Siquijor, the island of healers and waterfalls
Siquijor is a small, quiet island province south of Cebu, long nicknamed the "Island of Fire" after Spanish sailors reportedly saw its mangroves lit up with fireflies. It is best known internationally for its mananambal, traditional folk healers who still practise herbal healing passed down through generations, most visible each Holy Week at the Healing Festival on Mt. Bandilaan. Beyond that, it is a laid-back island of white-sand beaches, jungle waterfalls and centuries-old Spanish churches, with none of the crowds of Cebu's bigger-name spots.
Getting there changed in December 2025. Siquijor used to mean a drive to the bottom of Cebu and two timed ferries; now Sunlight Air flies Mactan-Cebu to Siquijor non-stop in about 55 minutes, and OceanJet runs a daily fastcraft from Cebu that calls at Tagbilaran and carries on to the island in roughly 4 to 4.5 hours on one ticket. The overnight Lite Ferries RORO to Larena is the option that takes a vehicle, and the old road-and-two-ferries route via Liloan and Dumaguete is still the flexible one if you want Oslob or Moalboal on the way.
Cebu.travel drives the Cebu-side leg of whichever you choose - your hotel or arrivals gate to Mactan airport, to the pier, or the long southern run down to Liloan timed to your sailing. Tell us which crossing you are taking and we plan the road around it; the flight and the boat tickets you book yourself.
How to get to Siquijor from Cebu City & the airport
- Private transfer to your airport, pier or port (what we arrange)~30 min-5 hrs, depending which you take
Door-to-door from your hotel or arrivals gate to whichever departure point your crossing uses - Mactan airport for the flight, Pier 1 for the OceanJet fastcraft, Pier 3 for the RORO, or the long southern run to Liloan port timed to your sailing. Request a quote for the fixed fare.
- Direct flight, Mactan-Cebu → Siquijor~55 min
Sunlight Air has flown the route non-stop since 15 December 2025 on an ATR 72. Reported as four days a week at launch and three on the airline's current page, so confirm the day before you plan around it. Booked with the airline, not with us.
- OceanJet fastcraft via Tagbilaran~4-4.5 hrs
A daily passenger fastcraft from Cebu that calls at Tagbilaran in Bohol and continues to Siquijor town port - one ticket, no change of vessel. Passengers only, so no vehicles. Ticket paid at the pier.
- Overnight RORO to Larena~10 hrs
Lite Ferries leaves Cebu Pier 3 at 1:00 PM on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday and reaches Larena around 11:00 PM; Starlite runs an overnight twice a week. RORO, so this is the one that carries a vehicle.
- Via Dumaguete: Liloan → Sibulan, then Dumaguete → Siquijor~20-30 min + ~45 min-1 hr, after the drive
The two-crossing route, after the 3.5 to 5 hour drive to Liloan. Worth it if you want Oslob or Moalboal on the way down; the Dumaguete leg is run by operators such as OceanJet and Montenegro Lines. Confirm current schedules close to your travel date.
- Ceres bus to Liloan (public)~3.5-5 hrs to Liloan
A public Ceres bus from the Cebu South Bus Terminal to Liloan - the east-coast service signed “Bato via Oslob” - then you make your own way onward through Dumaguete to the Siquijor ferry. Cheapest, but a long day of connections with your luggage.
What to expect
Cambugahay Falls
A three-tier jungle waterfall near Lazi with turquoise catch pools, a rope swing, and a short walk down around 100 steps to reach it.
The old Balete Tree
A roughly 400-year-old balete tree growing over a natural spring, where small fish nibble your feet in the pool at its base.
Salagdoong Beach
A white-sand cove fringed by forest, with cliff platforms for jumping into the sea, including one at around 9 metres.
St. Isidore Labrador Church, Lazi
A 19th-century coral-stone church with a large adjoining Spanish-era convent, both worth a look inside and out.
Best time to visit
Dry season (roughly March to May) for the calmest crossings. Visiting during Holy Week lets you see the Healing Festival at Mt. Bandilaan, though it is also the island's busiest week, so ferries and rooms should be booked well ahead.
When Cebu to Siquijor is open, and what to expect at the gate
- Fly, since December 2025
- Sunlight Air flies Mactan-Cebu to Siquijor non-stop in about 55 minutes on an ATR 72 - the route opened 15 December 2025 and is the reason Siquijor is no longer an all-day journey. Reported as four days a week at launch and three on the airline’s own current page, so check the day you want before you build a trip around it
- Fastcraft, one ticket, daily
- OceanJet runs a daily passenger fastcraft from Cebu that calls at Tagbilaran in Bohol and carries on to Siquijor - about 4 to 4.5 hours end to end without changing vessel. Passengers only: no cars, no vans, no motorbikes
- The overnight RORO
- Lite Ferries sails from Cebu Pier 3 to Larena at 1:00 PM on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, reaching Siquijor around 11:00 PM - roughly 10 hours. Starlite runs an overnight twice a week. Both are RORO, so this is the option if you need a vehicle on the island
- The road-and-two-ferries route
- The classic: drive the length of Cebu’s east coast to Liloan port at Santander, cross to Sibulan next to Dumaguete, then a second fast craft over to Siquijor. Still the most flexible if you want Oslob or Moalboal on the way, and the only one that is most of a day’s travel
- Which port you land at
- They are not interchangeable. OceanJet lands at Siquijor town port on the south-west side; Lite Ferries lands at Larena on the north-east. The two are about 45 minutes apart by road, so the boat you take decides which end of the island you should book
- What we drive
- For the flight and both boats, the transfer is the short Cebu-side leg - your hotel or arrivals gate to Mactan airport, to Pier 1 for OceanJet, or to Pier 3 for the RORO. Only the Dumaguete route needs the long southern run
- Is a day trip possible now?
- With a 55-minute flight, yes in principle - but only on the days it flies, and the schedule has to give you a same-day return. By any boat it is still not realistic. Tell us the dates and we will say honestly whether it works
- The single decision that shapes the whole trip is speed against luggage and vehicles. If you are two people with backpacks, the flight or the OceanJet fastcraft makes Siquijor a normal short hop from Cebu. If you are moving a group, dive gear or a vehicle, the overnight RORO is the one that takes it, and the Dumaguete road route is the one that lets you break the journey.
- Sailing times and flight days on this corridor move more than most. OceanJet republishes its board roughly every fortnight, and Sunlight Air’s frequency has already been reported at two different numbers inside a year. Treat every schedule here as the shape of the service rather than the timetable, and confirm the specific departure close to your date.
- We drive the Cebu-side leg and we do not sell the flight or the boat tickets. Those are booked with the airline or paid at the pier, which is why no fare for them appears anywhere on this site.
What the quote covers
- A private air-conditioned car or van with an English-speaking local driver for the Cebu mainland road leg to or from the port for Siquijor
- Door-to-door pickup and drop-off at the exact addresses you give us, not a meeting point
- Fuel, tolls and parking
- Waiting time and any extra stops you tell us about up front, priced into the quote rather than added afterwards
- One fixed all-in price for the trip, agreed in writing before you travel
- Entrance, activity, guide and boat fees at places you choose to stop (paid locally)
- Meals and personal spending
- Accommodation, including a driver overnight on a multi-day trip unless we have set it out in the quote
- Inter-island ferry and boat crossings, unless we have set them out in the quote
We never invent activity or entrance prices - you pay those directly on the ground.
Siquijor: frequently asked questions
How do you get to Siquijor from Cebu?
Four ways, and they are not close in time. Fastest is the direct Sunlight Air flight from Mactan-Cebu, about 55 minutes, flying since December 2025. Next is OceanJet's daily fastcraft, which calls at Tagbilaran in Bohol and reaches Siquijor in roughly 4 to 4.5 hours on one ticket. The overnight Lite Ferries RORO from Cebu Pier 3 to Larena takes about 10 hours and is the only one that carries a vehicle. The classic route is still the drive south to Liloan port at Santander (about 150 km, 3.5 to 4.5 hours from Cebu City, or 165 km from Mactan airport), a short fast craft to Sibulan next to Dumaguete, then a Dumaguete-to-Siquijor fast ferry of 45 minutes to an hour. Cebu.travel drives the Cebu-side leg of any of them, request a quote.
Can you visit Siquijor as a day trip from Cebu?
The direct flight made this a real question for the first time - 55 minutes each way leaves a genuine day on the island, but only on the days it operates and only if the return works the same day. By sea it is still not realistic: OceanJet's 4 to 4.5 hours each way, or the drive to Liloan plus two crossings, leaves too little at the other end. Most visitors stay at least one night either way, because Siquijor is a slow island and rushing it defeats the point. Tell us your dates and we will tell you honestly whether a day trip works.
Is Siquijor dangerous because of its reputation for witches or black magic?
No. The reputation comes from the mananambal, real folk healers who practise herbal medicine passed down through generations, most visible each Holy Week at the Healing Festival on Mt. Bandilaan. It is a genuine local tradition, not something for a visitor to be wary of, and Siquijor is generally a quiet, easygoing island to explore.
What is there to see on Siquijor?
The main draws are Cambugahay Falls, the centuries-old Balete Tree with its fish spring, cliff-jumping at Salagdoong Beach, and the coral-stone St. Isidore Labrador Church and convent in Lazi. It suits a relaxed one-to-two-night stay rather than a checklist of sights.
Does a quote to Siquijor include the boat or ferry?
Getting to Siquijor means a road leg plus a sea crossing, and those are two different bookings. What we quote is the private vehicle leg on the Cebu side, timed to the sailing you are aiming for: one fixed all-in price agreed in writing before you travel, with fuel, tolls, parking and any waiting time or extra stops you tell us about already inside it. The crossing itself is not in that figure unless we have set it out for you. Tell us your sailing, or ask us to work to one, and we will say plainly what we are quoting for and what you book yourself - we will not leave you guessing at the pier.