When planning our trip to the Philippines were we very excited to especially visit Siargao. This relaxed-paced surf island offers a great atmosphere for travellers looking to catch some waves, and soak in the sun! After planning on taking our dive certification we learned that Siargao is known for its surfing. This was confirmed by the number of motorbikes with surfboard attachments on the side. This island was by far our favourite while visiting the Philippines and read on to see what our favourite things to do on the island are!
Go Surfing
Siargao is best known for its surfing! Learning this, we knew that we wanted to catch some waves and try out our skills. There is a beginners surfers area (which was well suited for us) at Jacking Horse. As we pulled up there was someone offering surfing lessons who paired us with our instructors.
Our lessons cost us 500php each. If we were to do this again, we would enter the beach area first and then find instructors there. This was because the instructors helping us did not offer a great deal of advice instead just found waves for us. Since we were beginners, it would have been helpful to learn more about the fundamentals of surfing as we were practicing in the waves.
We went surfing around 4pm and it was very busy in the water. It would have been better to go at a different time as it was quite crowded with the number of beginner surfers. We aren’t sure if it’s usually busy at that time, or just when we went for the day.
Get your Scuba Diving Certification
We were eager (and nervous) to explore new areas underwater. Siargao offers a PADI Openwater Diving Certification for new beginners like us. In total we spent 3 sessions in the pool learning the basics and underwater safety. We then put these skills into practice and had 4 dives in the ocean. Overall it was a great learning experience and we certainly recommend you getting your certification here!
Explore the Rock Pools
We travelled almost an hour by scooter to reach these rock pools. As the tide was getting higher, we missed the opportunity to have a swim during the low tide. We did however catch a glimpse as to what the pool formations looked like and definitely think it is worth a visit out there. There is a parking fee of 20php and an entrance fee of 50php to enter the beach area.
Have a Beach Day
There is certainly no shortage of beach areas on the island. Bring a towel, sunscreen, sunnies, and you’re all set!
Scoot Around the Island
Having a scooter was incredibly convenient and the way to go to travel around the island. Our villa had scooters for rent for 400php per day. This was really handy as our villa was about a 15 min drive away from General Luna. To refuel you’ll see stands with a red liquid in coke bottles. These bottles will cost you 50php. For our 4 days of scooter use, we filled up 4 times.
Grab some Eats in General Luna
There is a main strip of restaurants, cafes and shops. You’ll definitely spend some quality time checking out this area. Looking for ideas on where to eat? Check out this post to find out more!
And there you have it – our favourite things to do on the island! Enjoy the relaxed vibe, beautiful sandy shores, and soak up the sun!
