Share this page:
Siargao Island is located just east of the city of Siargao on the coast of northeastern Mindanao in the southern Philippines. The island is famous for its surfing, scuba diving, beaches with white powdery sand, palms, coral reefs, and hidden lagoons.
Until relatively recently this island was little-known to outsiders. Most Filipinos had not heard of it and it was not in the tour guides carried by international globetrotters.
Then in the late 1980s Siargao Island was "discovered" by international surfers who came across it in their travels and loved its great surfing spots, especially the great "breaks" on the east coast of the island.
Among these great spots was one they named "Cloud 9". Cloud 9 was featured in the March 1993 edition of the Surfer magazine.
Then in 1996 the Siargao Surfing Cup, an annual surfing competition for domestic and international surfers, was formed and Siargao became world famous and the best known surfing destination in the Philippines.
Other breaks near Cloud 9 include Jacking Horse, Tuagon Left and Cemetery.
There are several towns on the island: General Luna (often referred to as GL), which is the capital town; Dapas, the largest town; Union; Del Carmen; and Pilar.
Two Rhinoclavis vertagus shells from the family Cerithiidae. This shell was found in Siargao Island, Mindanao, Philippines.
Photo: Richard Parker, 2009.