The province lies south of Cebu, southeast of Negros Oriental, southwest of Bohol, and north of Mindanao.

During the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines, the Spaniards called Siquijor the Isla del Fuego (Island of Fire), due to the glow of fireflies that swarmed the molave trees.

[5] One popular legend says the name "Siquijor" comes from the famed pre-Spanish ruler of the island, King Datu Kihod.

In modern times, highland farmers have found giant seashells underneath their farm plots to support this legend.

[7][8] Prior to colonization, Siquijor was once called Katugasan, named after the tugas, the molave trees which abounded the island.

The native dwellers of the island used these trees to build posts (haligi) for their houses because of their strength and durability that could withstand strong typhoons and monsoons.

He was captain of a small party that left Legazpi's camp in Bohol to explore the nearby islands which are now called Pamilacan, Siquijor, and Negros.

Several years later, a priest of the same order founded the parishes of Larena (initially called Can‑oan), Lazi (formerly Tigbawan), San Juan (Makalipay), and Maria (Cang‑meniao).

[9] At the turn of the century, Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States of America with the Treaty of Paris that ended the Spanish–American War.

The American Military Governor in Manila appointed James Fugate, a scout with the California Volunteers of the U.S. Infantry, to oversee and implement the organization and development programs in Siquijor Island.

At the outbreak of the war, Siquijor was a sub-province of Negros Oriental, headed by Lieutenant Governor Nicolas Parami.

[12] In mid-1945, local Filipino soldiers and officers under the 7th, 75th, and 76th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army arrived, and alongside recognized guerrilla fighter groups, liberated Siquijor.

Siquijor is a coralline island, and fossils of the giant clam tridacna are often encountered in the plowed inland fields.

Due to the ingrained and indispensable traditional belief systems, the majority of residents have continued to possess a high respect for the natural environment which was revered by the ancestors of the people.

Poverty Incidence of Siquijor Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28] Siquijor has long been associated with pre-Spanish traditions centered around self-help, mysticism, shamanism, and natural healing rituals, something the island's growing tourism industry thoroughly capitalizes on; for example, there is the "Healing and Wellness Tour",[29] an officially-guided ceremony and experience for (paying) visitors to experience ancient meditative and cleansing procedures, ridding themselves of negative energies.

Despite any negative reviews, the experience is reportedly harmless, and simply involves the application of herbs, with smoke and incense being burned, while meditating and being guided by a shamanic healer.

There are also a number of other options for spiritual retreats for wealthy tourists looking to "escape" from the day-to-day, or to purify themselves of negativity in a non-medical, non-mainstream way.

It is reported that certain elderly or superstitious individuals, even to this day, view the island as cursed and will not set foot there or utter its name for fear of bad luck.

The island's enduring reputation as a site of pre-colonial "magic" and "sorcery" has attracted its fair share of interested visitors, and also has earned it the scorn and condemnation of others, primarily very religious (Catholic and other Christian) groups, who view self-help and "natural" healing to be "blasphemous", as it may be seen as a human attempt to "become" or imitate the works of God.

Two of the most popular natural attractions are Cambugahay Falls and the centuries-old Balete, a species of endemic Ficus tree, both located in Lazi.

[32] Mount Bandila-an, Siquijor's highest mountain, has a natural park and butterfly sanctuary located at the center of the island in Barangay Cantabon.

Destinations include Dumaguete in Negros Oriental, Tagbilaran in Bohol, Cebu City, and Plaridel in Misamis Occidental.