🇵🇭 Siquijor: waterfalls, beaches, Apo Island and the island loop by scooter
Guide to Siquijor, the island of healers: how to get there from Dumaguete and Bohol, where to stay in San Juan, Cambugahay and the other waterfalls, Paliton and Salagdoong, snorkelling at Tubod, the Apo Island turtle tour and the island loop by scooter.
Siquijor is known as "the island of healers and magic". For generations Filipinos have looked at it with a mix of fear and respect, and even today, if you ask around, you'll find a few mananambal, the traditional healers, offering rituals and potions. It's more folklore than anything else, but it's part of the atmosphere.
For a traveller, Siquijor is above all a small, green, laid-back island still off the mass-tourism circuit: waterfalls with vines to swing from, white beaches lined with palms, snorkelling straight off the shore and sunsets that go on forever. You can ride around the whole thing on a scooter in two and a half hours, and that's exactly the right way to do it.
🗺️ How to get to Siquijor
- From Dumaguete (Negros): the most frequent connection, fast and slow ferries taking 45 minutes to an hour and a half to Siquijor town or Larena. Dumaguete has an airport with flights from Manila and Cebu.
- From Bohol: fast ferry from Tagbilaran to Larena, a couple of hours, often carrying on to Dumaguete.
- From Cebu City: direct ferries to Larena via Tagbilaran, 4-5 hours.
At the port you'll immediately find people renting scooters: 300-400 PHP a day, less if you keep it for several days. It's the right way to get around the island.
📅 How many days to spend in Siquijor
2-3 days: one for the island loop by scooter with waterfalls and beaches, one for Apo Island or snorkelling at Tubod, one to slow down.
🛏️ Where to stay in Siquijor
- San Juan: the most popular area among travellers, with restaurants, simple places to stay like everywhere on the island, the best beaches a step away and stunning sunsets. Unless you have a particular reason not to, sleep here.
- Larena: near the port, totally quiet, more isolated.
- Lazi: inland, close to the waterfalls, rural feel.
💦 The waterfalls of Siquijor
Cambugahay Falls
The island's most famous falls: three drops of blue water into natural pools, with the vines you swing from Tarzan-style that you'll already have seen on social media. It's a few minutes down a staircase from the road. Small entry fee, paid parking, and a lot of people at weekends: go early in the morning.
Lugnason Falls
Less touristy, deep in the jungle, with a deep pool to dive into. Few people even in the afternoon.
Lagaan Falls
The quietest of the three, ideal for a swim in peace.
🏖️ The beaches of Siquijor
- Paliton Beach and Little Boracay: two beaches next to each other near San Juan, brilliant white sand, clear water and palms leaning over the shore. Perfect at sunset, they're the island's finest along with Salagdoong.
- Salagdoong Beach: to the east, with turquoise water and the natural platform for the cliff jumping the island is famous for. Paid entry, and the jumps are sometimes closed when the sea is rough.
- Tubod Marine Sanctuary: not a sunbathing beach but the best snorkelling spot on the island, straight off the shore at San Juan. Corals, fish and sometimes turtles a few metres out.
🐢 Apo Island from Siquijor
If you still haven't managed to swim with turtles in the Philippines, the odds here are very high. Apo Island is a small island ringed by coral, with turtles, fish and sea snakes, reachable on a boat tour from Siquijor in about an hour. 2,000 PHP (32 €) with lunch and gear. One of the best snorkelling trips in the country.
🌳 Other things to do in Siquijor
- Century-Old Balete Tree: a giant sacred tree, over 400 years old, with a pool at its foot full of little fish that nibble your feet. Token entry fee.
- Lazi church and convent: the 19th-century stone and timber convent is among the largest in the Philippines. Worth the stop.
- The island loop by scooter: 72 km of coastal road with sea views, villages, churches and no traffic. On its own, it's the best thing to do here.
- Healers: during Holy Week Siquijor hosts a healers' festival, with the preparation of traditional remedies. The rest of the year, if you're curious, ask around in San Antonio.
💡 Things to know before going to Siquijor
- ATMs are few and don't always work: arrive with cash from Dumaguete or Bohol. 👉 Withdrawing without fees
- Accommodation is simple almost everywhere. Don't expect resorts, and that's fine.
- Best time: November-May. November in particular, before the Christmas boom, is perfect. 👉 When to go to the Philippines
- Prices are low compared with the famous destinations: 👉 How much it costs to travel in the Philippines