Diving Siargao: My 3 Best Dive Sites & Tips

I spent two weeks living in Siargao, Philippines in September 2026, and I was not prepared for how much I would like it.

Do any amount of research and you'll hear about Siargao as one of the top surfing destinations in the world, or the place people in the Philippines come to party. It's very rarely mentioned as a scuba diving destination.

So I dove three sites with Palaka Dive Center to find out. Two were relaxed reef dives, Daku Hills and Dona Dolores, which is what most of you will dive if you come here. The third was Blue Cathedral, one of the most challenging dives I've done in my life.

The Best Dive Sites in Siargao

Siargao's reefs aren't as thriving as other places in the Philippines. The constant surge off the Pacific breaks up the coral, leaving a lot of low, tough encrusting coral and bare rock.

Super Typhoon Odette also made a direct hit on Siargao in December 2021. The island is bouncing back, but it's part of why the reefs look the way they do.

Best Overall Dive: Blue Cathedral

Blue Cathedral is a crater on the Pacific side of Siargao with a sea tunnel running through the bottom of it. It's one of the most unique dives I've done in my life, and it also had some of the toughest conditions.

I'd recommend having at least 100 dives under your belt before you attempt it.

The boat ties off to a mooring buoy, and a down line leads to the mouth of the crater at around 70 feet (21 m). Until you reach the protected part of the crater, the current on that line is extremely strong. It caused the regulator of the diver in front of me to start free flowing, and if you weren't paying attention you could lose your grip.

At the bottom there's a long sea tunnel that reaches around 120 feet (37 m) at its deepest point. There's so little light down there that my camera warmed the tones, which is why the footage looks red.

At 120 feet you're breathing through your tank around 4.5 times faster than at the surface, so we turned around and swam back through the same tunnel. Back in the crater, our guide Camille showed us a smaller cave where some lobsters were living.

Pretty much as soon as we got out, a pod of dolphins was circling under the boat.

Most Colorful Reef: Dona Dolores

Dona Dolores was my second dive of the morning, right after Daku Hills, and I thought it was the prettier and more colorful of the two reefs.

It sits a little deeper than Daku Hills, so the colors don't come out on camera as much.

Most of the dive sites in Siargao that aren't on the Pacific side are going to look like Dona Dolores or Daku Hills.

Best Beginner Dive: Daku Hills

Daku Hills was my first dive in Siargao. It's two underwater mounds very close to Daku Island, a short boat ride from General Luna.

The mounds start at around 65 feet (20 m) at the bottom and rise all the way up to around 26 feet (8 m) at the top.

Compared to the rest of the Philippines, the reef here isn't as colorful or biodiverse. It's still a great place to get some fun dives or certification dives in.

Sites I Didn't Dive

There were two other spots I wanted to visit but didn't have time for, or it was the wrong season. I haven't been to either, so this is what I learned while planning, not what I saw.

Daku Arch

Very close to Daku Hills, covered in coral, with some swim throughs.

Tojoman Lagoon, Bucas Grande Island

Tojoman Lagoon on Bucas Grande Island is full of stingless jellyfish, usually from March to June. You can't scuba dive it, only snorkel. The jellyfish don't sting, but you're not allowed to touch them.

You need to take a boat to Bucas Grande, which also has Sohoton Cove, which seems like an interesting tour.

Best Time to Dive Siargao

Diving conditions in Siargao depend on whether you're diving in the Philippine Sea or the Pacific Ocean.

The east coast faces the open Pacific, and that swell is what makes Siargao a surf destination and not a diving one. Whether you can reach Blue Cathedral at all depends on the tide and the swell. On my trip, the waves on the way out were some of the largest I've ever seen in my life.

I can't speak to the best months from my own trip, since I was only there in September. According to PADI, the best time to dive Siargao is March to October, when the sea is calm and visibility is at its best. Surf season peaks from August to November.

If you want to snorkel the stingless jellyfish lagoon on Bucas Grande Island, the jellyfish are usually there from March to June.

Dive Operators in Siargao

I dove all three sites with Palaka Dive Center, whose shop is in General Luna. My guide at Blue Cathedral was Camille.

The sites change every day depending on requests and the weather, so you don't always get to pick where you go unless you're in a larger group and the conditions allow it.

What Diving Siargao Costs

These are Palaka Dive Center's prices from my trip.

• Two fun dives: 4,800 pesos, around 80 US dollars, including gear, water and the boat captain
• Open Water course: around 25,800 pesos, around 450 US dollars, including four open water dives, a pool session, an instructor and your certification card

I think Siargao is an incredible place to get certified, because you can mix the course into everything else going on on the island.

The two-dive trips go out in the morning starting at 8:30.

Blue Cathedral is its own trip. Palaka's website lists it at 3,450 pesos, around 60 US dollars. It's only open to Advanced certified divers, and you need to do at least one check dive with them first.

Water Conditions and What to Wear

The water stayed around 84 to 86°F (29 to 30°C) on all three dives, and I wore a rash guard and shorts.

On the Philippine Sea side, at Dona Dolores and Daku Hills, I didn't notice any current. At Blue Cathedral, the current is pretty much always ripping.

Visibility was around 80 feet (24 m), which isn't as good as other places I dove in the Philippines.

Where to Stay in Siargao

Most people stay in General Luna, and so did I. It's where most of the restaurants, bars and dive shops are, so you can walk, rent a motorcycle, or take a quick trike almost anywhere.

I stayed at this Airbnb. Honestly, it was amazing and seemed like the best value in the area. I'm not an affiliate, I just think the host is great.

If you want something more chill, Santa Fe is just down the road from General Luna. It's much quieter, and I think a great spot for surfers too.

Power cuts are part of life here. There were periods when the power would shut off across the island, and unless a place had a generator, you had no electricity. A lot of times I was forced to shut my laptop and just get out in nature, and that was nice.

The beaches in General Luna aren't the greatest. Most times I wanted to go, the tide was too low and the beach was marshy and grassy, so rent a bike to get to the better ones.

If you like to party, Siargao is the place in the Philippines. Siargao Beach Club is the main attraction, with a foam party on Tuesday and Saturday nights, and it's allowed to open the latest. Walking down the streets of General Luna at night, you'll hear karaoke and live music and people inviting you over for drinks.

You'll hear the name "United States of Siargao" thrown around online. Honestly, I don't really see it. The Philippines feels the most American of any Southeast Asian country, but in Siargao, at least when I was there, there were way more Europeans, Filipinos and especially Israelis.

Getting to Siargao

I flew into Siargao from Cebu City, but there are flights from many places around the Philippines that can get you there.

When I left, I flew back to Cebu City and on to Dumaguete for Dauin.

Is Siargao Worth It for Diving?

In terms of Philippines diving, Siargao is in the middle or the lower end. If I was purely after scuba diving, there are so many other places in the Philippines I would go.

But when you factor in everything else, the fitness and wellness culture, the surfing, the restaurants and the parties, it's a great place to spend time. If you're a remote worker or on an extended holiday, Siargao is a great diving destination.

The questions I get asked most about diving here.