165 Pesos including the terminal fees.
There are a couple of companies doing the trip almost every hour so don’t worry too much about just showing up at the port and buying the tickets on the same day.
Upon arrival the best thing is to rent a scooter right at the port.
It’ll be much cheaper than at any hostel and at the same time you will save paying for a mototaxi to take you to and fro the hostel on your first and final days.
Make sure to bring the price of the scooter down, at first they were asking me for 350 Pesos per day and I got it down to 200 Pesos for renting it a minimum of 3 days.
Booking.comWhere to stay
Siquijor is a relatively big island, with hostels all over the place. However, on the other side of the island as you arrive to the port is where most tourist go which is in the area of San Juan island.
I stayed my first night at the Cliff Garden Hostel and the following nights at Tagbalayon Lodging House as the first one was fully booked.
The Cliff Garden was really nice, the prettiest hostel I stayed in the Philippines.
Tagbalayon Lodging House was a bit cheaper, nothing fancy but the staff working there were incredibly nice and they have a very personal touch.
What to do in Siquijor
What I really liked about Siquijor is that there are plenty of places to visit! whether you like a proper full beach day or a bit more of an adventure, these are my favourite things to do in Siquijor:
Get wet in the Cantabon Cave
I put this one first, as it’s a “new” attraction, according to our guide it was only opened as an organised tour experience in early 2019.
This cave was more fun than I was expecting. The tour cost 250 Pesos and the guide we had was very friendly (perhaps overly caring).
You get to see some cool rock formations and swim/float in the refreshing underground river. It’s a great option to do something in the hottest hours of the day.
Swim and Jump at the Cambugahay Falls
This was the busiest spot I went on the entire island although there was still room to enjoy and have some personal space.
There are some platforms for swing jumping into the natural pools or just chill in the quieter areas.
The colours are truly beautiful!
Salagdoong Beach
This little beach is a private area where to get in you need to pay 30 Pesos to entry and 20 Pesos to park your scooter.
There are two small beaches with one of them being really beautiful. There’s a spot for cliff jumping for those of us that like to add a bit of spice on a beach day.
Hike around Lugnason Falls
This is a small hike circuit which was developed by a local artist and residents, some of the 12 falls are more a step on the stream while others are a bit bigger.
There are a few of them were it’s possible to take a dip and each has a name according to the zodiac sign it resembles to.
Ride around the island
As the best way to move around the island is to rent a scooter, it’s also great to just ride around with no destination in mind.
There are stunning changing landscapes all over the island with small mountain views and little secluded beaches.
We even got our scooters on a forest trail which was an adventure on its own!
Enjoy the sunset at Paliton Beach
The staff at the hostel recommended this little beach to check the sunset.
They call it small Boracay for it’s white sand. There are a couple of vendors on the beach to get some beers/drinks while enjoying the views and just a bit on the way out there are restaurants to go straight for dinner afterwards!
What not to do in Siquijor
This part of the Philippines is renowned for awesome scuba diving. With Apo island being one of the most famous places in the entire country for this activity.
If you have the time, avoid the tours from Siquijor and instead do it from Dumaguete or Dauin as it will be a lot cheaper (around half price!)
Have you got any other tips for Siquijor? drop a comment! or ask me any questions if you’re planning to go to this beautiful island!
