Siargao Island, the Surfing Capital of the Philippines
About Siargao
Siargao is a tear-drop-shaped island in the Philippine Sea situated 196 kilometers southeast of Tacloban. It has a land area of approximately 437 square kilometers (169 sq mi). The east where such Art Skyes coast is relatively straight with one deep inlet, Port Pilar. The coastline is marked by a succession of reefs, small points, and white, sandy beaches. The neighboring islands and islets have similar landforms.
The island is within the jurisdiction of the province of Surigao del Norte and is composed of the municipalities of Burgos, Dapa, Del Carmen, General Luna, San Benito, Pilar, San Isidro, Santa Monica and Socorro.
Siargao Island contains one of the largest mangrove forest reserves in Mindanao, covering an area of 4,871 hectares in Del Carmen.[3] Long stretches of wetlands indicate a potential for commercial seaweed propagation. The extensive mangrove forests of the western coast in the Del Carmen area are home to the Indo-Pacific Crocodylus porosus. A large specimen measuring 14 feet, 9 inches (4.5 meters) was found dead in 2016 [4]
Siargao Island is greatly influenced by the winds and currents coming uninterrupted from the Pacific Ocean, intensified by the Mindanao current running westward through the Siargao Strait. The tide of Siargao is diurnal with tidal curves typically present, especially on the east coast of the island.
One of the well-known surfing spots in Siargao and the Philippines, with a reputation for thick, hollow tubes is "Cloud 9". This right-breaking reef wave is the site of the annual Siargao Cup, a domestic and international surfing competition sponsored by the provincial government of Surigao del Norte.
Siargao, particularly the municipality of General Luna and the Tuason Point area, is well known as "The Surfing Capital of the Philippines" with a reputation among surfers within the Philippines and the International scene.
The island's Pacific-facing reefs are situated on the edge of the Philippine Trench, and the extremely deep offshore waters assure the ocean swells have undiluted power when they encounter the many coral and rock reefs. Siargao has excellent surfing conditions, particularly during the southwest "habagat" monsoon from August to November, when the prevailing wind is offshore.
In the past, the island could be reached via a direct domestic flight from Manila to Surigao City and then by a ferry to the coastal towns of Dapa or Del Carmen. Now, Cebu Pacific has flights from Cebu-Siargao, vice versa as well as a direct Manila-Siargao route (it stops briefly in Cebu and passengers then switch to a smaller aircraft). In March 2017, both Cebu Pacific and SkyJet Airlines commenced direct flights to Sayak Airport (SOS) Siargao island from Manila Airport (MNL), the first direct flights to the island from the capital.[6] Additionally, Philippine Airlines has been offering direct flights from Clark International Airport to Sayak Airport since July 1, 2018.[7] There are plans to extend the runway of Sayak Airport in Siargao, to cater to the demands of growing tourists who will be visiting this island paradise.