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For days that start with surf, end barefoot at a beach bar and never once involve a schedule.
Add Siargao to my journeySiargao sits on the Pacific edge of Mindanao, and for a long time it was known only to surfers chasing Cloud 9, the hollow right-hander off General Luna. The surfers are still here, but the island has grown into something broader: a place where people come for a week and stay for a season, where the best evening plan is a sunset on the boardwalk and the main traffic jam is scooters on Tourism Road.
It has changed fast, especially after rebuilding from Typhoon Odette in December 2021, and General Luna is busier than it was. But drive twenty minutes in any direction and you are back among coconut palms, rice fields and quiet fishing villages. Our advice: stay near General Luna for the food and the energy, and spend your days getting out of it.
Siargao works because it does several things well at once. There's world-class surf for experienced riders and gentle reef breaks for beginners. There's island hopping that rivals Palawan's, with sandbars and lagoons a short boat ride away. And there's a food and café scene in General Luna that is unusually good for an island this size.
Mostly, though, people love the pace. Days are built around tides and swell. Evenings are built around the sunset. Nothing starts on time, and after two days you won't mind.
Almost everything happens in and around General Luna, the town in the island's southeast. How close you want to be depends on whether you value walking to dinner or waking to silence.
Siargao's beaches are not all postcard-white. The east coast faces the Pacific, and many shorelines are reef rather than sand, especially at low tide. The best swimming beaches are on the islands offshore and in the north.
Rent a scooter or hire a driver for a day and loop the island. Siargao's best sights are spread out, and the drive through palms and paddy fields is half the pleasure.
Cloud 9 is the famous one: a heavy, hollow reef break that shows its best from roughly September to November, when it hosts an international surfing competition in most years. It is for experienced surfers only, and the reef is shallow.
The good news for everyone else is that the island has a surprising range of gentler waves. Most beginners learn at Jacking Horse right next to Cloud 9, or at Daku Reef and Guiwan by boat. Surf schools and coaches are everywhere in General Luna; a week of lessons will have most people standing up comfortably.
The classic three-island trip — Naked, Daku and Guyam — leaves from General Luna's harbour and takes most of a day. It's simple and fun: swim, eat grilled fish on Daku, nap under the palms on Guyam.
For more space, book a private boat to Sugba Lagoon and the islands off Del Carmen, or go further south to Bucas Grande island and Sohoton Cove, a lagoon system with caves and jellyfish-filled lakes (access depends on season and local rules). It's a long day, but a memorable one.
Siargao's local food is about the sea. Look for kinilaw (raw fish with vinegar, calamansi and chilli), sinuglaw (kinilaw mixed with grilled pork belly), grilled fish and squid, and fresh coconut. Morning markets in Dapa and General Luna sell what the boats brought in.
In General Luna, the international influence is strong: excellent coffee, bowls and bakeries, wood-fired pizza, Mediterranean, Japanese and very good Filipino fusion. Quality is high but it changes quickly with the seasons, which is why we give current recommendations when you travel rather than a list here.
Most of the island's restaurants line Tourism Road in General Luna and the road toward Cloud 9. You'll find relaxed open-air places under thatched roofs, garden restaurants lit with lanterns, small Filipino eateries (carinderias) serving dishes from pots at lunchtime, and a growing number of chef-led kitchens.
For dinner, book ahead in high season, especially in December, around Holy Week and during the surf competition. For lunch, follow the queue of locals to the carinderias.
Siargao's nightlife runs on a rota: different bars host the big night on different days of the week, so the crowd moves around General Luna together. Expect live music, DJs, beach bonfires and people still sandy from the day.
It's friendly rather than wild, and it winds down earlier than you'd think because everyone wants to surf in the morning. If you'd rather not hear it, stay in Catangnan, Malinao or further north.
General Luna has a strong wellness scene for an island this size: open-air yoga shalas with daily classes, breathwork, sound sessions and plunge pools, saunas and ice baths for post-surf recovery. Traditional Filipino hilot massage is widely available too, often in simple garden spaces.
We can build a few slower days around morning yoga, a massage and an afternoon on the water. After a week of surfing, your shoulders will thank you.
Insider notes
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From €2,300per person ·
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15 days · Essential / Boutique / Premium
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View journey →Use this journey as inspiration. Change the islands, hotels, pace, activities or number of nights.
Add Siargao to my journeyVery. Jacking Horse, Daku Reef and Guiwan are gentle, and General Luna has many surf schools. Cloud 9 itself is for experienced surfers only.
March to October is generally drier. The best swell for Cloud 9 arrives roughly September to November. November to January can be wet and windy on the Pacific coast.
Fly to Sayak Airport (IAO) from Manila, Cebu or Clark, then drive around 45 minutes to an hour to General Luna. Or fly to Surigao and take a fast craft to Dapa.
Five to seven nights lets you surf, island hop, loop the island and still have lazy days.
It helps, but if you're not confident on one, hire a driver. Roads are generally fine but can be slippery after rain.
Yes, for active families. Kids can learn to surf, and the island hopping is easy. Plan stays a little away from the nightlife.
Inside
The Chocolate Hills, tiny tarsiers, a slow green river and the beaches of Panglao, all within an easy two hours of each other.
Inside
A small, round volcanic island off northern Mindanao with seven volcanoes, hot and cold springs, waterfalls and a white sandbar facing the peaks.
Inside
The country's oldest city and the busiest hub in the Visayas, with the best lechon in the Philippines and waterfalls, whale sharks and reefs a few hours south.
Tell us when you're coming. We'll help design the rest.