Planning a trip to Siargao?
Timing matters on this beautiful Philippine island.
As someone who calls Siargao home most of the year, I’ve experienced firsthand how the island transforms across seasons. Whether you’re chasing perfect waves, hoping for sunshine, or trying to avoid crowds, this guide breaks down Siargao’s high and low seasons to help you plan the perfect visit.
From the vibrant atmosphere of the surf season to the quieter rainy months, here’s everything you need to know about when to visit Siargao Island.
Understanding Siargao’s Seasons
Like many tourist destinations, Siargao has distinct high and low seasons that affect everything from crowd levels to wave quality.
According to Google Trends data on “Siargao Island” searches:
- Peak interest: October shows the highest search volume
- Secondary rise: Early months of the year and September
- Lowest interest: Mid to late summer and December
As a resident who spends most of the year here, I’ve noticed that Siargao’s yearly cycle has 2 high seasons and 2 low seasons.
Personally to me, the first season starts in September, it’s when we first arrived and because it’s leading up to the WSL competition, it just makes sense to me that way!
It also runs like a typical British school year for me as well (crazy how we can become so conditioned by that hey!)
The seasons run as:
- September – November: High Season (Prime Surf Season)
- December – January: Low Season (Typhoon Season)
- February – April: High Season (Peak Tourist Season)
- May – August: Mid to Low Season (Off-Season)
September – November: High Season (Prime Surf Season)
Number of tourists:
We previously arrived in September 2022, which was just a month away from the WSL Surfing Competition scheduled in mid October.
You could really sense that the island’s energy was gearing up for this when we arrived with many hotels and hostels booking up fast.
When the competition is in full swing, the Cloud 9 area can become really busy and vibrant with lots to see and do. Just be aware that accommodation in this area will be booked up advance.
The dates for this years competition haven’t been released but I will update this article when they are.
Weather:
The weather around this time is fairly dry and sunny but with more manageable temperatures. We enjoyed our first tri-island tour at the end of September and it was great – glorious sunshine but not too baking hot!
Surfing:
This is prime surfing season!
October and November see the best and most consistent waves, which is why dedicated surfers flock to Siargao during this time. If you’re serious about catching quality waves, this is absolutely the best time to visit.
December – January: Low Season (Typhoon Season)
Number of tourists:
In our first year here, we had decided that we would stay on the island for Christmas having booked the recently renovated Kaimana with Jamie’s sister Samantha and her partner Andrew.
The island was becoming quieter, many people from Manila were heading back north and others were taking overseas trips.
This is actually when the typhoon season for this side of the country begins so travel can also be impacted.
Weather:
As it’s typhoon season, the rain really starts to pick up in December. On December 16th 2021, typhoon Odette hit Siargao and caused island wide destruction. Siargao isn’t actually on the usual typhoon path, however in 2021 it made an exception.
It looked as though the weather was going to hold up for us over this period but on Christmas Day we woke up to no power and a pretty violent storm raging outside.
Our Christmas dinner at Harana had been cancelled and luckily the lovely family who own Kaimana cooked us breakfast despite their restaurant not being open yet.
For the rest of the day we sheltered in Goodies and managed to get a table at Las Palmas for dinner.
I then distinctly remember not seeing proper sunshine until January 13th!
So as you can probably tell, the island was still quiet around this time, however we did meet some people who were travelling around El Nido and Coron and had heard that it’s worth checking out Siargao, only to arrive in torrential rain.
I would definitely check out my when is the rainy season in Siargao article as it explains the differences in seasons through the Philippines.
Surfing:
Personally I was not surfing at this time of the year but it didn’t stop the locals, residents and hardcore tourists who were here.
We took Samanatha and Andrew over to Ocean 9 so that Andrew and Jamie could go for a surf. It was around the full moon as well so as the tide was getting higher, the waves were pretty unpredictable.
When surfing at Ocean 9, it can seem to trick you as to where you expect the wave to break. You can see this mass of energy starting to peak but then the topography of the ocean floor changes and it can disappear.
Definitely best to surf that area with an instructor or guide.
February – April: High Season (Peak Tourist Season)
Number of tourists:
As the rainy season starts to ease up, with it comes more domestic and international tourists. We would notice that the island would become steadily busier from mid February and I feel like it reached its peak in April.
This period of the year coincides with the following travelling trends:
- Tourists travelling to Palawan (Coron and El Nido) for the good weather and then coming to Siargao after
- Holy Week (over the Easter weekend) which is a really popular time for domestic Philippine tourists to take beach holiday trips to the beach and Siargao has become a popular destination for this
- Easter holidays where international travellers optimise their annual leave and public holidays which allows for longer holidays
Important tip: Book accommodation well in advance if visiting during this period, especially around Easter.
The traffic in Siargao definitely increases at this time as well, crossing the Catangnan Bridge (Sunset Bridge / AFAM Bridge) anywhere between 4.30pm – 6.30pm can almost be impossible!
The same can then be said for the strip of the Tourism Road from the General Luna church up to Bed & Brew in the evening. A lot of people squashed into some small areas!
Weather:
The start of the season can still see some dramatic downpours of rain but the temperatures are starting to heat up. You’re looking at the late 20’s and early 30’s (°C) and the number of sun hours increases.
As I write this, it’s early April and it’s definitely heating up! We’ve actually had an extended rainy season this year, it only really dried up at the beginning of April. I’m expecting that we will start reaching the mid 30’s soon.
If you also plan to travel around the rest of the Philippines at this time of the year, I would refer to my when is the rainy season in Siargao article as it shows the climates across the Philippines.
Surfing:
At this time of the year, if you are a beginner surfer then instructors will usually take you to:
- Ocean 9
- Jacking Horse
- Paradise
- Big Wish in Pacifico
- Paradise at the northern tip around Tangbo
There’s still some decent waves for more intermediate surfers at Pasangan, Stimpys and Rock Island.
May – August: Mid to Low Season (Off-Season)
Number of tourists:
As the year continues, May, June, July and August really start to quieten down with each month that passes.
I really like it when it starts to quieten down in these months – after the intensity of high season, this feels like a welcome breather for residents.
Weather:
In these months the weather is usually pretty hot, reaching ‘Feels Like’ temperatures between 35-38 degrees on a daily basis.
It can be a great time for the island tours because the sea is a lot calmer. Just make sure you pack aloe vera, shit loads of water and fan!
Around July we experience some increase in rain as it coincides with the rainy season commencing in the northern region of the Philippines. It’s never enough to ruin plans but just worth being aware of.
We’re just grateful at this point to refill the wells!
Surfing:
As you can see below, the Ocean 9 spot in Santa Fe just becomes incredibly calm and glassy as you can see below:
The usual spots that instructors take their beginner students are just too small so you might find yourself surfing at spots which are considered intermediate in peak season.
Last year, Jamie and I ended up paddling out to Philippine Deep in Santa Fe in June and I actually caught the longest wave of my life – but it was like one of the only waves in the 1 – 2 hours that we were out there!
This year the Queen of the Point longboard surf competition will be hosted at Cloud 9 from May 2nd to the 4th. The purpose of Queen of the Point is about making longboard surfing accessible, fun and a positive experience for women of all ages.
So if you are living here, you can hunt out spots throughout the year, however if your main objective to come to Siargao is for surfing and you are fairly competent, you might find yourself a bit disappointed in those months.
Have questions about planning your Siargao trip?
Check out my other guides on preparing for your Siargao holiday and understanding rainy seasons across the Philippines.
