Siargao · Things to do

The wooden boardwalk runs out over the reef at the north end of General Luna and costs nothing to walk. The wave is a heavy right-hander breaking over shallow coral and is not a beginner's wave; the biggest swell arrives in the second half of the year.

The beginner break just along from Cloud 9, gentler and over a sandier bottom, where the schools and freelance instructors take first-timers. Lessons follow the tide table rather than the clock, so your slot is set by the water, not by you.

Mangrove-ringed lagoon reached only by boat from Del Carmen port, about an hour's drive north-west of General Luna. Boats are booked through the port office at a fixed rate per boat, so it is much cheaper split between a group; paddleboards and a diving platform are on site.

Tidal pools on the east coast that only exist at low tide and are simply open sea at high water, so the trip is dictated entirely by the tide table. About an hour north of General Luna by motorbike, with a small entrance fee.

Half-day boat trip from General Luna taking in three small islands: Daku has huts and lunch cooked for you, Guyam is a single clump of palms, and Naked is a bare sandbar with no shade at all. Boats are hired whole, so the cost falls sharply with a group.