Before you arrive
Two things to sort in advance, and only two. Your bed and your ride. Accommodation clusters in San Juan, which is the sunset side and has most of the restaurants, and around Siquijor town and Larena, which is closer to the ports.
For the ride you have two choices: brave the pier haggle on arrival, or book before you get to the island and have it delivered free to whichever port your ferry docks at. Every hour below assumes you can leave when you want to, which is the part a tour cannot give you.
If you have not worked out how you are getting here yet, start with getting to Siquijor. There is no airport, so every route has a ferry in it.
Day 1: the west, waterfalls and the famous sunset
- 07:00
Cambugahay Falls
Go at opening, before the tour vans arrive mid-morning. Three turquoise tiers, rope swings, and at this hour close to nobody. Entrance and swing fees are small and cash only.
- 10:00
Lugnason Falls
Ten minutes away, a fraction of the visitors, and the start of a chain of pools if you feel like a short hike between them.
- 12:30
Lunch in San Juan
The strip runs from silogs to sourdough. Eat something, sit out the worst of the heat.
- 15:00
Capilay Spring Park
A cold spring pool in the middle of town, free, and exactly what mid-afternoon on this island calls for.
- 17:00
Paliton Beach
White sand, leaning palms, and the island's best sunset. Park early at weekends, the lot fills.
Day 2: the east loop, cliffs, churches and empty beaches
Ride the loop counterclockwise and the east coast is yours by mid-morning.
- 08:00
Salagdoong Beach
The cliff-jump platforms, roughly 5m and 10m. Early means glassy water and no queue for the ladder.
- 11:00
Cang-isok House
The century-old stilt house. A two-minute stop that says more about the island than any museum on it.
- 12:00
Maria
The parish church, then lunch at a carinderia. Point at whatever looks good.
- 14:00
The unplanned hours
The stretch between Maria and Enrique Villanueva hides beach after beach with no name on the map. Stop wherever the water looks best. This is the entire reason to be on your own bike.
- 17:30
West for sunset
Or take it from the Larena side for a change of angle and an emptier road home.
Day 3: inland, the mountain and the magic
- 08:00
Mt. Bandilaan
The island's spine. The ride up is the attraction: cool air, butterflies crossing the road, barangays waking up. A short walk reaches the viewing deck.
- 10:30
The Old Enchanted Balete Tree
Four centuries old, with a natural fish-spa pool at its roots. Touristy, yes. Worth ten minutes and a small fee, also yes.
- 12:00
San Juan, and a slow afternoon
Lunch, then a café and nothing in particular. You have ridden two full days.
- 16:30
One last lap
Fuel up, pick your favourite stretch of the coast road, and ride it once more with nowhere to be.
The practical bits
- Total riding: roughly 130 to 160 kilometres across the three days. Any 110cc automatic handles it without complaint.
- Cash. ATMs exist in Siquijor town and Larena and they are moody. Bring pesos, and bring small notes for entrance fees.
- Helmets, always. It is the law, and the coast road deserves the respect anyway.
- Rainy season. Mornings are usually clear. Plan waterfalls early and beaches late and you will lose very little to it. The weather disrupts ferries far more than it disrupts riding.
- Dogs, gravel and unlit roads. The three things that actually catch people out here. Slow down through barangays, and treat inland shortcuts after dark with more caution than the coast road.
Common questions
How many days do you need in Siquijor?
Three is the sweet spot. One day for the west coast waterfalls and the sunset, one for the east loop and the cliff jumps at Salagdoong, and one inland for Mt. Bandilaan and the Balete tree. Two days works if you ride efficiently. A week is not too many if you want the beaches with no names on the map.
Can you drive around Siquijor in one day?
Yes. The circumferential road loops the whole island, is sealed the whole way, and takes a couple of hours to ride without stopping. Nobody sensible rides it without stopping, so budget a full day with the waterfalls, beaches and viewpoints in it.
What is the best time of day for Cambugahay Falls?
As early as it opens. The tour vans tend to arrive mid-morning, and the difference between the falls at seven and the falls at ten is the difference between having them and queuing for them. The same logic applies to the cliff platforms at Salagdoong.
Do I need a guide or a tour to see Siquijor?
No. The island is small, the loop road is obvious and the sights are signposted. The whole appeal of Siquijor is leaving when you feel like it, which is why almost everyone who enjoys it is on their own two wheels rather than in a van on somebody else's schedule.
How far will I ride over three days in Siquijor?
Roughly 130 to 160 kilometres across the three days if you follow a loop like this one. Any 110cc automatic handles it comfortably. The whole island is well under a tank of fuel a day.
What is the best month to visit Siquijor?
The drier stretch from around December through May is the reliable window and also the busiest. Through the rainy months mornings are usually clear, so plan waterfalls early and beaches late and you will lose very little. Ferries are the part the weather actually disrupts, not the riding.
Getting the wheels
Every hour of this itinerary depends on leaving when you want to. You can find a scooter at the pier, with the haggling and the passport requests that entails, or you can have a verified one waiting when the ferry docks, on a contract you read before you paid. Use code LETSRIDE for 10% off. The first 25 riders to use a code and pay keep that rate for life.
Keep reading
Getting around Siquijor
Every way to move around the island compared: scooter, tricycle, habal-habal and car, what each is good for, and the licence you need to ride legally.
Read itHow to rent a scooter in Siquijor
What a rental actually costs, what you legally need, the five red flags worth knowing before you hand over money, and how to have the bike waiting at the pier.
Read itWhat a scooter really costs
The whole picture rather than a daily rate: live prices, fuel, the entrance and parking fees nobody quotes you, and the charges worth refusing.
Read itGetting to Siquijor
There is no airport. Every route in compared, from Dumaguete, Cebu, Bohol and Manila, which of the two ports you will dock at, and how to not lose your first half day.
Read it