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Crowned as the prime eco-tourism in northeastern Mindanao, Siargao remains most wild, isolated and virtually undeveloped. Explore seven of the island's most exquisite locales on foot, underwater and even skim the waves on board, boat or windsurf and discover the splendor of Siargao. General Luna is a small
town of Siargao. It is safe and clean. Going up north is Tuason Point, where the world class
CLOUD 9 is located, the best surf
break in the Philippines. Surfers travel the world over to challenge
the high-quality breaks here such as the outer-reef break, world
class right-hander Cloud 9, whose
machine-like barreling perfection is rated to be the best right hand
barrel tube in the world. Rimmed on its East Coast by a 27-kilometer
stretch of uncrowded, silky-soft, powdery white beach plus the Pisangan
natural barrier reef that protects the lagoon from the huge powerful
waves. A short boat ride out in the lagoon beyond, takes you out to Rock Island,
Stimpy's and a
few more breaks, stretching right up the east coast to Pilar, Pacifico and
Burgos. Just a short walk
from the town is the Cemetery's, and Jacking Horse,
and depending on the season there's even a mellow break in front of Dako island,
right in front of GL itself. The surfing season starts from August to March, but might be lucky and catch a good wave at any time of the year. In October, an International Surfing contest is held at Cloud 9, with locals and world class participants coming from all over the world. Regular visitors during this event are Australian, French, Germans, Swiss, American, British and Japanese. The sea bed drops to 500 meters, then to 1500 just a mile off Tuason Point and the reef. Just thirty miles off GL, it is 10,000 meter deep. (That is Mt Everest plus another 3000 feet). Typhoons in season pass General Luna to the North East, and they bring the big waves in from the deep water.
Sohoton Lagoon, one of the attractions which could be reached on a full day boat trip, is a magical place, overhung by Jungle cliffs where you can swim into caves with bats, strange fishes, stalactites and rock oysters, weird corals, pitcher plants, cycads and wild orchids. The only entrance to the lagoon is through a natural cave tunnel, hanging with stalactites and with strong currents. Alegria's surf-smoothed sand is one of the loveliest beaches in Siargao. On the horizon, coral barrier reefs upon the rushing and screaming barrels of the Pacific. In Rizal three kilometer of the town proper, Tak Tak Falls plunges 15 ft. down a verdant cliff to a shallow basin of cool spring water. Sta. Monica is a small, charming town of small pleasures and old-fashioned values and traditions. Just 30 minutes south by motorized banca from Maribojoc fishing villages at low tide, discover a Porea's lake, a 3 hectare, 37 ft. Deep hidden freshwater lake nestled at the foot of steep-shouldered, thickly-forested hills. It is a picture of Silawan, serenity with all the loveliness of the blue sky and green shores reflected in its glassy surface. On the western coast of Siargao are Kaob, Poneas island and Del Carmen (Numancia). Kaob, with it's own secret lagoon, pristine corals and beaches. Poneas island has a whole slew of coral islands, jungle and limestone mountains. Del Carmen's, 4180 hectare mangrove swamps forest reserve is a sanctuary for rare, avian species, juvenile forests and the fringed with mangrove forest, one should not miss the famous endangered Philippine saltwater crocodile.
Fishing. The sailfish and blue marlin season, when the big fish (sailfish to 40kg. marlin to 200) cruise the deep water only a mile or two out of GL, really hums from March to early May. But you could fish for coral trout, large snappers and other reef fish anytime, or get a local fisherman to take you out to the Payao, a floating fish attractor about five miles beyond Guyam, and troll of bolis (skipjack) or barilis (yellow fun tune). You can catch tangigue (Spanish mackerel), huge Pacific tuna, and morang (dolphinefish). In the lagoon, you can get Bayo (Long tons)- they're fun to catch but a little too bony to eat. Sailing. GL lagoon must be one of the safest, easiest and most pleasurable places to sail anywhere in the world. Jungles. Siargao is one of the only islands in the Philippines where tarsiers (small lemurs or bush babies, extinct almost anywhere else) are still common. See monitor lizards six feet long, hornbills, parrots, yellow and black lorikeets, kingfishers, and other birds nobody yet knows the names of. Caving. There is a huge cave at Consuelo, with stalactites, stalagmites, rock crystals, piles of bat guano, a million bats and even a huge python, but you'll have to be fit to get there. There's another at Malinao, on the way to Union. Swimming. Swimming in GL at low tide isn't the greatest, but try it at high tide or at down or dusk, when the water is fresh, or at night when the moon is out and the water is phosphorescent. You can get to Guyam at about half-an-hour if you are fit. Dako has the nearest very good swimming beach at any tide, and the swimming at Mamon is like being a virgin olive in a very dry martini.
Contact Ren Travel & Tours now and experience "Cloud 9" in the Philippines. |
Siargao island is 36
nautical miles away from Surigao
City. The eastern shore overlooks the Philippine Deep and the Pacific Ocean and is ringed with virgin
beaches, superb surfable reefs and warm clear waters offering a
wealth of exotic marine life. Siargao's natural
attractions are offshore and underwater, providing some of the best
diving, snorkeling and surfing in the country. 
There is a lot more to do in General Luna other than
surfing. GL is veritable playground for adventurous natural-lovers.
Its warm tropical waters offer excellent condition for snorkeling, scuba
diving, sailing, kayaking, or boating. Wind and wave surfing, and other forms of water
recreation. Experience the traditional Filipino game sport of
"Cockfighting", where betting starts from a hundred to millions of
pesos.
A
huge underwater cave with four to five separate entrances was
recently discovered and under the first rock islands in front of Tuason, and
the Blue Cathedral just off Caridad, north of Pilar. Underwater
visibility and topography are outstanding.
