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SECRET Siargao Sunset Spot: Mangrove Wharf Near Del Carmen

SECRET Siargao Sunset Spot: Mangrove Wharf Near Del Carmen

When you are in Siargao you will quickly realize this isn’t an ideal island for watching the sunset. General Luna, the main tourist area, faces in a south-east direction. The sunset at Cloud 9 surf break is still nice but it is facing the wrong way.

We pulled up google maps and tried to find a spot along the west coast to watch the sunset. What happened was that we stumbled upon what I will happily call my favorite sunset spot on the island! I put together a list of the top 8 sunset spots on Siargao Island that you can check out by clicking here.

Wondering about the best spot to stay on Siargao? I wrote this guide that breaks down the island into the best regions with my personal hotel/hostel/resort recommendations: WHERE TO STAY ON SIARGAO ISLAND

What to pack for the Philippines?: After four trips to the Philippines, there are some items you NEED to pack. You can Click Here to view my recommended Philippines Packing List.

SUNSET SPOT NEAR DEL CARMEN WHARF ON SIARGAO 

Along the west coast of Siargao, the beach slowly turns in to mangroves. Just before the town of Del Carmen, is a small collection of houses and a tiny wharf.

We decided to pull in at the wharf and check it out. What we found was a small outrigger boat resting peacefully on incredibly still water. We immediately knew this would be a great little spot for some reflections on the water if the sky lit up with some nice color.

What we didn’t know was that we were standing before an epic mangrove system. It is so complex and beautiful it can really only be appreciated fully from above. Luckily we had our Dji Mavic Pro Drone with us and sent him up into the air over two nights to create the short video.

The other way to experience this epic mangrove sunset spot near Del Carmen is to go for a cruise in a wooden outrigger boat. A local found us at the wharf and asked if we wanted to go for a ride. For $5 he took us out for a peaceful cruise through the mangroves.

The drive from General Luna to the Mangrove wharf for sunset takes about 35-40 minutes on the moped. It’s a scenic drive through rice-paddies and takes you through the town of Dapa. I have included a map below with a pin so you can find the exact location. This is definitely worth the drive and a peaceful way to watch the sunset on Siargao.

 

Cloud 9 has awesome vibes for sunset but won’t look directly at the sun and is always pretty crowded. We spent every sunset at the mangrove wharf as the only tourists, hanging out with the locals who were ever curious about our drones and what we were up to. 

WHERE I SUGGEST TO STAY ON SIARGAO

Budget Hostel in General Luna: The White House:  The best budget option for dorm style/hostel accommodation on Siargao Island is called The White House in General Luna. For just $10 a night you can grab yourself a dorm bed.

Value Pick in General Luna: Lampara Siargao Boutique Hostel: Lampara Siargao is an oceanfront boutique hostel conveniently situated on the exotic island of Siargao. 

Luxury Pick in General Luna: Nay Palad Hideaway: Nay Palad Hideaway is one of the most luxurious accommodations in the Philippines. With its beautiful outdoor pool, terrace with either garden or ocean views, comfy seating areas, and is the resort you will see featured on Instagram all the time!

Nay Palad Hideaway Resort

WHERE I STAYED ON SIARGAO ISLAND

Siargao is pretty straightforward when it comes to picking a region to stay. 90% of people choose to stay somewhere near General Luna. All of the bars, restaurants, tours, ports, and hotels are near General Luna and Cloud 9 surf break.

There are a couple of other regions you could stay in like Pacifico but unless you are purposely looking for isolation, General Luna is your spot. So what are my suggestions for where to stay in General Luna?

First, I’ll tell you where I stayed. Because I stayed for over a month, I managed to find an Airbnb. It was 4 blocks back from the beach, had wi-fi, A/C, a private bathroom, patio and inside were just two bunk beds. It was super basic and I stayed here with two mates and my sister. It was 900 USD for the entire month, which we split four ways so it was just $225 each.

There’s a photo below of our sweet Airbnb pad on Siargao Island.

Save money in Siargao by staying at an Airbnb! Get a FREE $40 Airbnb Coupon by using my code when you book! 

siargao island pictures photo gallery

Best time to visit Siargao Island

The best time to visit Siargao depends on what you are looking for. Many consider the best time of year when the weather is best but that also means crowds. I will give you a few options below about when is the best month to visit Siargao Island:

September: Siargao hosts the ‘Cloud 9 Surfing Cup’ each September, an official WSL Pro event

July – November: The best time period for surfing in Siargao is July until November. The easterly Mindanao current provides the islands with waves that came from the deepest regions of the Pacific.

March-May: If you aren’t as interested in the surf but are craving that sun. March until May should bring you guaranteed sunny days. But it’s the Philippines so you can’t guarantee it.

siargao island pictures photo gallery

Where is Siargao Island Located

Siargao is located in the region of Mindanao in the Philippines. Mindanao is the southern region of the Philippines.

How to get to Siargao Island

When I visited in 2017 there was only one flight a day from Manila and one from Cebu. Now there are 10-15 flights a day so the question of how to get to Siargao has become much easier. Without going into deep detail on every single option. These are the options for how to get to Siargao:

  • Fly from Manila $90-$100
  • Fry from Cebu  $90-$100
  • Ferry from Surigao City to Siargao Island $5

There are ferries that leave from Manila and Cebu but they go to Surigao City first and then Siargao Island.

siargao island pictures photo gallery

ARE YOU FOLLOWING MY SIARGAO SERIES OF BLOGS

Sunset: 11 AWESOME SUNSET SPOTS ON SIARGAO ISLAND

Cliff Jumps: 9 CLIFF JUMPING SPOTS IN SIARGAO

Where to Stay: WHERE TO STAY ON SIARGAO ISLAND

Island Hopping: SIARGAO ISLAND HOPPING – GUYAM, DAKU & NAKED ISLAND

Ultimate Guide: 40 AWESOME THINGS TO DO ON SIARGAO

Itinerary & Expenses: SIARGAO ITINERARY & EXPENSES ULTIMATE TRAVEL GUIDE

Sohoton Cove Itinerary: SOHOTON COVE NATIONAL PARK TOUR – CAVES AND LAGOONS

Visit Sugba Lagoon: SUGBA LAGOON FROM SIARGAO ISLAND

Hidden Lake on Poneas Island: DISCOVER THE HIDDEN LAKE OF PONEAS ISLAND, SIARGAO

MORE PHILIPPINES BLOGS

I have also visited many other places in the Philippines that you may want to add to your itinerary and remove one of. the locations I visited. There is no right way to travel to the Philippines. The reality is that you will miss some awesome places no matter what Philippines backpacking route you take.  You can check out the links below to my other Philippines backpacking guides.

Caramoan: CARAMOAN ISLAND HOPPING

Romblon Island: ROMBLON TRAVEL GUIDE: 17 AWESOME THINGS TO DO

Tablas Island: TABLAS ISLAND TRAVEL GUIDE: 20 AWESOME THINGS TO DO

Sibuyan Island: SIBUYAN ISLAND TRAVEL GUIDE: 9 AWESOME THINGS TO DO

Sohoton Cove: SOHOTON COVE NATIONAL PARK TOUR – CAVES AND LAGOONS

Carabao Island: CARABAO ISLAND TRAVEL GUIDE: 5 THINGS TO DO

Cebu Itinerary: CEBU 5-DAY ITINERARY – DETAILED ADVENTURE TRAVEL GUIDE

Cebu Things To Do: 16 AWESOME THINGS TO DO ON CEBU

Philippines Backpacking Guide: PHILIPPINES BACKPACKING: 2019 BUDGET TRAVEL GUIDE

Ultimate Philippines Itinerary: ULTIMATE PHILIPPINES TRAVEL ITINERARY FOR 3-4 WEEKS

Aliyu Mohammed Sani..ALI KIRU..KADUNA NIGERIA

Friday 24th of May 2019

oh am in New Delhi Rohini sectors 15/18. am Nigeria I COME for my surgery in max super special Hospital Delhi .but due to health issues gultre in the chest treatment. I wish to be tourrit to Agra .to me if you come to india you didn't visit to Agra is just that you no in india temple. next coming I will pripiar to. I LOVE INDIA AND INDIAN. THX

30 AWESOME THINGS TO DO ON SIARGAO, PHILIPPINES | Balik Pinas Balik Saya

Friday 12th of April 2019

[…] Full Blog Post: Secret Sunset Spot – Del Carmen Mangrove Wharf […]

Yuri

Sunday 3rd of June 2018

Dear

If you arrive at the airport by 3PM, is it still possible to do this mangrove sunset if you go straight to del carmen? If so, do you know if there are lockers at the airport? Because we would leave our luggage at the airport then. Thank you!

Kind regards Yuri

30 THINGS TO DO IN SIARGAO ISLAND, PHILIPPINES: THE BUCKET LIST - Journey Era

Saturday 20th of January 2018

[…] Full Blog Post: Secret Sunset Spot – Del Carmen Mangrove Wharf […]