Siquijor: The Ultimate Travel Guide to This Magical Island
Home to white sandy beaches, crystal clear water, epic waterfalls, and vibrant coral reefs, Siquijor is one of the most beautiful destinations in The Philippines.
It’s said to be a healing island, with deep rooted connections to magic and witchcraft, and it’s hard to deny an otherworldly feeling when you’re there.
I only intended to visit Siquijor for a few days but ended up staying for 10! It’s captivating, and completely enchanting.
Best time to go to Siquijor
The best time to visit Siquijor is from January to April, when you can expect average temperatures of around 27°C, and the least amount of rainfall.
I visited Siquijor in March and the weather was absolutely beautiful, with blue skies every day.
How to get to Siquijor
From Cebu: Oceanjet have a direct ferry from Cebu to Siquijor, which takes around 4 hours and 40 minutes. A single ticket starts from £26.
From Manila: Fly from Manila to Cebu (1.5 hours) and then catch the Oceanjet ferry above OR fly from Manila to Dumaguete (1.5 hours) and then catch a ferry from Dumaguete to Siquijor (45 minutes-1.5 hours), ticket price is £4-£7.
From Bohol: Multiple ferry companies run crossings from Bohol to Siquijor. Oceanjet is the fastest, with the journey taking 2 hours, and a single ticket costing £12.
From Palawan: If you’re arriving into Siquijor from Palawan (Coron or El Nido), you’ll need to first fly to Manila or Cebu and then follow one of the routes above.
How to get around Siquijor
Siquijor is quite a big island, so the best way to get around is by scooter.
You’ll most likely be able to hire one from your hotel, I’d recommend messaging them ahead of time so they can have one ready for you when you arrive.
If they don’t have them at your hotel, there’s plenty of shops around the island where you’ll be able to get one.
Scooter hire is around 400PHP/£5.00 per day, and you’ll usually need to hand over your passport as a guarantee you won’t run off with it.
If you don’t want to drive yourself, there’s also Tuk Tuks that can take you where you need to go.
Things to do in Siquijor
Cambugahay Falls
This three-tiered waterfall is the most popular attraction in Siquijor, and with good reason!
The fresh, bright blue water is the perfect swimming spot, or if you’re feeling adventurous, you could try jumping from one of the rope swings.
Entry to the waterfall is 50 PHP/£0.67, and you’ll need to pay an extra 50 PHP if you want to use the rope swing, but that gets you unlimited swings.
Note: there’s two rope swings at different heights, so you can choose your comfort level. They’re charged separately so you’ll need to pay 100 PHP if you want to use both.
Lagaan Falls
Lagaan Falls is another stunning waterfall, about a 10 minute drive away from Cambugahay Falls, so I’d recommend visiting them both on the same day.
It’s a lot less crowded here as it doesn’t have the same wow factor of the three tiers, but the water is clearer and I found it to be much more peaceful.
Paliton Beach
Paliton beach is Siquijor’s most popular and most beautiful beach, with a long stretch of bright white sand and clear blue water.
There’s quite a few different food stalls along here so don’t worry about bringing anything with you – I’d recommend OceanBowl Bistro for delicious fresh rice bowls.
Paliton beach is also of the most popular sunset spots on the island, and there’s such a lovely vibe in the evenings, I even saw a salsa class one night!
Salagdoong Beach
Another beautiful beach, about 1 hour away from San Juan, Salagdoong beach is a secluded cove with bright blue water surrounded by palm trees.
It’s a great swimming spot because of its calm water, but most people come here for to jump from the diving platforms.
There’s two platforms, one at 5 metres and one at 10 metres, and even if you don’t want to jump from one yourself, it’s really fun to sit and watch other people do it.
Note: You’ll need to pay 50 PHP for entry to the beach, and another 20 PHP for parking.
Balete Tree (The Old Enchanted Balete Tree)
The old enchanted Balete tree is over 400 years old, making it the oldest tree on the island. Locals believe that the tree is enchanted, and it’s a peaceful place where you can sit and reflect.
A freshwater spring flows from the roots of the tree, and beneath it is a natural pool filled with fish. If you put your toes into the water they’ll come and nibble them, giving you a free foot spa.
Entry to the Balete Tree is 20 PHP each, and parking is 5 PHP for a motorbike and 10 PHP for a car.
Note: If you’re visiting Cambugahay Falls, I’d recommend stopping off at the Balete Tree on your way back to San Juan as you’ll be going past it. You won’t need very long here, plan for around 15 minutes.
Pitogo cliff
Another really beautiful swimming spot with a steep staircase down to the water. Entry is 30 PHP.
You used to be allowed to jump off the side here but that was recently banned as people were injuring themselves. It’s VERY high so I’m glad they stopped it.
Note: It’s peaceful place for a dip but there’s no amenities and nowhere to sunbathe near the water, so make sure you bring food, drinks, and suncream with you.
Apo Island
A day trip to Apo island was my favourite thing I did in Siquijor. It’s a small island with only around 1,000 people living there, a 1.5 hour boat journey from Siquijor.
It’s home to the most incredible blue water, and some of the best snorkelling and scuba diving in the world, including an incredible coral wall!
One of the main reasons you should visit Apo Island is because its home to LOTS of turtles, including the huge hawksbill turtles.
Whether you snorkel or scuba dive you’ll be able to see them as they hang around the surface a lot, and there’s nothing quite like getting to swim alongside them as they cruise through the water.
I booked my trip to Apo Island with Island Vibes Explorers and I can’t recommend them enough.
You’ll leave Siquijor early and make your way over to Apo Island whilst enjoying breakfast on the boat. When you arrive, you’ll do your first scuba dive or snorkel.
If you’ve never dived before you can do a discovery dive where you’ll learn the basic skills and dive down to a maximum depth of 12m, depending on how comfortable you feel.
Then you’ll enjoy lunch on the boat and you’ll have some free time to explore the island.
We headed out snorkelling from the beach with a local guide during our lunch break and saw so many turtles, so I’d really recommend doing this. You’ll need to pay 300 PHP for the guide.
In the afternoon, you’ll do one more snorkel or dive, before heading back to Siquijor.
Scuba Diving
Whether you’re an experienced diver or you’ve never tried it before, Siquijor is one of the best places to scuba dive.
There’s 23 dive sites around the island, home to turtles, fish, rays, and barracuda.
Once I’d booked my Apo Island trip, I knew I wanted to try diving, but I wanted to do a private lesson as I’d only done it once before. So I booked a discovery dive with Island Vibes Explorers the day before my Apo Island trip.
In the lesson, I went through the skills I needed, like being able to clear my goggles and how to equalize, before diving down to 12m with my instructor.
My instructor was so patient and went at my pace so I always felt comfortable, and it meant that when I went to Apo Island the next day, I felt much more confident doing my dive.
Where to eat in Siquijor
Mr Sumo
Mr Sumo was my favourite restaurant on the whole of Siquijor, I ate here almost daily during my trip!
It’s a Japanese restaurant in the centre of San Juan serving delicious sushi, sashimi, and curry. My go to order was the chicken tonkatsu – crispy fried chicken with fluffy rice and coleslaw with spicy mayo. It was so fresh and so delicious.
Dolce Amore
Dolce Amore is an Italian restaurant in San Juan that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. I ate here twice during my stay, once for breakfast and once for dinner and both were excellent.
They serve delicious wood fired pizza, pasta and Italian desserts, and they also have a gelato stall that you can takeaway if you prefer.
This is one of the most popular restaurants in Siquijor so be prepared to queue!
OceanBowl Bistro
This small stall is on Paliton Beach, and serves homemade rice bowls and curry. Everything is fresh and made to order and it’s the perfect place for lunch if you’re having a beach day.
Aroi MakMak
This Thai restaurant was recommended to me by the owner of my hotel as one of her favourite places to eat on the island.
It’s located in San Juan and serves authentic Thai dishes with views across the water.
Wakanda
Wakanda is a beautiful restaurant with a large outdoor space that serves Spanish food and often has live music. I ate here on my first night in Siquijor and living in Barcelona I was pleasantly surprised to find delicious Spanish food on the island!
L Cafe Restobar
This is a stunning spot for sunset in the centre of San Juan. I haven’t eaten here so I can’t recommend the food but the drinks were delicious and they often have live music.
Hiraya
Another great spot for drinks (again I didn’t eat here), Hiraya is right on the beach so you get incredible views over the water.
Hidden Valley Bar & Resto
I stopped here for lunch on the way back from Cambugahay Falls and it ended up being one of my favourite meals in Siquijor.
The clues in the name that it’s hidden away from the main road, and the views from the restaurant are stunning.
They serve a selection of Asian and European dishes and everything was delicious.
Wonderland
Wonderland is a vegan restaurant right next to Paliton Beach, and I ate here one evening after watching the sunset. The food here is all super fresh, with dishes such as noodles, chilli, and salads.
Kape de Guyod
I grabbed a sandwich here on my last day in Siquijor and it was delicious, the ingredients are really fresh and the owner is lovely.
Where to stay in Siquijor
I stayed at Sascha’s Place during my time in Siqiujor which is run by Sascha and his wife Charm.
The rooms are within the grounds of their family home and they’re spacious, clean, and have their own private terrace.
Although it’s a bit further out from the city centre (about 25 minutes from San Juan), I loved how peaceful it was.
Charm is so friendly and gave us great restaurant recommendations, and even helped my boyfriend out when his phone broke during our trip.
Rooms here start from only £25 a night so it’s incredible value for money.
Things to know before visiting Siquijor
Mobile phone service and Wifi is patchy across the island, and sometimes I was without signal for several hours. Download Maps.Me – an offline map you can use without internet.
Make sure you have cash on you – you’ll need it to hire a motorbike, pay entry at the tourist attractions, and for the majority of restaurants. There’s several cash points across the island so don’t worry about getting any out before you arrive.
Even in the dry season, you might get storms. Siquijor’s tropical monsoon climate means it could rain at anytime, so make sure you pack a waterproof jacket!
If you hire a scooter, make sure you wear a helmet. Some roads aren’t very developed, and it’s always better to be safe than sorry!
And on that note, get travel insurance! I use SafetyWing for my travel insurance – they offer flexible rates depending on what you need cover for and the length of your trip, and you can even start the policy when you’re already on a trip (a lot of companies don’t let you do this).
Map of Siquijor
I’ve pinned everywhere mentioned in this guide on the map below, so you can easily find them on your trip.
