Although i've been to Cebu and Iloilo before, i've never been to Siquijor Island before, nor have considered going prior to this time. Palawan is on top of my list for holiday destinations in the Philippines. SIQUIJOR's reputation as a place of mysticism, voodoos, witchcraft and the like is a legend. Or so I thought. Unknown to many Filipinos, a lot of the locals are into herbal and natural remedies. Really? I've heard of LOVE POTIONS and stuff.

Our first stop was at Paliton beach and here we saw some colorful catch of the day and we learnt from the locals that this island have a couple of Marine Sanctuaries. What they've caught were sort of OK as they were caught outside the sanctuaries.

These sanctuaries are also diving sites and fortunately for us, there were no other souls except a couple of tourists in Caticugan Sanctuary cottage. The silence was deafening, that we were left with these gorgeous views and burnt skin.

Yet it was perfect.

Tulapos Santuary

Need I say to not forget your swimsuits?

Caticugan Santuary

From the main road, a wooden boardwalk brings you to a few small cottages with a 360 view of the sea and behind are mangroves, this will bring you to a slightly bigger main cottage having few tables for its' mini store. You can order a beer here or a bottled water while resting under the heat of the sun.

Be careful when walking along the boardwalk as some of the planks are a bit loose and old.

Being as this was our last stop before catching our ferry back to Dumaguete City, we didn't stay long. The heat was also intense along the boardwalk.

Our last view as we we're leaving the island.

It's not as touristy compared to the other islands in Visayas, at least NOT YET. But it will in no time. Some hotels here are already under par compared to some, a lot too are being developed. For things to do, for places to go to, there are a few. One good thing is the accessibility of all, regardless of which municipality one choses to stay. LAZI is my fav. Falls, beaches, cultural churches, it have those. One thing I would be interested to do when I will go back is CAVING, I was told of just one, but maybe there are some undiscovered as yet.

SIQUIJOR as I've known and heard of is totally changed from this visit. It have not seen the last of me that's for sure. Do I recommend this island? You betcha! And should be more than a couple of days stay, unlike ours.

Short but sweet.

A series of posts of our stay in Siquijor:

• siquijor island a glimpse of what it can offer to the world part i
• lazi church a national cultural treasure in siquijor island philippines part ii
• siquijor island be enchanted in the island of fire part iii

All images are mine, taken with my Samsung Galaxy S7.