Sugba Lagoon is a hidden gem and a must-visit when in Siargao. It can be reached within less than an hour by boat from Siargao and is definitely worth a trip. This lagoon offers the most transparent and turquoise water, stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, and much more.
How to get to Sugba Lagoon
To visit Sugba Lagoon from Siargao, you have to go to the harbor in Del Carmen, located on the island’s western side.
We rented a scooter during our time in Siargao, which allowed us to get around by ourselves. We love to have this freedom when we travel. The roads in Siargao are safe, and there is barely any traffic. If you stay in the most famous area, General Luna, it will take you around 1 hour by scooter to get to the harbor. If you don’t drive yourself, you can book a tour from General Luna directly, for example, at Kermit Siargao.
You will hop on a little boat at the Del Carmen harbor. You can pay the total price for a boat and start your trip immediately, or you can wait for other people to share a boat. The boat ride will take you about 45 min to get to Sugba Lagoon. It’s a very scenic ride through the mangroves. Be aware that the boat is very loud, so you won’t be able to talk to each other.
We booked the tour directly at the harbor. You can show off whenever you like to go. No pre-booking is needed for this trip. They offered us a free guide, a student who was practicing to be a tourist guide someday. He did a great job and looked after all our stuff while we explored the lagoon.
Best time to visit Sugba Lagoon
The best time to visit Sugba Lagoon is in the morning. Temperatures are more pleasant, and there are barely any other people around. We went to the harbor at 8 am and arrived at the lagoon around 9 am. There were only a few other people around, and we enjoyed a lot how peaceful it was.
Top things to do at Sugba Lagoon
Your boat will drop you at the boathouse in the middle of the Sugba Lagoon. There are several activities you can do from here. We are sure you will have a fantastic time; this place is truly a gem. Take note that your time at the lagoon, unfortunately, is limited to 4 hours.
Stand-up Paddleboarding
You can rent a stand-up paddleboard to explore the lagoon. This was our choice because we love to SUP. We had a lot of fun paddling around the lake. It’s a perfect place to try if you haven’t paddleboarded before.
Kayaking
If you don’t like to paddleboard, the alternative is to rent a Kayak, which is a great way to get around in the lagoon as well.
Swimming around
Since we both love to swim, we decided to do half the time on the paddleboard and the other half swimming. If you are not used to swimming, we recommend you take either a paddleboard or a Kayak to explore the lagoon because it is quite big, and there are not many places where you can rest.
By the way, many jellyfish are swimming around in the lagoon, but don’t worry, these kinds of jellyfish don’t sting you. Please do not touch them anyway. We saw people taking them out of the water, and we don’t think they like to get picked up. We should respect Mother Nature and leave them in peace.
Jump from the springboard
There is a springboard right at the backside of the boathouse, which is a lot of fun. It’s about 5 meters high; from here, you can jump into the most beautiful turquoise water. When the lagoon got busier, there was even a line at the springboard, so we were happy that we had done this in the morning already. But it was fun to watch other people jump as well. There were some Filipinos who made quite a show here.
Relax at the Boathouse
If you need a break, you can relax at the boathouse. They have a restaurant as well if you like to eat lunch or some snacks. Since we got there early and went back at noon, we went for lunch once we got back to Siargao. Please note that it is not allowed to bring any food/snacks to the lagoon.
Costs to visit Sugba Lagoon
To visit Sugba Lagoon from Del Carmen by yourself costs you 1’600 pesos (30$) for the boat ride including entrance to the lagoon. You can split this price with other people if you like to share the boat. There is an additional environmental fee of 100 Peso per person (1.80$)
If you would like to rent a Kayak or SUP, you have to pay 500 pesos (9$) additionally.
Alternatively, you can book a tour from General Luna directly, for which you might have to count a bit more.
Conclusion
Sugba Lagoon was honestly one of our favorite places we visited in the Philippines. Compared to the lagoons in Coron, it was much less busy, and we could stay longer. Besides, we loved the stand-up paddleboard around in such a paradise and how clear and turquoise the water was. We highly recommend visiting Sugba Lagoon during your time in Siargao. It’s definitely worth the trip.
If you like to read more about Siargao, check out the following post.
Siargao – The Ultimate Guide with 9 best things to do
