11 AWESOME SUNSET SPOTS ON SIARGAO ISLAND

I spent a month on the island of Siargao and chased the sunset most nights. The only thing that stopped me from watching the sunset was a couple of tropical storms. Throughout the month I explored some known sunset spots and also created a few of my own! This is a list of my favorite sunset spots on Siargao.

 

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.

 

Mangrove wharf near Del Carmen

Halfway up the west coast of Siargao, the beach slowly becomes mangroves. Before the old town of Del Carmen is a small collection of houses wharf. This is 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 in its entirety from above.

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.

View full blog post: SECRET SIARGAO SUNSET SPOT 

 

Cloud 9

This is probably the most popular and therefore most crowded spot for sunset on Siargao. The Cloud 9 wharf/pier/hut or whatever you want to call it is a three-story viewing platform over the ocean, connected to the land by a long boardwalk. From the hut, you can look down the coast to the east for sunrise or to the west for sunset. While I was at Cloud 9 in December you didn’t really see the sun at either sunrise or sunset but you still found some nice colors in the sky and you could watch the surfers riding waves during the last light of the day. It’s a good spot to enjoy some action during sunset but the hut will be quite crowded. Just around the corner is Jacking Horse surf break, which gives you a bit better of an angle for sunset.

 

Jacking Horse

Jacking Horse is a popular beginner surf break. It faces a little bit more west than Cloud 9 and became one of my favorite spots to watch the sunset. It is only a few minutes from anywhere in General Luna and is a quick and easy way to watch the end of the day without really putting in much effort. There are always surfers out in the water till the last light. This is quite a crowded spot but you can find your own little piece of sand to enjoy the sunset.

 

Ocean 101 Resort

We had Cloud 9, then next was Jacking Horse but just one stop even further west is the Ocean 101 Resort. All three of these locations are within 10 minutes walking distance of each other but with each little bit of extra walking, you see a little bit more of the actual sunset. If you walk along the beach from Jacking Horse and head west you will eventually enter Ocean 101 Resort. Do they want a million tourists on their perfectly manicured grass that looks out over the ocean? Probably not! But one or two extra sunset admirers won’t kill them. Here you can enjoy a relaxed atmosphere that looks out over the mountains in the distance and the new bridge. It’s the most unobstructed view of the sunset you will get from the General Luna area.

 

General Luna Port Pier

It took me til one of my last nights to explore the fishing dock and the port of General Luna. I guess I always just automatically hit up Cloud 9 but what a mistake that had been all month. The dock had only one other couple on the whole 100m of cement pathway that led out to the ocean. Longtail boats cruised home with tired tourists after a day of island-hopping and fisherman brought in their day’s catch. We got blessed with an absolute banger of a sunset on the one night we hit the pier at General Luna. I definitely recommend this sunset spot over Cloud 9 for at least one of the nights while you are in Siargao.

 

Naked Island

Naked Island is commonly the third stop on the Siargao island hopping tour. Depending on your tour guide and the timing of your island hopping experience you may be able to finish the day with a sunset on Naked Island. My group was waiting out on the island for the sunset before we got hit by a storm and called it a day. I would suggest going for it and trying to enjoy a sunset on this beautiful little sandbar if the weather and your tour guide agree with your plans.

 

Sohoton National Park in Socorro

I know it’s not Siargao but we did get here in one day from Siargao and it’s only an hour away. Plus, the sunset was too amazing not to include it on this list. We took a ferry from Dapa to Socorro and enjoyed a full day of island hopping. It was my favorite day on Siargao (although it was an hour away from the island). There were hardly any tourists and the lagoons and caves were almost as epic as those found in popular spots like El Nido and Coron. At the end of the day, we were cruising round in our longtail boat as the sky lit up fiery red. It was one of my favorite nights of our trip!

View full blog post: SOHOTON COVE NATIONAL PARK TOUR – CAVES AND LAGOONS

 

Santa Monica Pier

Getting all the way up to Santa Monica is a journey. In fact, most tourists who stay in General Luna don’t make it much further than Sugba Lagoon. We knew that and looked forward to escaping the party/surf hum of General Luna as we wound our way north to Alegria. Along the way we visited Tak Tak Waterfall, the only falls on Siargao. We also stopped off at my favorite beach on Siargao called, Alegria Beach. I had heard about a long pier in Santa Monica. Of course, we made lots of jokes suggesting people were referring to the world-famous Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles. However, when we finally found the pier it was a great long cement path that stretched out into the ocean, harboring several fishing boats and ferries. We sat right out on the end and for once on Siargao, we were able to look directly towards the sun as it set over the ocean.

 

Santa Fe Beach

Head across the newly constructed bridge near Cloud 9 that links General Luna to Libertad and you will escape the crowds of Cloud 9 and enter Siargao bliss. Libertad in itself has some great sunset spots, albeit facing the wrong direction. However, my favorite spot is just near Santa Fe. If you just chuck Santa Fe into your google maps, there is no specific spot but just pick a bit of beach and enjoy it all to yourself. No-one else comes out here as they just take the lazy option of General Luna for sunset but I used to ride my bicycle down here in just twenty minutes and found it very peaceful!

 

Libertad Beach

Libertad is just across the bridge from General Luna. In the past, there was no bridge so it was a 40-minute drive but now in just 10-minutes, you can be in Libertad and far away from the crowds of Cloud 9. The beach isn’t amazing for swimming but the palm trees as a backdrop and the glow over the ocean are very peaceful and a great way to end the day.

 

The Bridge to Libertad

The newly constructed bridge that links General Luna to Libertad is definitely going to be one of the top new alternative sunset spots on Siargao. Why? Because it actually faces the sun. The big problem on Siargao for sunsets is that everyone is on the wrong side of the island for the sunset but now with just a little walk or drive you can hang out on the bridge and watch the sun setting over the mangroves. I had to shoot a photo there before the colors popped as I was on my way to Santa Fe so there is no pastel sky in my photo below, but take my word for it and hang out on the bridge during sunset.

 

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!

 

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! 

 

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.

 

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.

 

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