If this little-known corner of the Philippine archipelago has piqued your curiosity, the first thing you need to do is find out how to get to Dinagat. Spoiler: it’s much easier than you might think and, in fact, while we were there, we kept asking ourselves how it’s possible that such an impressive and relatively accessible place still sees so little tourism.
That’s why, so you can enjoy the epic island hopping in Dinagat, we’re going to dive into how to get to Dinagat from the main destinations in the Philippines.
Where is Dinagat
Dinagat (pronounced Dinágat) is located in the south of the Philippines, specifically north of the famous island of Siargao and the city of Surigao, and a little east of the island of Leyte. It belongs to the Caraga region (which includes several islands in northeastern Mindanao) and the Dinágat island group forms a province.
The nearest airport is Surigao (IATA code: SUG), which receives very few flights, mainly from Manila and Cebu. Dinagat has two important ports: San José (the capital and the one that really matters for doing the island hopping) and Libjo. In addition, since April 2024, boats run from Siargao (Del Carmen port) to Cagdianao port, on the east of Dinagat. We’ve marked all these places on the map you’ll see below.
With all this in mind, we’re going to tell you how to get to Dinagat from the main destinations in the Philippines.
How to get to Dinagat from Surigao
Surigao, the capital of Surigao del Norte, isn’t a very appealing city, but it is the starting point for boats to reach Dinagat and to get to Siargao. In Dinagat’s case, most head to the port of San José, which is the most important town in this group of islands. At the moment, the schedules are as shown below and the ticket costs 200 pesos. For now, they can’t be booked online.
Schedules to reach Dinagat from Surigao from Monday to Saturday:
| Departure time | Arrival time | Boat name |
| 5:30 | 6:30 | M/V VINCE GABRIEL-2 |
| 6:30 | 7:30 | MV LIGHT WAVE 3 (TBR VIEL’S LINER 5) |
| 8:30 | 9:30 | M/V VIEL’S LINER-1/2/3 |
| 9:30 | 10:30 | M/V NEWS MPC ISLAND NAVIGATOR 3 |
| 10:30 | 11:30 | M/V VIEL’S LINER-1/2/3 |
| 11:45 | 12:45 | MV LIGHT WAVE 3 (TBR VIEL’S LINER 5) |
| 12:30 | 13:30 | M/V REISESCHATZ-1 |
| 13:30 | 14:30 | M/V VINCE GABRIEL-2 |
| 14:30 | 15:30 | M/V VIEL’S LINER-1/2/3 |
| 15:00 | 16:00 | M/V NEWS MPC ISLAND NAVIGATOR 3 |
| 16:00 | 17:00 | M/V REISESCHATZ-1 |
| 17:00 | 18:00 | M/V VIEL’S LINER-1/2/3 |
| 17:30 | 18:30 | M/V NEWS MPC ISLAND NAVIGATOR 34 |
Schedules to go from Surigao to San José on Sunday:
| Departure time | Arrival time | Boat name |
| 5:30 | 6:30 | M/V VINCE GABRIEL-2 |
| 6:30 | 7:30 | M/V VIEL’S LINER-1/2/3 |
| 8:30 | 9:30 | M/V VIEL’S LINER-1/2/3 |
| 10:30 | 11:30 | M/V VIEL’S LINER-1/2/3 |
| 11:45 | 12:45 | M/V VIEL’S LINER-1/2/3 |
| 12:30 | 13:30 | M/V REISESCHATZ-1 |
| 13:30 | 14:30 | M/V VINCE GABRIEL-2 |
| 14:30 | 15:30 | M/V VIEL’S LINER-1/2/3 |
| 15:00 | 16:00 | M/V NEWS MPC ISLAND NAVIGATOR 4 |
| 16:00 | 17:00 | M/V REISESCHATZ-1 |
| 17:00 | 18:00 | M/V VIEL’S LINER-1/2/3 |
In any case, remember to reconfirm the schedules because in the Philippines you never know. On this page they usually publish them.
Once in San José you can walk to your accommodation or, since the town is quite hilly, hop on any tricycle (here they’re called bao bao). Rides within San José cost 20 pesos per person.
If you have to stay overnight in Surigao, we recommend these hotels: Pier La Casa Homestay Building and Hotel Tavern Surigao.
How to get to Dinagat from Manila
Getting to Dinagat from Manila (the capital of the Philippines) is easier than it might seem at first. You simply have to search for flights from Manila to Surigao, which are currently operated by Cebgo (Cebu Pacific Air) and can be found from $58 if booked in advance. The journey takes just 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Once at the airport, you can take a tricycle to Surigao port (roughly 15 minutes and 50 pesos) or connect by multicab to the port. There you can catch one of the ferries to Dinagat we mentioned above.
How to get to Dinagat from Siargao
This was the route we followed to get to Siargao and there’s not much mystery to it. To do this you need to:
- Take a ferry from Dapa to Surigao: several companies operate this route and journey times vary depending on the type (between 2 and 3.5 hours). Prices also vary, but budget between 350 and 600 pesos. You can book here.
- Take a ferry from Surigao to Dinagat: they depart from the same port—just ask where—but they’re usually very close. You have the schedules indicated above. They arrive at San José port.
Since April 2024, you can get to Dinagat from Siargao more directly. It’s best to check this page because schedules change constantly. The ticket costs 350 pesos per person and, for now, can’t be booked online. Once there, you can take a bao bao (tuk tuk) to San José for 300–350 pesos or a habal-habal for 200 pesos.
How to get to Dinagat from Cebu
To get to Dinagat from Cebu you can:
- Take a flight from Cebu to Surigao + boat from Surigao to Dinagat: the former are operated by Cebu Pacific Air (Cebgo). Prices range from $30–45, although it depends on how far in advance you buy them. Then take a tricycle or multicab to the port and catch a ferry to Dinagat.
- Take a ferry from Cebu City to Surigao: as of today, Oceajet runs this route every day at 7:00 arriving at 12:30, Cockalion Shipping every day except Saturdays at 19:00 (arriving around 6:00) and Starlite every day except Saturdays at 21:00 (arriving around 6:00). To reach Dinagat, take one of the boats to San José we mentioned above. You can book here.
How to get to Dinagat from Camiguin
We’ll tell you in advance that it won’t be a short journey, but to get to Dinagat from Camiguin you can take a flight from Camiguin to Surigao with a layover in Manila or Cebu (you’ll have to check schedules and dates, as you may need to overnight in either city) or do the whole route by public transport, which involves the following stages:
- Ferry from Camiguin to Balingoan (Mindanao): depart from Benoni port, except for the 2:30 a.m. one, which leaves from Balbagon port. The crossing takes roughly 90 minutes and costs 359 pesos.
- Overland journey from Balingoan to Surigao: there are buses to Surigao, but they’re not the most frequent and make a lot of stops, so they take a very long time (around 7–8 hours/500 pesos). Therefore, you also have the option to take a bus or a van to Butuan and then another bus or van to Surigao. You could also negotiate private transport to Surigao or to Butuan, which is around 4,000 pesos in the first case or 2,500 in the second.
- Ferry from Surigao to Dinagat: see the section How to go from Surigao to Dinagat.
How to get to Dinagat from other parts of the Philippines
The possibilities for getting to Dinagat are almost endless, as the Philippines has more than 7,100 islands, but here we summarize the routes from the most visited destinations:
- From Bohol: you’ll need to take a ferry from Bohol to Cebu (2 hours/from 800 pesos/you can book here) and then a flight from Cebu to Surigao or a ferry from Cebu to Surigao. You could also check flight combinations from Bohol to Surigao, although they’ll involve a layover.
- From El Nido: the fastest but most expensive will be a flight from El Nido to Manila or Cebu (operated only by Air Swift) and then another to Surigao. A cheaper option is to go from El Nido to Puerto Princesa by bus or van (5 hours, 600 pesos, book here) and then take a flight from Puerto Princesa to Surigao with a layover.
- From Port Barton: you’ll have to go to Puerto Princesa by van or bus (3 hours, 600 pesos, book here) and then a flight to Surigao with a layover.
- From Coron: the best is to look for a flight from Busuanga to Surigao, which will have a layover in Manila or Cebu.
- From Malapascua: you’ll have to take the boat from Malapascua to Maya (45 minutes/200 pesos) and then go overland to Cebu City (4–5 hours/250–350 pesos). Once in Cebu, choose one of the options indicated to reach Surigao.
- From Siquijor: take the Oceanjet boat from Siquijor, which departs every day at 8:20 and arrives around 13:00 (book here), or the Lite Shipping one, which departs on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 19:00 and takes about 7 hours (book here). Then, see how to get to Dinagat from Cebu.
We’ve detailed how to get to Dinagat from the main Philippine destinations, but if you want to know other possibilities or you still have questions, you can also write to us in the comments. Ingat! Have a great trip!
