Philippines

Siquijor

Filipinos know Siquijor as the island of witches and healers, which has conveniently kept the crowds at bay.

Best forCouples · Beach lovers · Budget travellers
Ideal stay3–4 nights
Approx. flying time~14h 45m from Los Angeles

Siquijor, Philippines Open in Google Maps Powered by Geoapify · © OpenStreetMap contributors · © OpenMapTiles

CurrencyPHPPhilippine peso
LanguageFilipino and English
Local time18:157h ahead of the UK
PlugsType A / B / CBring an adapter
Drive on theRightOpposite to the UK
Dialling code+63

Why go

A small round island in the central Visayas, Siquijor carries a reputation across the Philippines for folk healing and witchcraft, which has kept it quieter than its neighbours. What visitors find is a coastal road of roughly 70 kilometres, white-sand beaches along the western side, waterfalls inland and a scatter of Spanish-era churches. Development is low-rise and thin, and much of the island remains farmland and forest.

Ferries from Dumaguete take about an hour, and boats also run from Bohol and Cebu, so it slots neatly into a Visayas island run. Three or four nights is comfortable: one day to circle the island by scooter, the rest doing very little at all. The dry season runs roughly from December to May. Nightlife amounts to a handful of beach bars, and that is unlikely to change soon.

Ideal stay: 3–4 nights
The vibe: Slow, superstitious, palm-fringed

From our guides

What they're missing: the triple-tiered turquoise pools of Cambugahay Falls, a century-old balete tree with a fish-spa pool at its roots and white-sand beaches like Paliton that empty by late afternoon. Ferries run from Dumaguete in under an hour. Circle the island by scooter in a day, then slow right down.

Featured in Ten quiet tropical islands nobody talks about yet

Things to do

Cambugahay Falls

A series of turquoise pools and low falls in the jungle near Lazi, with rope swings and steep steps down from the road.
The balete tree

A vast, centuries-old strangler fig with a spring at its base, where small fish nibble the feet of anyone who dangles them in.
Paliton Beach

A quiet white-sand cove on the west coast backed by palms, with clear water for snorkelling and a well-known sunset.
Salagdoong Beach

A cove on the eastern side of the island with cliff-jumping platforms and calm, sheltered water between two rocky headlands.
Lazi church and convent

A coral-stone church from the 1880s facing what is said to be one of the largest convents in the country.
Circling by scooter

The coastal loop takes a few hours with stops, on a road that is quiet, surfaced and very easy to follow.

Getting there

Fly to
Panglao (TAG)

Nearest airport to Siquijor, about 48km away as the crow flies.
Then
To San Juan

Fly to Dumaguete (DGT), take a short tricycle ride to the pier and a ferry of under an hour to Siquijor town. Allow about two hours in total.
On the ground
Getting around

Scooters are the standard way round: the coast road circles the island in a day, taking in Cambugahay Falls, the old balete tree and Paliton beach.

Public transport: Sparse jeepneys and tricycles exist, but hiring a scooter or a driver is how visitors actually move.

Flights

Los Angeles Siquijor, Philippines

Flying from

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Roughly 14h 45m in the air from Los Angeles (LAX), estimated from the distance — check for a direct route. Pick a month to see every available flight with live prices.

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Flight times are estimates; prices open on Google Flights.

Where to stay

Beach bungalows, small family resorts and homestays, with a few smarter boutique places in San Juan. No chains, no large resorts, and power cuts are routine.

Best base overall
San Juan

The west-coast strip where most of the island's resorts, dive shops and sunset bars sit, on a long sandy beach. Everything is spread along one road, so a scooter helps.
Find stays in San Juan
Best value
Siquijor town

The port where ferries from Dumaguete arrive, with cheap guesthouses, the market and the island's practical business. Less beach, more everyday life, and easy onward transport.
Find stays in Siquijor town
Quietest
Paliton and Solangon

Small clusters of bungalows north and south of San Juan near the white sand at Paliton, where evenings are dark and quiet. Little choice of food beyond your own resort.
Find stays in Paliton and Solangon
Closest to the sights
Lazi

On the southern coast near Cambugahay Falls and the old balete tree, with a few simple homestays and the century-old convent. A long way from the sunset beaches.
Find stays in Lazi

Worth knowing before you book: The island has limited beds and Filipino holiday weeks plus Easter fill them, while ferry schedules from Dumaguete thin out in rough weather.

Search everything else in San Juan by budget. These are indicative budget bands in GBP per night for two people, not live quotes or guarantees of hotel type. Check your dates, guests, taxes and final price on Booking.com.

Or see everything in San Juan

Good to know

Getting there: Ferries run from Dumaguete on Negros in about an hour, with less frequent services from Bohol and Cebu. Book ahead in high season.
Cash: Cash machines are limited to the main towns and can be out of order. Bring enough pesos to cover your whole stay.
Scooters: Hire is easy and cheap but licences and helmets are inconsistently handled. Check your travel insurance covers riding before you do.
Entry fees: Small charges apply at the waterfalls, beaches and viewpoints, usually a token amount paid in cash on arrival.
Etiquette: The healing traditions are taken seriously by locals. Ask before photographing people, and treat the subject as more than a curiosity.