Siquijor – I’ve always wanted to visit ever since I read an article about this island’s beauty years ago. The island is best known for its mysticism: agimat, gayuma, and stuff like that. I finally got to visit recently with my friends – all before my 40th year birthday.

How to Get to Siquijor

We took advantage of Cebu Pacific’s seat sale to make our Siquijor visit happen. While Siquijor has an airport, it cannot accommodate commercial flights, so we booked a flight from Manila to Dumaguete. It’s a short flight – it takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes to get there.

When we landed in Dumaguete, we took a trike, which cost us Php70 per person to get to Dumaguete Port where we took a ferry to get to Siquijor Island. You can book ferry tickets online. Because our flight schedule kept changing, we decided against it. The good thing is that there are plenty of ferry schedules at the port. We took the Montenegro ferry to Siquijor instead of Ocean Jet because the latter’s next schedule was at 11am, and we were already there at around 7am. The ferry boat ride from Dumaguete to Siquijor was about an hour.

When we finally got to Siquijor Port, we took another trike, about 30 minutes travel time, to get to our hotel, Dolce Amore. We stayed in for five days. Let me show you the must-visit spots in Siquijor.

Tourist Spots to See in Siquijor

Day 0

We got to our hotel around lunchtime. Since it has a restaurant, we had our lunch there, and then we rested for a while before exploring the must-visit spots in Siquijor. Our first stop was Paliton Beach. It’s one of the best beaches on the island, known for its white sand and palm trees.

We mostly walked around the beach shoreline to take photos and videos, and ate merienda at the stalls though you can swim there.

I also went on the swing. For only Php50.00, the locals working at the beach would take your video on the swing. Check out this creative video of me. They’re like a human drone!

Our next stop was Pitogo Cliff, located on the southwestern side of Siquijor Island. It’s named after the trees that grow in the area. It’s a must-visit spot in Siquijor for the breathtaking view of Sulu Sea.

I read that locals used to hang out by the cliff to enjoy the scenery. Perhaps some still do.

must visit place in Siquijor Island

Did you guys know that you can dive from this cliff? And that’s whether you’re a beginner or an expert, because there’s a 40-foot jumping off point, the highest, and there are 10 and 20-foot jumping off points as well although I didn’t really see anyone diving. There aren’t lifeguards in the area.

Although scared of heights, I went down the cliff’s stairs for a good photo. I held on to the railings tightly and was careful going down and up again.

When in Siqujior, a must visit area is Pitogo Cliff
Pitogo Cliff is a must see tourist spot in Siquijor Island

Day 1

On our first full day on the island, our itinerary was beach, beach, and more beach!

First stop: Salagdoong Beach. located in the far east corner of the island, in the town of Maria. You can also cliff dive at this beach, snorkel, or swim. There’s an entrance fee of Php70.00. There are cottages and outdoor seats where you can stay while at the beach.

You can jump off from two areas in Salagdoong Beach – one is at 20 feet and the other at 30 feet. There are no lifeguards in the area, though.

Another beach we went to is called Monkey Beach, which is a secluded beach.

This is where you enter to get to Monkey Beach

When I saw this, I thought dreadfully, “not another one!”.

You see, we were coming from another beach. Well, we tried to get to the beach – the Secret Beach. Yup, that’s what it’s called. It’s another off-beaten beach in Siquijor that we unfortunately weren’t able to go to. The path was also through a lush and muddy forest, and hardly anyone was around to help us find our way to the beach. We eventually had to turn back because we feared getting lost.

But the walk through the forest going to Monkey Beach took only ten to fifteen minutes.

My travel buddies for life

Unlike Salagdoong, which was full of tourists, there are hardly any people at Monkey Beach. When we went there, we had the beach all to ourselves. It’s a beautiful beach, and it’s perfect for those who want a tranquil beach experience. You can sit by the seashore or walk all alone with your thoughts.

More to Explore in Siquijor

This is just the beginning of my adventure on the island of enchantment. In part two, I’ll take you to more must-visit spots in Siquijor that make this island truly magical. Stay tuned!