Traveling to Siargao was not the point... Spending uninterrupted time with my son was!
The year-end entry to my travel diary is special, because it's a mom-and-son moment. I would not exactly call it a vacation, but being able to spend the weekend traveling with my son was one of those adventures that made my year-end feel special.
Most of my recent travels have revolved around Camotes, and hopefully, when things fall into place, I will be sharing more about it soon as I plan to stay there for good!
This time, though, we took a small detour from our usual itinerary and decided to spend a weekend in Siargao.
I was not able to take this trip with my partner, as she had plans to travel to Limasawa. She is into freediving and is deeply passionate about it. While we would have loved to spend the holidays together, we decided that this year it made sense to travel separately.
From the port of Cebu to the port of Surigao, the journey took about nine hours. Surprisingly, it was a very relaxed trip. We left Cebu in the evening and arrived in Surigao early the next morning. One of the things I really loved about this journey was the Cokaliong ferry itself. It had an arcade on board, which made the trip incredibly exciting for my son and for me as well, being someone who enjoys retro gaming. That arcade became the highlight of the trip. My son happily spent the night playing games, and watching him enjoy himself made the long travel feel worthwhile.
Upon arriving at the Surigao port, we immediately bought tickets to Siargao. We had to rush because there were only about five minutes left before the ferry departed. That meant boarding the second boat on an empty stomach. For someone who suffers from seasickness, this was honestly a bit of torture. The ferry itself was cozy and well-maintained, with clean restrooms, but the ride was extremely rocky due to bad weather. For nearly half of the two-hour journey, I found myself staying in the restroom, trying to manage the motion sickness. About thirty minutes before arrival, I started feeling better and was able to finish watching a movie. It had been a long time since I last watched a Jackie Chan film, and this was my first time seeing one that was fully Chinese. It was a fairly good movie and somehow helped me push through the dizziness of the trip.
When we arrived at the Siargao port, it was raining. We decided to wait it out at a nearby carinderia and have something to eat. A bowl of beef soup helped me feel much better. Once the rain settled, we took a tricycle, locally called a toktok, to Pacifico.
Pacifico is a very charming part of Siargao and is known as one of the island’s surfing areas. We spent the night at Sailfish Bay, a lovely beachfront accommodation that I would highly recommend to anyone visiting Siargao. They are listed on Agoda, and the experience was well worth it.
After the long journey, I took a shower and had a much-needed nap. Later, we had breakfast at Swell Café, where we found good vegan options. My son ordered a tofu sandwich, while I had a Buddha bowl with mung bean falafel. The flavors were perfectly balanced, and that meal instantly made me feel better, especially since I was still tired from the travel.
We took a quick swim on our first day, and I was amazed by how beautiful the waves in Siargao were. Although I had swimming lessons at the YMCA as a child, I never really became a strong swimmer. Still, I love the beach and enjoy sitting on the sand, watching the horizon. There is a distinct sense of adrenaline in Siargao’s waters compared to the beaches of Cebu. In Pacifico, you can feel the strong surfing culture everywhere, from the people to the merchandise being sold. Surfing is not just a sport there, it is a source of pride.
Pacifico feels very different from General Luna, another popular surfing area in Siargao. It is much less touristy, with significantly less foot traffic. That quietness makes it an intentional place to slow down, relax, and enjoy the sound of the waves, especially if you prefer listening to them rather than riding them. General Luna, on the other hand, offers more convenience, accessibility, and a much more active nightlife.
At night, Pacifico was calm. There were a few bars with chill music, but no real party scene. For a mother and son traveling to get a break from daily urban life, it was exactly what we needed.
The next morning, we had breakfast at a place called Lebron James and Dwyane Wade, which sounded wild for a restaurant name. It turns out those are the names of the owners’ children. The place has even been featured by FEATR as one of the best places to eat in Siargao. My son ordered chixilog, while I had fish and chips for breakfast. It was well worth the money, and I would definitely recommend checking it out if you ever find yourself on the island!
Hopefully in the future I could get to share more about Siargao. We're planning to open a small shop there by next year.
And here are some more of the great eye-candy photos we had at Pacifico:
I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I loved sharing this story to everyone!