Siquijor, The Mystic Island of the Philippines: A Travel Guide

Dubbed as the mystic island of the Philippines, Siquijor got a long-term reputation of witchcraft and magic.  From tell-tales to documentaries, the island mysticism has brought intrigue and interest to its visitors from all over the world. Aside from the island being known of its enigma, the island has an enticing beauty which is a perfect haven for adventure seekers and beach lovers.

How to get there:

From Cebu by Land:

There are no direct ferry boats or flights from Cebu to Siquijor. From Cebu South Terminal, a 3-4 hour bus ride will take visitors to the last Municipality on the Southern side of Cebu, Santander. From Santander, a less than an hour boat ride to Dumaguete. Ferry boat rides from Santander to Dumaguete are available as early as 4:30 am to 8:30 pm. If you enjoy island hopping, you will love your adventure to Siquijor. The final boat ride will be from Dumaguete to Siquijor. Slow boats will take up to 2 hours or so. Fast crafts an hour and 30 minutes to reach the island.

From Cebu by Ferry Boat:

A 4-5 hours direct ferry boat ride from Cebu – Dumaguete is conveniently available. You can choose from the ferry boat’s regular or tourist accommodation. Slow ferry boats and fast crafts can take you to Siquijor Island.

Check ferry boats schedules here:

We went to Siquijor mid-march which was considered peak season. Many tourists flock the island during this time since it’s the start of summer. We didn’t book for accommodation so, we randomly looked for an available resort. I would suggest, book online weeks ahead to get the best rates and location. We were able to find a  budget friendly resort, Sunset View Resort located in San Juan, the next municipality from Siquijor’s main town. We preferred to stay in San Juan because aside from it is near the pier, it is known for its long stretch of white sand shoreline.

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We got an air-conditioned dorm type room with a separate shared bathroom (no hot water) and toilet for 2,400 PHP per day. The resort has its own restaurant, room service, wifi connection, and pool. Food, not impressive. The resort was average. The beachfront has a scenic view during sunset.

Sunset View Resort
San Juan, Siquijor
Contact Number: 0927-883-2296

Transportation: 

The mode of transportation in the island are tricycles, scooters, and multi-cabs (a small light truck). There were no available buses or jeepneys when we were there. Plenty of tricycles and multi-cabs for hire available when you get to the port. Scooters available for rent.

  • Scooter rent from 400.00 – 700.00php /day.
  • Tricycle 1000.00-1200php /day with driver.
  • Multicab 1800.00 – 2000.00 php /day with driver.

Food:

Restaurants, grills and carenderia (a local eatery that serves food/meals) are conveniently available. If you are a seafood lover, fresh produce from the sea are always available.

Dagsa Restaurant – The restaurant’s native theme with a touch of western class sets the restaurant’s ambiance perfect for local and foreign tourists pleasant dining. Food is good and affordable. We ordered a set of seafood boodle fight. Boodle fight is like an eating combat (not literally) it was derived from military style eating where food is prepared on top of banana leaves. Viand and rice will be shared together using bare hands when eating.

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We had a great dining experience in this restaurant. The ambiance was nice and the food was great.My favorite was the internal decoration, quite unique as you can see. If you wanna ask, yes, we were sitting on the floor while eating, but it was cool.

Baha Bar – Although we weren’t able to dine in the restaurant because transportation was not available for us after 7:00pm, we had a chance to check the place early in the day.

It doesn’t look like a typical bar from the outside, but rather a house. The main dining area is on the second floor. If you want to have a garden feel while dining, a garden restaurant is located at the back. A live band is available to add more comfort in your dining experience. Prices are affordable though a bit expensive compared to Dagsa.

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Check out the separate post for the island tour: Around the Mystic Island – A Day Tour

Total Expenses from Cebu City (round trip)

  • Total fare – 900.00php
  • Terminal fee – 150.00 php
  • Accommodation – 2400 / 5 * 2 = 960.00 php for 2 days.
  • Food, water and etc: 500.00 php
  • Tour – 200.00
  • Total expenses: 2,710.00

5 Comments Add yours

  1. sofeebella says:

    Nice… On my list.. 🤗

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Januaryrain Pagalan says:

    Great! 👍

    Like

  3. Ace&Demi says:

    Very timely. Thanks for sharing. This will certainly help us around.

    Best regards, Ace and Demi.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Januaryrain Pagalan says:

      That’s great. Enjoy your trip! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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