Siargao

Siargao is known as the surfing capital of the Philippines, and was voted the Best Island in Asia in the 2021 Conde Nast Travelers Readers awards.

11038 (Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018) signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in July 2018.

[6] Siargao Island contains one of the largest mangrove forest reserves in Mindanao, covering an area of 4,871 hectares in Del Carmen.

The extensive mangrove forests of the western coast in the Del Carmen area are home to the Indo-Pacific crocodile Crocodylus porosus.

Siargao has excellent surfing conditions, particularly during the southwest "habagat" monsoon from August to December when the prevailing wind is offshore.

[9] In the western coast in the municipalities of Del Carmen and San Benito are numerous islands, most of which are covered in mangrove forests.

[13][14] In the past, the island could be reached via a direct domestic flight from Manila to Surigao City and then by a ferry to the coastal towns of Dapa or Del Carmen.

[16] There are plans to extend the runway of Sayak Airport in Siargao, to cater to the demands of growing tourists who will be visiting this island paradise.

This right-breaking reef wave is the site of the annual Siargao Cup, a domestic and international surfing competition sponsored by the provincial government of Surigao del Norte.

[17] There are several other quality waves on Siargao and nearby islands such as Tombstones, but Cloud 9 has received more publicity than any other surf spot in the Philippines.

General Luna has a population of 15,000 and is the main tourist destination due to its closeness to Cloud 9 and other international standard surf spots.

A tourist destination, the population in Siargao consist of the native Surigaonons and non-native settlers from Luzon, Visayas and other parts of Mindanao as well as foreigners, making the islands the melting pot of people.

Fishermen in Siargao
Guyam Island (left) and Daku Island (right) visible from the beach at General Luna
The beach at the Magpupungko Rock Pools at high tide in Pilar
A beginner surfer in Siargao