Sample journey · 8–10 days
Siargao: swell, mangroves and hidden lagoons
General Luna, the Siargao islets, Del Carmen & Sugba Lagoon, Bucas Grande & Sohoton Cove
Photo: Alejandro Luengo / Unsplash
Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.
Siargao is a small island on the eastern edge of the Philippines, facing straight into the Pacific. Surfers made its name, drawn by the famous wave at Cloud 9, but today it also attracts people who have never held a board: there's an easy village rhythm, coconut forests to the horizon, white-sand islets and one of the largest mangrove forests in the Philippines. In the evenings everyone meets in the lanes of General Luna, where fresh fish is grilled and music plays until late.
This route is for active travellers, groups of friends and couples who want more than a sunlounger. The first half is General Luna: surf lessons, island-hopping and a loop around the island by scooter or with a driver. The second is the quieter west coast near Del Carmen, from where a boat threads through the mangroves to Sugba Lagoon, and, to finish, the island of Bucas Grande with Sohoton Cove. Stays range from a cottage among the palms to a simple, welcoming place by the mangroves.
The route
The journey
- Manila or Cebu
- Siargao (General Luna)
- Naked, Daku & Guyam islets
- Magpupungko rock pools
- Del Carmen & Sugba Lagoon
- Bucas Grande & Sohoton Cove
- Siargao (departure)
01Days 1–3 · General Luna
Your first wave
From Manila or Cebu it's about an hour and a half by air to Siargao, then roughly forty minutes through the palm forest to General Luna. Five nights in a cottage near the shore. The first days revolve around the water: in the morning, while the wind is still calm, a surf lesson with a local instructor on soft, beginner-friendly waves, while experienced surfers can head for the reef breaks further out. The famous Cloud 9 wave is worth watching from the boardwalk, especially at dawn, when the surfers are already out. Afternoons, a hammock, coconut water and a stroll along the pier; evenings, grilled fish and kinilaw, the local raw-fish dish with vinegar and calamansi. If surfing isn't for you, there's paddleboarding or a yoga class by the sea.
02Days 4–5 · The islets and the island loop
Sandbars and palm-lined roads
One day, island-hopping by traditional outrigger: first Naked Island, a bare strip of sand in the middle of the ocean, then Daku, a larger island with palms where freshly caught fish is grilled for lunch, and finally tiny Guyam, which takes a few minutes to walk around. There are often snorkelling stops in between. The next day, the road north: by scooter if you're confident, or by car with a driver, through a coconut forest that seems endless, to the Magpupungko rock pools, which appear only at low tide. On the way, villages where children wave from the roadside and, if you like, the Maasin River, where you can float on a bamboo raft or jump in from a leaning palm. We check the tide in advance so the trip to the pools is worth making.
03Days 6–8 · Del Carmen & Sugba Lagoon
Through the mangroves to an emerald lagoon
On day six, about an hour by road to the island's western side near Del Carmen, and two nights here, where life moves even more slowly. Del Carmen is surrounded by a vast mangrove forest that the community protects and looks after; early in the morning you paddle by kayak with a local guide through narrow channels between the roots while the water is still mirror-flat and the only sound is birdsong. The next day, about forty minutes by boat past mangroves and islets to Sugba Lagoon, where green water lies between forested cliffs. Here you can paddleboard, jump from a wooden platform or simply snorkel along the rocks. The lagoon is visited with local boatmen, and visitor numbers and rules sometimes change, so we check them before you go.
04Days 8–9 · Bucas Grande & Sohoton Cove
Through a cave mouth into a hidden cove
On the eighth morning, by boat across the strait to Bucas Grande, a journey of about two hours depending on the sea. A night in a simple place on the island means you can see Sohoton Cove not only by day but also the next morning, when there are fewest boats. The cove is entered only through a low cave mouth, and only when the tide lets a boat slip through; inside, calm water opens out between limestone cliffs with lagoons and caves. In certain months one lagoon holds stingless jellyfish you can swim among carefully, and in Hagukan Cave light through the water turns everything blue. On the last day, the boat back to Siargao and the flight to Manila or Cebu. If the sea is rough, the island can be visited on one long day trip from Del Carmen instead.
Experience highlights
- 01
A surf lesson
Soft beginner waves and local instructors who know how to teach and how to encourage.
- 02
Three islets in a day
Naked, Daku and Guyam: a sandbar, a palm island and a tiny islet, with lunch from the grill.
- 03
Sugba Lagoon
A boat ride through the mangroves to emerald water between forested cliffs.
- 04
Sohoton Cove
Slipping through the cave mouth at low tide into the quiet world inside.
First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.
Make it your own
For serious surfers
From September to November the swell is usually biggest: more days in General Luna, a boat out to the further reefs and fewer island trips.
For a honeymoon
A quieter cottage with its own garden on the shore, a private boat for the islands and dinner on the sand, without groups or hurry.
In the calmer months
Roughly March to June the sea is often calmest, a good time for the lagoons and island trips, and there are still small waves for beginners.
With Palawan or Bohol
Via Cebu, Siargao links easily with Bohol, and via Manila with Palawan, making a two-week journey across very different Philippine islands.
Practical considerations
- Siargao faces the Pacific, so the weather is changeable: rain can come in any month, roughly March to June is often calmest, and typhoons can occur in late summer and autumn. We always shape the dates around the season.
- Much of the journey happens by boat: we choose established boatmen with life jackets and postpone trips if the sea is too rough. Visiting Sohoton Cove depends on the tide.
- Riding a scooter only makes sense if you're experienced and properly licensed; otherwise, a car with a local driver.
- Travel advice differs between regions of Mindanao, so before you travel we check the latest advice for Siargao and Surigao del Norte, as well as current entry requirements.
General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.
Keep exploring
Destinations
Ways to travel
Related articles
More journey inspiration
Plan your journey
Shape a journey like this
Would you like to learn to catch a wave, or simply spend time on an island where nobody hurries? Tell us who you're travelling with and how much time you'd like in the water, and we'll shape your Siargao route together.
This journey becomes the starting point of your enquiry — you can change or remove it.
All journey inspiration