Camiguin and Siargao are two of our favorite destinations in the Philippines. Both offer loads of things to do beyond just lying on the beach. Motorbike loops, waterfalls, hiking, snorkeling, surfing… They’re musts on a trip around the Philippines! In addition, if you’re going to travel in July, August and September, as we tell you in Best time to travel to the Philippines, we recommend including them in your itinerary. At those times it’s the dry season, so you’re very likely to get good weather on both. For this reason, in this article we’re going to tell you how to get from Camiguin to Siargao and vice versa step by step.
How to get from Camiguin to Siargao by plane
If you want to avoid a succession of transfers, the easiest way to go from Camiguin to Siargao is by plane. At the moment there are no direct flights between the two islands, so you’ll first need to take a flight from Camiguin to Cebu and then another flight from Cebu to Siargao.
We recommend that, if possible, you buy these flights together with the same airline. That way, if the first one is delayed, you don’t have to worry about missing the next. If that happens, they’ll rebook you at no cost. If they’re on different airlines and you miss the 2º flight, you won’t get your money back. Therefore, if you can’t buy them together, we suggest leaving at least a 3‑hour buffer between them.
Depending on the season, the Camiguin–Siargao flights (or vice versa) may or may not connect well enough to arrive the same day. It’s very likely you’ll have to overnight in Cebu. If so, you can sleep near the airport at this hotel or at this hostel. In any case, you’ll find more options in our guide Where to stay in Cebu.
Book flights from Camiguin to Siargao
Prices range between €40 and €90. Keep in mind that booking in advance is key to saving on these flights, since these are small planes that fill up fast.
How to get from Camiguin to Siargao cheaply: public transport
If you don’t mind spending a day of your trip around the Philippines to get from Camiguin to Siargao, you can cut costs by doing it on public transport.
In this case, keep in mind that you may not be able to go from Camiguin to Siargao in one day. Due to the Surigao–Siargao boat schedules and the waits between transfers, it’s likely you’ll have to overnight in Surigao. If that’s the case, we recommend this hotel near the port.
To go from Camiguin to Siargao you’ll need to follow these steps:
- Take a ferry from Camiguin to Balingoan: they depart from Benoni port and take about 90 minutes to arrive. The ticket costs 360 pesos (plus a 15‑peso terminal fee). Try to catch the first one in the morning, which is usually at 3:00. Another option is the one that leaves Balbagon port at 2:00 and arrives at 5:00. It’s run by Super Shuttle, but it’s best to confirm schedules at the port or via their Facebook page. Get up early; it’s the only way to try to go from Camiguin to Siargao in one day.
- Take a bus from Balingoan to Butuan: the trip takes about 3–4 hours and costs around 330 pesos (cheaper if it’s without air‑con). You can walk from Balingoan port to the bus terminal, where you have buses or vans. Note that there are now direct buses from Balingoan to Surigao that cost around 572 pesos, but keep in mind they usually make quite a few more stops, so it’s normal that it ends up being a slower option than Balingoan–Butuan + Butuan–Surigao.
- Take another bus or van from Butuan to Surigao: they usually cost about 300 pesos for the bus and a bit more for the van, and the ride takes about 3–4 hours by bus and 2.5–3 by van.
- Take a jeepney or multicab from the Surigao bus terminal to the port: the journey takes about 20 minutes and usually costs around 10 pesos. If you don’t see buses, a tricycle should charge around 50 pesos.
- Take a boat from Surigao to Dapa port in Siargao: prices are around 400 pesos (depends on the type of boat; the faster ones are more expensive) and the trip takes roughly 2–2.5 hours. The last ferry usually leaves at 15:30 (and it can be booked online here), but in the Philippines you never know. If you overnight in Surigao, the first ferry from Surigao to Siargao leaves at 4:30.
As you can see, this way you’ll pay approximately 1,400 pesos to get from Camiguin to Siargao.
How to get from Siargao to Camiguin in one day
If you want to do the opposite journey, that is, go from Siargao to Camiguin, it’s much easier to complete it in a single day. You just have to do the previous steps in reverse, as we explain in How to get to Camiguin. You will need to check boat schedules from Siargao to Surigao in advance. The first fast boat is usually between 4:45–6:00 in the morning; it’s best to check schedules at the port beforehand, although you can also see and book here.
Boats from Balingoan to Benoni port (Camiguin) run more or less until 16:30 (and sometimes until 17:00), so you have plenty of margin to go from Camiguin to Siargao in one day. Even so, we recommend leaving on the first boat just in case and asking your accommodation in Camiguin about the schedules, as they’re usually quite up to date.
If you wanted to speed things up, you could negotiate a taxi or van from Surigao to Balingoan, something that will hardly be less than 4,000 pesos given the length of the trip.
If you have any questions about this guide to getting from Camiguin to Siargao, don’t hesitate to ask us in the comments. We’ll reply as soon as possible!
Plus, here you have a very comprehensive Siargao Guide with our recommendations for activities, restaurants, and hotels.
