This might not be big news for the ones who follow me on social media, but we have travelled to the Philippines earlier this year. All in all we have spent around twelve days on three different island (four if you count Manila). Accordingly this is the first post in a series of three, talking about the adventures in Siargao.

Siargao is a small Island in the south-east of the Philippines, belonging to the Province of Surigao. The island is most know for its surfing spots, as it is exposed to the Pacific Ocean on the east. Apart from that it has beautiful landscapes and greenery, pristine beaches and an abundance of tiny islands. But step by step. I will divide it into three chapters: The Island, Boat Trips and Surfing.

The Island

The best way to get around the Island of Siargao is renting a Motorbike or Scooter. The roads are generally in a good shape and even the furthest places are reachable in under two hours.

There are stunning views and beaches strewn all across the island. Especially taking the smaller roads can lead to surprising discoveries in midst of the extensive greeneries.

Boat Trips

While the main island of Siargao already offers beautiful spots all over, the smaller islands just off the coast are definitely worth a visit. Apart from shorter cruises to the tiny islands and sandbanks close to General Luna, there are two main boat trips to consider: Sohoton Cove and Subha Lagoon.

Surfing

Last but no least, the one thing Siargao is really known for: Surfing. We stayed in a hostel just behind the famous Cloud 9 surf break, so we enjoyed prime access to the spot (see the first picture of the pier). The conditions were not too good at cloud 9, so we mostly surfed at “Secret Beach”, a spot from General Luna towards Dapa. There are surfboard rentals and lessons available from the small shack pictured below.

This concludes the first stop of our travels in the Philippines, next up will be Cebu.