3 Days in Siquijor: Waterfalls, Beaches & Where to Stay
The Cambugahay Falls are the best waterfall in the Philippines with rope swing.
Rope swings over jungle water, cliff jumps, and a food scene that has no business being this good on an island this small.
We'll say it straight: Siquijor ended up next to Balabac as our highlight of the entire Philippines. Not El Nido with its famous lagoons. Not Coron. This small island that most travellers skip, known, if at all, for its folk healers and old superstitions.
We'd planned it as three quiet nights between Dumaguete and Bohol. A warm-up before the big names. Instead we spent our days swinging over waterfall pools until our arms hurt, jumping off cliffs into clear water, and eating better than almost anywhere else on the trip. Somewhere between the first rope swing and the last mango shake, we stopped calling it a stopover.
In this guide you'll find exactly how to get there from Dumaguete, where we stayed, what each day looked like, and what everything cost.
How to Get to Siquijor
You reach Siquijor by ferry from Dumaguete. If you're coming from Manila like we did, fly Philippine Airlines to Dumaguete first, then take a tricycle to the port.
Here's the process at the port, step by step:
- Book your ferry ticket in advance on 12Go Asia. Don't rely on buying at the counter, departures fill up.
- Arrive early. You may need to exchange your online booking for a paper ticket at the counter first.
- If you're sailing with OceanJet (the largest operator on this route), check your backpacks in before boarding, hand luggage stays with you.
- Budget for fees on top of your ticket: we paid 15 pesos port fee per person plus 30 pesos for one piece of luggage.
One warning we wish someone had given us: the crossing gets rough. Not dangerous, but enough that you'll want a travel sickness tablet 30 minutes before boarding if you're at all sensitive. We watched several people learn this the hard way.
Departure times on this route are approximate. The ferries run a circular loop (Dumaguete, Siquijor, Bohol, Cebu), so a delay at any stop pushes everything back. Build slack into your day and don't book anything tight on the other side.
The ride itself is short. And what's waiting on the other side makes the choppy water easy to forgive.
Where to Stay in Siquijor: U Story Resort
We stayed at U Story Resort, run by a French couple, and it ended up being one of our favourite accommodations of the whole Philippines trip.
The bungalows are stylish without trying too hard. The property sits directly on the water with a pool and stone steps leading straight down into the sea, so you can go from bed to ocean in about a minute. The whole place is quiet and spotless, with the resort's own dogs and cats wandering between the bungalows. If you need constant action, this isn't your place. If you want to hear nothing but water for three days, it is.
One thing worth copying from us: arrange your transfer through the resort before you arrive. We booked a driver in advance for 850 pesos, and he was waiting when our ferry docked. After a travel day of flight, tricycle and rough ferry, not having to negotiate transport with backpacks on was worth every peso.
Check in, drop the bags, take the steps into the water. Tomorrow the island starts properly.
Day 1: Cambugahay Falls & Salagdoon Beach
Rent a Scooter First
Start your first full day by renting a scooter, ideally directly at your accommodation like we did at U Story. Ours cost around 500 pesos per day, and renting where you sleep has a real advantage: your hosts hand you a bike they trust, and if anything's wrong with it, the fix is one conversation at the front desk instead of a ride across the island.
The island is small, the roads are among the calmest we've ridden anywhere in Southeast Asia, and every spot in this guide is an easy ride. From U Story Resort, plan around 30 minutes to Cambugahay Falls and about the same to Salagdoon Beach.
Cambugahay Falls
Ride to Cambugahay Falls in the morning before the day-tour crowds arrive. Entry is 50 pesos per person, and the rope swing costs another 50 pesos as a flat rate, unlimited jumps.
Pay the flat rate. The falls drop through several tiers of blue-green pools, and the swing launches you out over the main one. We told ourselves we'd do it twice. We went back for more swings than we'd like to admit, and the 50 pesos started to feel like the best money of the trip.
One thing before you jump, and we learned this the expensive way: take off your watch. On the very first swing, my Apple Watch came off mid-air and disappeared into the pool. Gone. We'd half accepted the loss when one of the locals offered to search for it, dove down, and actually came back up with it. He earned his tip several times over that morning. Since then, watches, sunglasses and anything not strapped down comes off before the first jump, and we'd tell you to do the same.
Dry off, get back on the scooter, and head for the coast. The falls were good. The afternoon got better.
Me as Tarzan
Salagdoon Beach: Cliff Jumping
Salagdoon Beach combines a proper cliff jumping setup with a beach that's worth staying on afterward. Entry was 115 pesos for two people.
The jumping here is the real deal: two platforms at different heights, built out over the water like diving boards. Start with the lower one if you're unsure, the higher one is there when your confidence catches up. One practical note: the ladder back up the rock is a bit awkward to climb, especially with wet hands. If it feels like a fight, skip it, you can simply swim over to the beach instead, it's an easy swim.
Three things to know before you go:
- It gets busy, including with local visitors, especially around midday. Go earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon if you want the platforms without a queue.
- Work up the nerve for the jump before you climb up. Standing at the edge deciding is worse than jumping.
- Leave the watch in your bag. You already know why.
After a few rounds off the cliffs we settled onto the beach for the rest of the afternoon. At some point we ordered a mango shake from the only beach bar there, and we still talk about it. You can't miss it, it's the one bar on the sand. Simple day, one of the best of the trip.
By evening you'll be hungry. Which brings us to the one reservation you need to make on this island.
Day 2: Paliton Beach & the Food You Came For
Breakfast at Luca Loko
Start at Luca Loko. Açai-style bowls, a properly good shakshuka, iced lattes, fresh juices. It's the kind of breakfast menu you don't expect to find on a small Visayas island, and we went back more than once.
Paliton Beach
Spend the middle of the day at Paliton Beach: palm trees leaning out over white sand, and noticeably fewer people than Salagdoon. If Salagdoon is the adrenaline beach, Paliton is the one where you actually relax. Bring water, there's less infrastructure here, and that's the point.
Dinner at Dolce Amore: Book Ahead
Dolce Amore is the dinner spot everyone on the island seems to know, and it earns the reputation: proper Neapolitan pizza and homemade pasta, run by Italians, on a small Philippine island. But here's the trap: walk in without contacting them first and you'll wait 30 to 60 minutes for a table. We did exactly that on our first evening. Reach out before you go, the restaurant lists +63 939 111 5810 on its official page for calls, WhatsApp and Viber. And if a table for two can't be locked in on a busy night, arrive before 6pm, the queue builds fast after that.
For a more casual evening, Ohlala does simple, well-executed burgers, a welcome change after days of rice dishes.
Two days in, your legs will have earned what comes next.
Day 3: Slow Morning & Laines Massage
Keep the last day slow. After two days of swinging, jumping and scooter riding, we booked a massage at Laines completely spontaneously one afternoon, no planning, just walked in, and it was exactly what we needed. If your schedule allows it, put this at the end of your Siquijor stay rather than the start. Your shoulders will know why.
Use the rest of the day for the pool, the steps into the sea, and one last shake. Then it's back to the port, because the next island is waiting.
Siquijor Travel Tips
- Take a travel sickness tablet 30 minutes before the ferry from Dumaguete, the crossing gets rough
- Take off watches and sunglasses before the rope swing, ours ended up at the bottom of the pool
- Book ferry tickets on 12Go Asia in advance and arrive at the port early, you may need to swap your booking for a paper ticket
- Rent your scooter at your accommodation (around 500 pesos/day), your hosts lend you a bike they trust
- Plan around 30 minutes riding time from the San Juan area to Cambugahay Falls and to Salagdoon Beach
- Pay the 50 peso flat rate for the rope swing at Cambugahay, one jump won't be enough
- Go to Salagdoon early or late, midday is the busiest window for the cliff jumps
- Contact Dolce Amore before dinner (+63 939 111 5810, WhatsApp/Viber), walk-ins wait 30 to 60 minutes
- Arrange your port transfer through your accommodation, ours cost 850 pesos and removed all arrival stress
Frequently Asked Questions: Siquijor
Is Siquijor worth visiting? Yes. It combines waterfalls, cliff jumping and quiet beaches with a surprisingly good food scene, at a slower pace than the better-known Philippine islands. It works especially well as the first stop of a Visayas route.
How many days do you need in Siquijor? 3 nights is the sweet spot. Enough for the waterfalls, both beaches and the food spots without rushing, with time left to do nothing at all.
How do you get to Siquijor? Take the ferry from Dumaguete, booked in advance via 12Go Asia. Expect small extra fees at the port (we paid 15 pesos port fee per person and 30 pesos for luggage) and approximate departure times.
Is the ferry from Dumaguete to Siquijor rough? It can be. Our crossing had serious wave movement. It's a short ride, but take a travel sickness tablet beforehand if you're sensitive to motion.
What is Siquijor known for? In Philippine folklore, Siquijor is the island of healers and old superstitions. For travellers today, it's known for Cambugahay Falls, cliff jumping at Salagdoon, quiet beaches like Paliton and a laid-back pace.
We arrived treating Siquijor as the quiet stop before the famous islands. We left ranking it next to Balabac as the best thing we did in the Philippines. Some islands impress you. This one quietly convinces you.
Next stop: Bohol, the Chocolate Hills, and a viewpoint we found on Google Maps that turned into the moment of the trip. 👉 Read our Bohol guide →
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