Siquijor Island: 8 Things to Do + Best Tourist Attractions (Philippines)

Siquijor Island: 8 Things to Do + Best Tourist Attractions (Philippines)

A complete travel guide to Siquijor Island with the best activities and top tourist attractions for your adventure itinerary.

Siquijor Island is an epic, remote tropical island in the Philippines off the coast of Negros.

For those who make it here, you'll be rewarded with epic jungle waterfalls, healthy coral reefs, palm-fringed white sand beaches, friendly locals and some great cliff jumping!

In this Siquijor Island travel guide, I will cover the best activities as well as the best tourist attractions for your Siquijor itinerary. I've also included a few photos from my trip that I hope will inspire you to visit this unique island gem!

About Siquijor Island, Philippines

The island of Siquijor is approximately 343.5 km², making it quite a large place to explore. The main tourist area is San Juan, a long stretch of coastline on the southwest side of the island. Here you will find some of Siquijor's most popular tourist attractions, hotels, beaches and resorts.

Although Siquijor Island has tourism infrastructure, it is much less developed than what you might expect in Cebu. Most people speak English very well and are very friendly and accommodating to travelers.
alt="Blue Lagoon Philippines">

How to get to Siquijor Island?

Siquijor Island does have an airport, but flying is the most expensive option. Instead, you can easily reach it by ferry from the neighboring Philippine islands: Cebu, Bohol and Negros.

Below are your best options for getting here before checking out all the epic tourist attractions and ticking off things to do!

Option 1: Guided tour from Dumaguete

If you're short on time or just want to explore the island on a day trip, then you're in luck.

There is a very popular tour that departs from nearby Dumaguete and significantly reduces the cost of exploring Siquijor Island.

This trip includes:

• Abholung/Rückgabe vom/zum Hotel in Dumaguete
• Private Tour um die Insel Siquijor
• Hin- und Rückfahrt mit der Fähre inklusive
• Geschichtstour mit Besuch jahrhundertealter Kirchen
• Tauchen Sie ein in das türkisfarbene Wasser der Cambugahay Falls und sehen Sie den berühmten, über 400 Jahre alten Balete-Baum
• Beenden Sie den Tag im berühmten Triad Cafe mit Blick auf Negros und Boho

This trip is really affordable and can actually be cheaper than doing things independently.

alt="Salagdoong Beach Siquijor, Philippines">

Option 2: Independent ferry from Dumaguete to Siquijor

The cheapest way to get to Siquijor Island if you choose the independent route/backpacker route is to fly to Dumaguete first.

Tip: Use Skyscanner and CheapOAir to compare the best fares on flights

Once in Dumaguete, you can easily book a 50-minute ferry to Siquijor online. I recommend the OceanJet ferry as it is fast, reliable and inexpensive.

Option 3: Siquijor from Bohol

There is also a ferry from Bohol in the north. This is a good option if you are planning an island hopping adventure in the Philippines. I suggest Cebu > Bohol > Siquijor as an epic itinerary.

Book: Bohol Ferry

Option 4: Siquijor Island from Cebu

Cebu is the most popular island in this region of the Philippines. Here you'll find epic waterfalls, jungles and diving.

If you want to visit Siquijor from Cebu, head south (Liloan Port). There is only one ferry daily from Cebu to Siquijor and you cannot book it online. This option is great if you're on a backpacker budget as it only costs PHP 190 per person (payable upon arrival). However, when we tried this option, the ferry canceled at the last minute, forcing us to change our plans and visit Dumaguete instead.
alt="Fields of Siquijor Island">

Siquijor travel guide: the best things to do

Okay, with the logistics out of the way, let's dive into the reason you're really here - to discover all the epic things to do on Siquijor Island (and the best tourist attractions!).

1. Visit Cambugahay Falls

Visiting Cambugahay Falls is by far the most popular activity on Siquijor Island. This epic waterfall features 3 levels of magical cascades and crystal clear blue water lagoons.

Due to the explosion in social media, Cambugahay Falls is one of the most popular tourist spots in Siquijor. My advice is to get here early to beat the crowds!

Read more: Cambugahay Falls
alt=”Cambugahay Falls Siquijor Island Drone”>
alt=”Cambugahay Falls Rope Swing”>

2. Sunset at Paliton Beach

Travelers will find Paliton Beach at the north end of San Juan. This fantastic beach is arguably the most popular tourist spot on Siquijor Island, with white sandy beaches, coconut palms and picturesque swings.

Paliton Beach is a great place to spend the sunset! We have made it a ritual on our Siquijor route to head here every evening as the sun sets on the horizon.
alt="Siquijor Island Beach Sunset">

3. Explore CIRCUMFERENTIAL Road by motorbike

Okay, like all of the epic islands in the Philippines, Siquijor is best explored by renting your own motorbike.

You can pick one of these up anywhere in San Juan for around 250-350 pesos per day. Once you have your wheels, mark all the tourist attractions on your Siquijor route and head onto the Circumferential Road. This is the paved road that winds around the entire island. The most beautiful highlights and sights are along the way, albeit with small detours.

We found that everywhere on the island we were greeted with friendly smiles and waves!

alt="Siquijor Island">
alt="Siquijor Motorcycle">

4. Cliff jump at Salagdoong Beach

If you're up for an adventure, heading to Salagdoong Beach on the far eastern tip of Siquijor Island is for you!

This beach is famous for its forest entrance and fantastic cliff jumps.

Here you will find 2x concrete diving boards. One at 5 meters and the larger one at 10 meters. Even if you are not an adrenaline traveler, visiting this popular tourist spot in Siquijor is still one of the best things you can do, so add it to your itinerary!
alt="Salagdoong Beach SIquijor Cliff Jump">
alt="Salagdoong Beach SIquijor Cliff Jump">

5. Visit the ancient Balete tree

The centuries-old Enchanted Balete Tree is a popular attraction and tourist destination on Siquijor Island. The Balete is a species of fig tree that grows in the Philippines and is known as the “strangler fig” in other parts of the world.

Worth a quick stop, this impressive tree is located near the southern end of San Juan, just before the town of Lazi. This tree is said to be over 400 years old! Titas Travels writes a great article about it.

6. Rope swing at Lagaan Falls

Looking for a waterfall on a tropical island that's seriously flying under the radar? Make sure you add Lagaan Falls to your Siquijor itinerary. You can find this waterfall near the much more famous Cambugahay.

Here you will also find rich blue water, rope swings and beautiful surroundings!

Read more: Lagaan Falls
alt=“LAGAAN FALLS SIQUIJOR ISLAND PHILIPPINES”>

7. Visit Apo Island

Just a short boat ride south of Siquijor Island is one of the best tourist spots in the Philippines! This fantastic marine park has some of the best coral reef systems I've ever had the pleasure of diving! There are literally hundreds of turtles and thousands of unique fish species protected here.

You can arrange a boat trip to Apo Island from Siquijor by inquiring at the docks in Poblacion Sur. There are currently no online booking options that I could find.

Read: Apo Island Guide
alt="Apo Island, Dumaguete, Philippines">

8. Relax on Tubod Beach

A great way to end this epic list of things to do in Siquijor Island is to spend some lazy time at Tubod Beach.

This is quite a popular tourist spot in Siquijor as you will find its dense coconut palm forests and white sandy beaches on the shores of San Juan.

Seriously, this beach looks like something straight out of a tropical island TV commercial!
alt="Beach on Siquijor Island, Philippines">
alt="Sunset on Siquijor Island">

About the best tourist attractions in Siquijor

Okay, with the list of things to do on Siquijor Island, here are a few things you should know about the popular tourist attractions:

• An beliebten Orten wie den Cambugahay Falls ist es üblich, eine Eintrittsgebühr und/oder einen Motorradparkplatz zu verlangen. Das ist in der Regel recht günstig
• Es ist auch üblich, dass Einheimische Ihnen an vielen Touristenattraktionen in Siquijor einen „Führer“ anbieten. Dies ist normalerweise nicht notwendig, aber manchmal lohnt sich die Gesellschaft! Ein typisches Trinkgeld ist 50-100 PHP.
• Die meisten Menschen auf Siquijor sprechen Englisch
• Das Essen bei lokalen Straßenhändlern ist normalerweise sehr günstig!

Siquijor Island Itinerary: How Long Should You Stay?

So you're still in the planning stages of your Siquijor Island itinerary and wondering how long to spend on it?

If you are short on time, I again recommend the full-day island trip from Dumaguete. This is an action-packed itinerary and features most of the popular tourist attractions on Siquijor.

Otherwise, if you are here to explore the area, 5-7 days is a good chunk of time. In saying that, we spent about a week on Siquijor Island and there was a lot we couldn't do! Ahh, see you next time!
alt=“Siquijor Waterfalls”>

Overnight accommodation on Siquijor

The main tourist center on Siquijor is known as San Juan. However, there are also several guesthouses, hostels and resorts scattered across the island. Below I give you the three best options for accommodation in Siquijor to plan your trip.

• Epic Bamboo Treehouse: Mandala Tribe Treehouses – Möchten Sie Ihre philippinischen Inselabenteuer auf die nächste Stufe bringen? Das Mandala Tribe bietet epische Baumhausunterkünfte in perfekter Lage auf Siquijor. Das Frühstück ist super und der Preis ist wirklich fair!
• Budget-Gästehaus: LightHaus Destination Place – Dies ist das am besten bewertete Gästehaus auf der Insel! Dieser Ort kostet weniger als 10 Dollar pro Nacht, ist ideal gelegen und hat eine verrückte Bewertung von 9,7/10 auf Booking.com
• Luxus: Descanso En Paraiso Resort – Descanso En Paraiso ist ein Luxusresort auf Siquijor ohne den regulären Preis! Dieses Resort liegt nur einen kurzen Spaziergang vom beliebten Pontod Beach entfernt und verfügt über ein eigenes Restaurant, einen Pool, einen Garten und eine Bar.

alt="Treehouse hotel on Siquijor">

Siquijor Island Weather & Things to Know

Most people claim that the best time to visit the island is between April and July. This is the “dry season” where you get nice weather with much less rain. However, visiting Siquijor's popular tourist attractions is much more enjoyable during the low season between December and March.

The weather is usually quite severe and wet during typhoon season, which lasts between August and October.

More Philippines travel guides and adventure inspiration

I really hope you enjoyed this comprehensive travel guide to Siquijor Island in the Philippines, featuring 8 amazing things to do and the best tourist attractions!

While you're here why not check out some of my other Philippines travel guides, I bet you'll find something you didn't know existed!

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