Sugba Lagoon in Siargao: The Original Guide

Hidden amidst Siargao’s pristine mangrove forests, Sugba Lagoon is truly a paradise. With its crystal-clear waters surrounded by lush limestone cliffs, it’s one of my favorite spots in the region. Sugba Lagoon is just a short boat ride from Del Carmen and available on many day-trip tours from the mainland of Siargao. At the lagoon, you’ll be able to float across the water on a paddleboard, take a daring leap from the famous, wooden diving board, or simply soak in the scenery.

Sugba Lagoon: My Complete Guide

Sugba Lagoon is one of the most popular things to do on Siargao. It’s a short day trip from General Luna, Siargao to a spectacular lagoon surrounded by incredible, limestone mountains. The day trip costs around 1500 pesos (30 USD) per person or more if you book it in the tourist are of General Luna. However, back in 2017, we managed to find a way to get to Sugba Lagoon for 300 pesos (5 USD) per person. Now the whole process is a lot more organized, so I’ll explain it all in this guide about the best way for you to visit and what to expect.

How to get to Sugba Lagoon 

Sugba Lagoon is about an hour boat ride from Del Carmen or an hour and a half boat ride from General Luna. You can book a tour online pretty simply. However, I think this tour is best booked in person in General Luna because the prices seem more reasonable. I would advise to book your tri-island hopping tour online but Sugba Lagoon I would suggest to book in person as the online offerings are a bit overpriced as Sugba Lagoon is a bit further than the regular island hopping.

If you do want to book the Sugba Lagoon tour online, I’ll drop the link here to the activity booking page: Sugba Lagoon + Siargao Land Tour. 

Back in 2017, we had mopeds and managed to source a local boat driver to take us to Sugba Lagoon and back for 1500 pesos total for the entire boat. We found the boat driver at the wharf near Del Carmen overlooking the mangrove forest. This is definitely the DIY version of visiting Sugba Lagoon and it isn’t super easy to figure out but all things going well you should be able to find a local at Del Carmen or the wharf who will be willing. There was no cheap tour like the one I linked above, which we definitely would have chosen. Here’s a look at our boat trip during sunset in the Del Carmen area.

Sugba Lagoon Google Maps Location 

Below is the map showing Sugba Lagoon’s location in relation to General Luna.

 

Sugba Lagoon

Despite being a recommended Siargao tourist spot Sugba Lagoon isn’t crazily overcrowded such as spots like Kayangan Lake in Coron. You won’t have the lagoon to yourselves by any means but it’s a big enough area to find your own piece of paradise to chill, take photos and hang out. It is a 4000-hectare sanctuary, which you will enjoy on the drive-in as well as while you hang out in the main lagoon. There may be a line for the diving board but other than that it’s very spacious.

A big pontoon house is the main area where you will base yourselves for the day. Here you can claim a table and set up for the day. We left at our bags unattended at many points and the locals kept a steady eye on them for us.

Rich Marine Life – The lagoon is home to various marine species, including fish, stingless jellyfish, and corals, making it a great spot for snorkeling.

At the pontoon house, fresh seafood lunches are available at a pretty decent price. A whole plate of fresh squid/calamari and rice for two people was only 400 pesos or $8 USD, which is fair considering the isolation of the location.

The pontoon house also rents out the equipment for activities. We rented a huge bamboo raft for an hour at $200 pesos. Others took stand-up paddle-boards for a spin around the lagoons.

If you aren’t looking to hire any equipment you can still have a great time swimming in the lagoon and the pontoon house has a sweet diving board. You can grab some cool photos if you shoot from the second floor of the pontoon house out into the open lagoon.

Best time to visit Sugba Lagoon

The best time to visit Sugba Lagoon is during the dry season, from March to October, when the weather is sunny, and the waters are at their clearest. During these months, you’ll experience calm, mirror-like surfaces perfect for paddleboarding, kayaking, and swimming. Visiting in the early morning is ideal to avoid crowds and enjoy the lagoon’s peaceful atmosphere before the midday rush. While Siargao’s wet season (November to February) brings heavier rains and unpredictable weather, it can also mean fewer tourists and a more serene experience—though boat trips may be affected by rougher seas. For the best mix of great weather and fewer crowds, consider visiting in the shoulder months of March or October when the conditions are still favorable, but tourism is slightly lower than peak summer months.

Hidden Tree Cliff Jump at Sugba Lagoon

Sugba Lagoon has gotten quite busy. When I visited in 2017 we shared the lagoon with about 15 people. Fast forward two years and I find myself in a line of thirty people to jump off the diving board. Not a vibe. Luckily I knew there was another spot nearby so off we headed

The best thing to do is to rent a stand-up paddleboard or a kayak. If you are facing away from the diving board you will paddle to your right and follow the rocks around the corner. It is a 500m paddle. We swam but it’s far and many people wouldn’t enjoy the swim!

Once you get into the other lagoon, enjoy the serenity of no other tourists. Keep your eye out for a platform on the far side of the lagoon. It has been semi-dismantled now for some reason but is still climbable.

However, it is quite dangerous. The steps up the tree are missing and you are literally stepping between nails on a slipper branch. Slip off and you have a 7-meter fall onto the rocks. So, attempt this one at your own risk. Many were doing it, but one slip and you are in big trouble.

At the top of the tree is a nice wooden platform, which I would see is about 7-8 meters high. It has epic views of the lagoon and you can see how deep the water is from up there. We never touched the bottom once but do your own depth check in case rocks or branches lurk below the surface.

The jump was awesome and easily the BEST cliff jump in Siargao and easily the highest official jump! Here’s a little video of my jump below and if you want to read my full list of jump spot in Siargao, here you have it : 9 Best Cliff Jumping Spots in Siargao