Siquijor Island
Siquijor is a small island province in the Bohol Sea, about 25 km southeast of Dumaguete and just across the water from our base in Zamboanguita. Known across the Philippines as the mystical island, it's famous for its folk healers and legends, and among divers for its reefs.
We don't run programmes on Siquijor, but our team has crossed over for crown-of-thorns starfish removals. During an outbreak near San Juan in 2016, our staff and volunteers removed around 1,300 starfish in four dives. Many of our volunteers also visit the island on their days off.
Quick facts
- Location
- In the Bohol Sea, about 25 km southeast of Dumaguete, Negros.
- Region
- Part of the Negros Island Region since 2024, previously Central Visayas. The province has six municipalities.
- Size
- 343.5 km² of land and 102 km of coastline, making Siquijor the third-smallest province in the Philippines by both population and land area, after Camiguin and Batanes.
- Highest point
- Mount Bandilaan, in the forested centre of the island.
- Population
- Around 107,600 (2024 census). The people of Siquijor call themselves Siquijodnon.
- Languages
- Cebuano is the main language. Most residents also speak English and Tagalog.
- Climate
- A dry season from around December to May, and a wetter rest of the year. Annual rainfall is about 1,305 mm, with a mean temperature of 27.8°C and 78% humidity.
- Getting there
- By ferry from Dumaguete, about an hour by fast craft. More below.
History
The island of Siquijor is known to many as the mystical island of the Philippines, and its name has changed several times throughout history. The island's native name was Katugasan, from tugas, the molave trees that cover its hills. Because of the molave trees and the fireflies in them, the Spaniards poetically called it Isla del Fuego, the Island of Fire.
The island's present name, Siquijor, is said to come from King Kihod, a legendary ruler in power when the Spanish explorers arrived. When the Spaniards discovered the island, they were allegedly greeted by King Kihod, who introduced himself with the words si Kihod (I am Kihod). Mistakenly thinking he was talking about the island, the Spaniards adopted the name Sikihod, which later changed to Siquijor, as it was easier to pronounce. A more down-to-earth explanation is that the name comes from the native word quidjod, meaning the tide is going out.
Fittingly for an island with a mystery in its name, Siquijor itself is rumoured to be quite the centre of mystique. Since the old days, people have seen Siquijor as an island of sorcery and witchcraft, and to this day many Filipinos prefer not to visit. For years, one of the first sights to greet new arrivals was a billboard with a picture of the governor, stating in no uncertain terms that witchcraft on Siquijor does not exist. One couldn't help but wonder if he'd heard of reverse psychology.
The history books say Siquijor was discovered in 1565 by Esteban Rodríguez and Juan Aguirre of the Legazpi expedition, in much the same way that Columbus discovered the Americas. The people who already lived on the island, and knew it rather well, were presumably less impressed. Siquijor and the rest of the Philippines remained under Spanish rule until 1898, when Spain ceded the islands to the United States.
Siquijor wasn't spared during World War II, though it was never at the centre of heavy fighting. Japanese detachments occupied the island from 1942 and set up a garrison, but met resistance from Filipino guerrillas, who sabotaged and harassed the occupying forces. The Japanese first appointed a civilian, Shunzo Suzuki, to govern Siquijor, but he was soon assassinated by the guerrillas. Another Japanese official, Mamor Fukuda, took control until Allied liberation forces arrived in 1944 and the Japanese abandoned the island.
Local folklore
An old legend tells how Siquijor rose from the depths of the ocean during a great earthquake that shook the whole of the Visayas. While lightning pierced the sky and a storm raged over the sea, Siquijor emerged from the waves. In reality, it may have taken millennia of tectonic action to shape the island, but the story holds a certain truth, even if somewhat embellished: farmers in Siquijor's highlands still dig up giant seashells in their fields.
For ages, people across the Philippines have associated Siquijor with mystique and eerie phenomena. Folk spiritualism still plays a large part in the island's image, and believers still come to sample the witches' brews, from potions meant to cure fever or stomach cramps to love potions and concoctions for the vengeful of heart.
Bolo-bolo
One of the many healing rituals performed on Siquijor is bolo-bolo, which uses a drinking glass, water, a stone and a straw. A session usually begins with the healer taking the patient's pulse, which supposedly tells them whether the ailment has natural or unnatural causes. Some healers will only treat ailments with unnatural causes and send everyone else to a doctor. Others claim they can cure both. Either way, the practice is the same.
The healer drops a black stone, said to have been acquired by magic, into the glass and half fills it with water. Then, holding the glass against the affected part of the patient's body, the healer blows bubbles into the water through a wooden straw. Gradually the water turns brown, murky or even blackish, and sometimes small stones, bits of plants, bones or other material appear in it as the healer keeps blowing. This is repeated until the water stays clear, by which time the patient is supposedly cured.
Sceptics may of course suspect the healer of slowly regurgitating or spitting material through the straw, but in a world with too many shopping malls and not enough magic, such thoughts are perhaps just dull. Whether you believe in bolo-bolo or not, its mysticism, and that of many other arcane practices, is one of the things that define Siquijor.
The Healing Festival
Holy Week is the busiest time of year for Siquijor's healers, the mananambal. Through the seven Fridays of Lent, they gather herbs, roots, bark and other ingredients from the island's forests, caves and shores. On Black Saturday, they cook them into potions and medicinal oils in big pots over wood fires. The tradition has grown into the Healing Festival on Mount Bandilaan, which draws healers from across the Visayas and Mindanao, as well as plenty of curious visitors.
Siquijor dive sites
Twelve dive sites around the island, from sanctuaries and gentle slopes to sheer walls and offshore shoals. When wind and waves close the west coast, sites on the east side such as Salagdoong usually stay calm. Click or tap a dive flag on the map to read about each site.
Tulapos Sanctuary
As the name says, Tulapos (Tulapus) Sanctuary is a marine protected area, off the northern tip of Siquijor near Enrique Villanueva. It's an easy, straightforward dive on a flat sandy slope.
In 1989, a large number of concrete X-shapes were placed here to create an artificial reef for corals to settle on. Swimming over the long-overgrown crosses can feel a bit like diving over a graveyard, but it's a beautiful dive all the same. The artificial reef makes for interesting photos and a good chance of spotting rare macro critters, and the sand holds shells and big brown daisy corals.
The reef sometimes draws groups of larger fish, so look out for barracuda and big groupers.
Daquit Shoal
Daquit Shoal lies off the northeast coast of Siquijor, more or less east of Enrique Villanueva. It's too far from land to dive from shore, so you'll need a boat, but it's easy to find, as the top of the shoal sits at just 5 metres. That also makes it a good snorkelling site.
The highlights are the two cathedrals, so named because they are spectacular overhangs at around 20-25 metres. The current is usually weaker at the cathedrals, but it can be strong elsewhere on the shoal, so it's worth checking the tide tables.
Expect big barrel sponges (Xestospongia testudinaria) and corals, plenty of anthias and damselfish, and blueside wrasse (Cirrhilabrus cyanopleura).
Salagdoong
Salagdoong (Salagdong), on the east coast near Maria, is a gradual slope that starts from large, half-submerged rocks. It's rich in invertebrates, with a generous cover of soft corals as well as staghorn corals, pipe sponges and tunicates, and now and then blue-spotted rays and turtles.
When the weather turns and diving on the west coast isn't possible, Salagdoong usually stays sheltered, which makes it a favourite with many divers.
Sawang
Sawang lies about a kilometre from Coco Grove Resort, on the southwest side of Siquijor. It's a gentle slope dive with patches of soft and hard corals, and the most interesting life is at around 15 metres. Below 25 metres, it's just rubble and sand.
The highlight is a narrow swim-through that lets only one diver pass at a time. Giant clams are spread all along the site.
Coco Grove
Unsurprisingly, Coco Grove lies right in front of Coco Grove Resort, on the southwest side of Siquijor between San Juan and Lazi. It's a steep slope that flattens out at around 15 metres, rocky and sandy with good coral growth, above a plain sandy bottom.
It's a popular site for night dives, when you can often spot all sorts of nudibranchs, flatworms and seahorses.
Maite
Follow the beach road south out of San Juan and you'll come to the local cemetery. The dive site right in front of it is Maite, named after the barangay. You can dive it from the beach, but most people go by boat.
Maite is a gently sloping reef with beautiful coral patches in the shallows and a great number of ribbon eels (Rhinomuraena quaesita) in many parts. Add a healthy population of mandarinfish, and it's perhaps the most popular night dive on Siquijor.
Sunken Island
Sunken Island, also known as Lala-o Sunken Island, lies well offshore, so you'll need a boat. It's a fairly shallow shoal: the top starts at around 12 metres and is roughly 80 metres across.
The shoal is a coral hill covered in mostly healthy corals and many small fish. There was dynamite fishing here in the past, and you can still see the scars of that sad practice. You're likely to see spotted eagle rays, parrotfish, and mackerel constantly hunting sardines.
Most of the interest is between 12 and 20 metres, with little to see deeper. Currents can be strong, but it's usually possible to hide behind the hill.
Solangon
Solangon is a gently sloping dive. You can go deeper than 15 metres, but there's not much reason to. Between 5 and 15 metres, though, the bottom is a nice mix of soft coral patches, coral platforms and barrel sponges, with a healthy population of moray eels, anemonefish, lionfish, rockcod and barracuda.
Currents are usually weak or absent, which makes Solangon a good site for beginners, and nice for snorkelling too.
Paliton Wall
Just south of Paliton Staghorn, this impressive site is hailed as one of the best dives on Siquijor. At its southern end, a steep wall drops straight from 5 to 45 metres, where it starts to slope and flatten out.
Keep an eye on your time and depth. The visibility is usually excellent, and as on many walls, it's easy to slip below your planned depth.
Follow the wall north and it gradually turns into a sandy slope, still steep but no longer a true wall. The slope is a good place to spot peacock mantis shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus) and all kinds of nudibranchs.
Paliton Staghorn
Paliton Staghorn continues north from Paliton Wall: where the wall dissolves into a sandy slope, you've arrived. For many divers, the highlight is the blue ribbon eels often found here.
As the name suggests, there are also two large patches of staghorn coral (Acropora muricata, formerly Acropora formosa), along with some barrel sponges. The coral holds a wealth of reef fish, including snappers and snubnose drummers.
You can follow the sandy slope below 30 metres as it flattens out, but there isn't much to see. The action is between 10 and 20 metres. It's an easy site for novices, and good for snorkelling too.
West Point
West Point is a steep wall in the north that becomes more of a slope as you head south, with nice sandy ledges at around 20-25 metres. Check the current before you go in and choose your direction to suit. Currents can be strong, but being carried along the wall is exhilarating.
Small caves along the wall shelter orange-spotted groupers (Epinephelus coioides). The wall drops deep, but there's little to see below 25 metres, and the shallow reef top is good for snorkelling.
Tongo Point
Tongo (Tonga) Point lies off the northwest of Siquijor, west of Siquijor town. It's a fine wall dive, starting with the drop-off at 7 metres. The wall falls straight to 25 metres, where it flattens out into a gentle slope. The action is on the wall, with little to see deeper.
Besides the thrill of diving a sheer wall, the highlight is a fair chance of seeing Napoleon wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) and humphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum), which are sometimes mistaken for each other.
There aren't many hard corals on the wall, but there are plenty of delicate sea whips. With good eyes, you may also spot frogfish on the reef edge.
Visiting Siquijor
Getting there
Ferries to Siquijor leave from the port at the end of Dumaguete's boulevard and arrive in Siquijor town or Larena. The fast craft takes about an hour, while the slower car ferries take a little longer. Fast ferries also link Siquijor with Cebu and Bohol. Timetables change often, so check with the ferry companies before you travel. On the island, tricycles and habal-habal (motorbike taxis) will take you anywhere, and many visitors rent a scooter and ride the coast road around the island in a day.
Beyond the reef
Away from the water, Siquijor is easy to explore in a day or two. In Lazi, the church of San Isidro Labrador and its huge convent, built by Augustinian Recollect friars in the late 1800s, are among the finest colonial buildings in the region. Nearby, Cambugahay Falls tumbles through a chain of turquoise pools, and an old balete tree with a spring-fed pool at its roots is a popular stop on the way. Salagdoong Beach on the east coast is known for cliff jumping, and the forested slopes of Mount Bandilaan, the island's highest point, host the Healing Festival every Holy Week.
More ideas for days off are on our Daytrips page.
Want to volunteer with us?
Siquijor is a day trip from our base. Spend your weeks surveying the reefs of southern Negros with our team, and your days off exploring islands like this one.