Siquijor Island

About Siquijor Island

The last island in the Visayas to convert to Christianity. The folk healing tradition predates Spanish colonisation and the annual San Antonio healing festival still draws herbalists from across the region.

Overview A small island in the Central Visayas with a reputation for sorcery, folk healing, and fireflies. The Spanish called it Isla del Fuego — Island of Fire — because the bioluminescent insects made the coastline glow at night when they first arrived. It's also one of the quietest, most beautiful islands in the Philippines, precisely because the sorcery reputation keeps superstitious Filipinos away.

The Story Behind It Siquijor's reputation for the supernatural isn't folklore — the annual healing festival in San Antonio draws herbalists and folk healers from across the Visayas who prepare potions and remedies from local plants. The practice predates Spanish colonisation and blends indigenous animism with Catholicism. Whether you believe in it or not, the cultural tradition is genuine and the healers take it seriously. The island was also the last in the Visayas to be converted to Christianity, which adds to the outsider mystique.

What You'll Experience The 400-year-old balete tree in Lazi is enormous and draped in hanging roots over a fish spa pool. Salagdoong Beach has cliff jumps of 5 and 10 metres into clear water. Cambugahay Falls is a multi-tiered freshwater waterfall with rope swings — smaller than Kawasan but less crowded and more fun. The Lazi Church and convent, built in 1884, is one of the oldest in the Visayas. The island is small enough to scooter around in a day, but staying two or three days lets you actually relax.

Getting There Ferries run from Dumaguete (35 minutes) and from Tagbilaran/Bohol (2 hours). Dumaguete has flights from Manila and Cebu. On the island, scooter rental is the only practical transport — about 350 pesos per day.

The Experience

Cliff jump at Salagdoong Beach, swing into Cambugahay Falls on a rope, visit the 400-year-old balete tree, and scooter around the entire island in a day.

Why It Matters

A living centre of Filipino folk healing traditions that predate colonisation, on an island beautiful enough to rival anywhere in the Visayas.

Why Visit

The sorcery reputation keeps the crowds on Boracay and Siargao. What you actually find is a quiet, beautiful island with waterfalls, cliff jumps, and a culture you won't encounter anywhere else in the Philippines.