What to do in Siargao with kids? During our 30-day trip through the Philippines, we traveled to several beautiful islands. Siargao is a small group of islands in the province of Surigao del north. This island is a true surfer’s paradise and in addition there is plenty to see and do with kids. In terms of atmosphere, this island was really our favorite, as you can feel the relaxed and cozy surfer vibe everywhere on the island. Siargao was the last destination of our trip through the Philippines. We stayed 7 nights on this lovely island. In this blog, I take you through how we spent our days and list all the fun children’s activities in Siargao.
Best travel time Siargao with kids
The Philippines is very vast and therefore the best travel time can vary from island to island. In Siargao, the best travel time is between July and November as opposed to, say, the famous island of Palawan. We traveled through the Philippines during our kids’ summer vacation (the months of July and August) and chose to end the trip at Siargao.
This was partly because we knew that the chance of sunshine was greatest here. Consequently, the sun only shone during these 7 days on the island.
Transportation to and on Siargao
We traveled to Siargao on a short flight from Cebu. Upon arrival, our pre-booked driver was waiting to take us to our resort. At our resort, we rented 2 scooters for the duration of our stay. We found this to be the nicest and most enjoyable way to get around the island. Of course, as throughout the Philippines, you can use tricycles or a chauffeured car.
Children’s activities Siargao
#1 Island hopping
Instead of the usual Island Hopping tour to Naked Island, Daku Island and Guyam Island, among others, we decided to do a slightly more adventurous tour. Through a guest from the hotel, we got the tip to do the tour on the north side of the island. After hearing their stories about the tour they had done, this seemed top-notch and we decided to do the same.
We called the phone number written on a piece of paper and made an appointment for the next morning. This tour is still very unknown and therefore difficult to find. It is about the Island Hopping tour in northern Siargao from the town of San Benito. The next morning we jumped on the scooter and drove to San Benito.
There it was really hard to find exactly where we needed to be, but after asking around we found the little office in the harbor. It was immediately obvious that considerably fewer tourists come here, and everyone was overjoyed when we passed by. Also in the office we were received very warmly and they were happy to take our picture with us.
I then asked how often they do this tour and they said that if they are lucky once a week a boat sails with guests. The tour is also private and was really incredibly cheap. Food was not included, so do bring your own food for this tour. We sailed to several beautiful islands, beaches, snorkeling spots and did not encounter other tourists anywhere.
There is something really special about having such special places all to yourself. On one of the islands were some kind of vacation cabins. A local family stayed here as a vacation. They picked coconuts for us from the trees and we got to taste food from the lunch they had just made.
I would definitely recommend this Island Hopping tour with kids. The peace and quiet is wonderful for them and all the places are gems where they can play wonderfully. You can book this tour in San Benito.
By the way, you can book lots of different tours to different islands. The standard tours often have a letter and go to the well-known islands. If you want to know more about booking such a tour, take a look here. You should then keep in mind that there are probably a lot more tourists on the tour.
#2 Surfing on and around Cloud 9
Our kids then 6 years old and 9 years old really love the water. Snorkeling, diving, boating, swimming, then they are totally in their element. We had never done surfing with the kids (only my husband 1x in Costa Rica, but then it didn’t work out haha). Our kids really wanted to learn to surf and we actually did too. We inquired about different places to take surf lessons.
The price differences for surf lessons are great, so be sure to inquire with the various providers of these surf lessons. At Cloud 9 beach, there are lots of booths where you can take surf lessons at a low price. However, for us, especially with the kids, it was important that this was a good and safe surf school.
Two options appealed to us. Surfista really specializes in kids and the other option was Kermit Siargao. We chose to take surf lessons with Kermit Siargao and I can definitely recommend this! Before going to the sea, we were first explained the basic exercises on a surfboard at the Kermit Resort.
After this explanation, we went into the sea. Each of us had our own instructor and these instructors were all very professional and fun. Our kids managed to get up almost immediately, and after a while my husband and I managed to do the same. It was really fantastic fun to do this together and see your kids passing by, sliding over those beautiful waves.
We liked it so much that we took a second lesson with Kermit Siargao. This time we took a boat a little way offshore to surf another reef. Do you also want to surf with your kids? In any case, make sure your kids can swim well and get a good professional surf school.
Surfing can be quite a dangerous sport, which is why it is important that you choose a surf school that provides safe conditions while surfing.
#3 Secret Beach
A day chilling at the beach is always a good idea. Secret beach is a nice little cozy beach with mangrove in the background that you can paddle through on a SUP board or a kayak. Laze around, drink chef’s nuts, or buy a chip and some soda from the local people who sell it there.
You can also rent a hammock at Secret Beach to chill in. You can just visit this beach for free, but aside from some local vendors, it has no facilities for a restroom or anything like that. You can go to several beautiful beaches on Siargao with kids. You have to explore the island a bit, because there are nice beaches everywhere on the island.
For example, in the north of the island you have Alegria Beach, where you can also go to waterfalls, and Pacifico Beach in the east of the island. Often ask locals which beach you should visit, as they know the whole island well and this will get you to places where there are few tourists.
#4 Shopping in General Luna
The main street of General Luna is full of cute little boutiques selling jewelry, clothing, surf gear and fun souvenirs, where you can enjoy shopping. In this part of the island you can eat good food everywhere, so this is also a good place to go for lunch. Our son and my husband went scuba diving and me and my daughter enjoyed strolling through all the stores.
This area is also home to many different hotels and is also a great place to explore the island from.
#5 Coconut View
As you ride your scooter around the island, you will notice that the island is full of palm trees. Really I have never seen that many. A fun fact is that on all the palm trees they made notches to climb in to get to the coconuts. We made a sport of finding a palm tree that did not have this, but we were unable to find one.
You also have a beautiful viewpoint: Coconut View. This is just along the road, but you have a beautiful view of countless palm trees here. Next to this road is Coconut Drive. A road between palm trees. This road is especially beautiful from above, making it a popular place to take a video with a drone (we did, of course).
#6 Maasin River
This River in Siargao is definitely worth a visit with the kids as well. When you arrive at the river you pay the entrance fee of about 10 euros and then you get into a canoe and a guide rows you down the river among the beautiful greenery to the end of the river to Small Lagoon. The lagoon disappointed us, but it was nice to sail there for a while.
If you wanted to take nice pictures here, we had to wait 45 minutes. We didn’t and I quickly snapped a picture of the kids between 2 other people. Then the guide rows you back to the beginning of the river. Here the kids could jump from a platform made around a curved palm tree into the river.
This they enjoyed doing very much. Also, right at the entrance there were local kids playing in the river. Our kids always really like this and then immediately seek contact with those kids by playing with them.
#7 Tayangban Cave Pool
This pool is definitely fun to visit with kids. It is not mega impressive, but it is a fun outing to do together as a family. You all get a helmet with a light on it and then go with a guide. After you walk down the stairs enter the cave. In the cave there is a layer of water and here you scramble between the rocks.
Sometimes you have a rope you have to hold on to for a while, but this was very manageable with the kids and we didn’t think it was dangerous. At the end of the cave, you come out to a lagoon. You walk back out here and can swing into the water with a rope or jump off a platform.
It all didn’t take very long which is often just perfect with kids. You can perfectly combine this activity with a visit to the Maasin River and Coconut View.
Family-friendly restaurants in Siargao
We and the kids love good food. Siargao was the perfect place for this. You have a huge choice of beautiful and trendy family-friendly restaurants. Below we list our favorite restaurants in Siargao.
Bravo: this is our winner in terms of restaurants on Siargao. In fact, we went to eat here 4 times for several reasons. The food is really delicious and you have a wide choice of dishes. We always opted not to go for a main course, but to fill the table with all kinds of different tasty things in order to taste everything.
Bravo is also a resort and also has a skating rink. Our kids loved watching the boys skate there. So when they finished eating, they went to the skate park together. Behind our backs they then agreed to come again the next day with those guys and so we ended up there again several times.
The second time, the kids didn’t want to join us for dinner but just wanted to eat a simple pancake at the skate park. The local skaters told us that we could just go to dinner and they would give our kids skate lessons. We treated all the local guys to some food and drinks and they were totally happy. They even sent me videos of the kids skating.
Kermit: Kermit Siargao is a resort with a very cozy atmosphere and good food. A good restaurant for the kids, as there is plenty for them to choose from as well. From soup to pizza to fries, but definitely more special dishes. With some nice music playing, you can certainly have a great time at this family-friendly restaurant in Siargao.
Shaka: Shaka is a fun lunch spot on the beach at Cloud 9. They have delicious smoothies and smoothie bowls at this restaurant and these are perfect for much-needed fruit for the kids. Have your kids tried dragon fruit? This brightly colored purple fruit is really our kids’ favorite.
Family-friendly hotel Siargao
Soultribe Beach Retreat: we stayed at Siargao in the Loft Villa at Soultribe Beach Retreat. If you are looking for tranquility and a nice stay then this place might be for you. This residence is 5 minutes by scooter from Secret Beach and just under 10 minutes to the from the bustling Generale Luna.
The residence is right on the beach and is very small in size. You can enjoy breakfast and lunch here and there is a small pool. There are also paddle boards, which you can use to go out to sea. This resort is really quiet though and you will often be almost alone here. Even in the evening, it is not the place to have a drink in a cozy atmosphere.
The bar is open 24 hours a day, so when the kids were asleep my husband and I would get a drink and chat on our porch. For more information about the Soultribe Beach Retreat, take a look here.
Kermit Siargao: If you want to be a little more sociable and stay in the bustling General Luna then Kermit is a good option. The atmosphere here is always top notch and there is a nice pool. This is also a great place to eat with kids. It’s not by the sea, but it’s easy to get there. We took the surf lessons through Kermit. Should we go back to Siargao, this resort is definitely a good option for us.
Of course, you can sleep fine on Siargao with kids in plenty of other places. The island has several fun family-friendly accommodations, and we list the best-rated accommodations on the island in the different price ranges below. Click on the blue link for more information.
Budget accommodation: DGs
Mid-range accommodation: Romantic Beach Villas
Luxury Accommodation: Siargao Island Villas
For a list of all family-friendly accommodations in Siargao, take a look here.
About the author: hey we are Dirk and Inge. With our school-age kids Vince (age 10) and Lexi (age 7), we enjoy traveling to different countries. Follow our adventures on Instagram. Also, feel free to send us a dm if you have any questions or are looking for tips. And check out our videos on YouTube these will give you a good idea of what your days with kids in various places might look like.
