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Big thank you to Kathrin Borgwardt, Hendrik Van de Perre, Tom Soupart, and William Bourget for contributing their local knowledge for our Siargao Island series.

A no-frills Siargao travel guide, for no-fuss travellers.

The teardrop shaped island of Siargao, Philippines, is quickly moving up the ranks as one of the most popular adventure destinations in the country.

And no wonder!

Siargao Island is of course home to some of the best surf in Asia, it’s a dreamy kitesurfing spot for foilers and light wind lovers, there’s a sick AF cable wakeboarding park hidden deep in the palm trees, and what with all the beaches, lagoons, caves, and untouched landscape, it’s an outdoor adventurer’s dream

A fishing raft floating on a turquoise river surrounded by palms on Siargao island, philippines

Pssst: read our hitlist of adventurous things to do in Siargao for more!

But before you get swept up in all that good, good stuff, you’ll want to turn your attention to the practical side of visiting the island.

This Siargao travel guide will give you a no-BS rundown on:

  • where to stay in Siargao
  • what (and where) to eat
  • internet speeds and accessibility
  • coworking options
  • how to get to Siargao
  • and how to get around the island

It also pays to remember that Siargao Island is developing and changing at a pretty phenomenal rate. While we do our best to maintain the accuracy of the info on this page, we aren’t currently on the island — so if you spot something that needs updating, please do reach out in a comment down at the bottom. Cheers ears!

Okay, let’s get into the nitty gritty of our Siargao travel guide:

Disclosure: this page contains some affiliate links, which means we earn a small commission from sales generated through them. Don’t worry though, we only recommend awesome shit we know you’ll love!

Where to stay in Siargao

When it comes to the question of where to stay in Siargao, the “right” answer will be different for different people.

What do we mean by that? Well:

Depending on whether you’re looking for a central location, close proximity to the waves or kitesurfing beach, or something truly remote, different parts of the island will appeal more than others.

Check prices and availability for our favourite surf hostel near General Luna now!

Let’s take a closer look:

The south of Siargao near General Luna is the most developed part of the island. This is where you’ll find most of the tourist-friendly infrastructure, bars, restaurants, and resorts. Staying in General Luna also gives you easy access to Siargao’s kitesurfing beach, as well as many of the famous surf spots. Once you’ve got a bicycle or motorbike, everything is pretty nearby.

For those planning to do some kitesurfing in Siargao, check out the resort at Viento del Mar, or the Ocean 101 Beach Resort. We also adore the look of the new Avocado Hostel, located <10 minute walk from General Luna Lagoon.

Around General Luna, you can expect to pay around $10 USD/night for a private double room with a fan (less during low season, and up to double during high season). Agoda has a good selection of hotels and resorts in Siargao to suit all price ranges.

For a quieter, less touristy experience, look at staying in North Siargao, where you might have some of the island’s loveliest surf spots all to yourself.

For those looking for long term accommodation in Siargao, aim to budget around $250/month for a 2 bedroom furnished apartment. Airbnb has a lot of listings for monthly apartment rentals in Siargao, many of which can be negotiated down if you plan on staying long term.

Getting around Siargao

The absolute best (and cheapest) way to get around Siargao is by renting your own motorbike — this is probably the most fundamental and essential tip in our Siargao travel guide!

Not only does this end up being the most cost effective option, it also gives you the ultimate flexibility to set off and explore the island in your free time.

misty landscape on siargao island, with a winding road bisecting a thick grove of palm trees

Motorbike rentals in Siargao cost about $8 USD/day, and you’ll have a choice between automatic mopeds, semi automatic bikes (Honda XRM 125 is the most popular), and seriously cool custom bikes and scramblers — all of which are very affordable. You can normally negotiate a cheaper rate for longer rentals.

If you’re keen on going motorless, cycling is also a viable way of getting around Siargao, since the roads are in good nick and traffic is fairly calm.

Should you wish to hire a driver, you can rent a chauffeured habal-habal (tricycle/tuk-tuk) for around $20/day or a private van for about $90/day. Motorbike taxis are also available and cost an average of 50 cents for short rides around General Luna.

Check out Kermit Pizzaria or Aventino’s for authentic Italian pizza, and Kangaroo Restaurant or Cashey’s Place for a mix of local and international flavours at a good price. Bravo has an amazing Catalan restaurant that do an unreal paella. Head to Surf‘n’dine for big-ass burgers.

For all you craft beer lovers, don’t miss the General Luna Pale Ale made by Monkey Eagle Brewery; it’s available in a few of the local resties around General Luna.

For those staying long term and looking to cook at home, the General Luna morning/evening wet market is the best and cheapest place to buy fresh produce and seafood straight from the fishermen. General Luna also has good selection of supermarkets for all your other household bits and bobs.

Where to shop and eat in Siargao

Whether it’s mahi mahi or chicken adobo, food is at the heart of Filipino culture and on an island like Siargao, mealtime brings the community even closer together.

The seafood is Siargao is insanely fresh, and with so many barbecue joints on the island, you’ve got no excuse not to eat the stuff by the bucketload (unless, of course, you’re veggo, in which case you’ll also have plenty of choice — even if it’s not on the menu, you just need to ask and the chefs are usually very accommodating). Mama’s Grill is a local favourite.

Internet in Siargao

As far as public internet in Siargao goes, many resorts and local businesses offer free wifi which is, shall we say, moderately reliable. The speed of the internet in Siargao varies massively depending on the weather, how close you are to a signal tower, and how many people are on the same router as you.

The biggest problem in using a public/customer wifi is that you sit precariously on the edge of being kicked off the router if it gets overloaded or the IP addresses fill up. At best, the internet speed can end up going at snail’s pace, particularly in the evening between 6-9pm.

Mobile internet in Siargao works reasonably well and offers coverage in almost all areas. Conversely, speeds are still rather modest and aren’t conducive to data heavy work, even if you’re tethering with a dongle (approximately 5 Mbps download and 2.5 upload). You’ll be able to get online and use social media, but Skype calls and anything that requires bigger bandwidth may be a struggle.

Mobile internet in Siargao is cheap, with a 990 PHP/month ($18 USD) will get you 900mb/day. Globe and Smart are the best SIM cards to get in Siargao and are available in all small stores and pharmacies on the island. There’s no registration needed, and you’ll pay just 30 PHP ($0.55) for a SIM card.

Coworking Spaces in Siargao

In the age of the digital nomad, our Siargao travel guide wouldn’t be complete without including some options for all of you with location independent jobs.

Though there are no official coworking spaces in Siargao (yet), there are a number of digital nomad friendly cafes, restaurants, and resorts where remote workers can set up their office for the day.

In General Luna, Ocean 101 Beach Resort, and Bravo Beach Resort are among the best choices. Both offer plenty of work space and are very welcoming to digital nomads, as long as you play it fair and buy a few coffees or lunch.

If you’re a surfing digital nomad and you’re on the lookout for a chill cafe to work from that’s close to the waves, check out Shaka Siargao. Not only do they have the best coffee in town (and tons of amazing veggie food), they’re also super close to Cloud 9, should the swell reader start singing.

Final tips on our Siargao travel guide:

How to get to Siargao Island, Philippines

a glassy river bisects a thick grove of palm trees on siargao island, philippines, with a misty mountain landscape in the background.

Up until quite recently, getting to Siargao meant signing yourself up for an agonising slew of connecting flights. Now, thankfully, that’s changed.

You can fly from Cebu Siargao and from Manila to Siargao directly — this is by far the quickest, most comfortable, and efficient way of getting to Siargao. Your flights will arrive at Siargao (Sayak) Airport.

Check flight prices and times from Manila to Siargao and from Cebu to Siargao now!

It’s worth noting, however, that budget airlines (Cebu Pacific in particular) are notorious for canceling flights last minute. If you’re going to be connecting with another flight on your way back, make sure you factor in enough time just in case of a cancellation or rescheduled flight.

For those on a tight budget, you can also get to Siargao by flying to Surigao City (Airphil Express) and take a ferry from there to Dapa Port (2.5 hour boat ride). The last one leaves around midday, so make sure to check the schedule before you fly.

From Siargao Airport, you can take a taxi for 300-350 PHP ($5-6) to get to General Luna.

pinterest image with a picture of a thick grove of palm trees and a caption that reads: complete travel guide to siargao, philippines

Has our Siargao travel guide left you with an unanswered question? Drop us a comment down below or connect with other travellers in our free Facebook group — where we answer all questions!

Categories: Philippines

Grace Austin

Hi! I'm Grace -- freelance writer & content creator for the outdoor travel industry. I spent the past few years living in China, Vietnam, and Thailand working as a blogger, TV presenter, and documentarist. These days you can find me Europe side scouting out the best outdoor adventures Ireland has to offer -- and drinking ALL the wine. Obviously.

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