Luxury holidays in Siargao Island

Close your eyes, take a deep breath and picture yourself on a desert island. Powder-soft sand, palms swaying, sipping a cocktail out of a coconut shell. Ahh… Now wake up and get packing, because Siargao Island is about to make your daydreams a reality. Turquoise sea, unbeatable breaks and an infectiously chilled-out character draw savvy surfers and sun-seekers to this teardrop-shaped Philippines isle. When you’re not hanging ten, scope out wild-swimming spots, kayak through winding mangroves and try out your best Tarzan yell on the top-secret palm-tree rope swing. Adventure fuel ranges from rainbow-striped smoothie bowls to sizzling adobo, all with a healthy helping of feel-good factor – the island swears by sustainability, so single-use plastic is scarce and menus are loaded with local ingredients.

When to go

Visit in the dry season, between March and October, unless you fancy facing off with typhoons. Would-be wave-catchers should aim for between July and December; you’ll find the best breaks from late August to October, which is peak surfing season.

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Getting there

  • Planes

    There’s no international airport on the island, so you’ll need to hop on a propeller plane from Manila or Cebu to Siargao’s Sayak Airport. Connections to Cebu take off from major Asian hubs including Hong Kong, Singapore and Seoul. The turboprop flight takes two and a half hours from Manila and an hour and a half from Cebu. From the island’s airport, it’s under an hour’s drive to General Luna, the main town.
  • Boats

    If you’d rather take to the seas, you can catch the Cokaliong ferry from Cebu to Surigao. From there, several ferries run to Dapa Port in Siargao. Alternatively, arrange a private charter to sail you over to Siargao in style. Eager seafarers can join long-tail boat trips to tiny nearby islands from General Luna.
  • Automobiles

    Plenty of private tuk-tuk companies operate on the island, with the option of hiring a driver or taking the wheel yourself. Motorbikes and minivans – with or without a driver – are also available for hire. You can find rental companies offering all varieties of vehicles at both the airport and port.