Robert Tramp
Salagdoong Beach Siquijor-Daylight, Philippines

Siquijor

Where to stay in Siquijor: San Juan, Siquijor town or Lazi

By Robert Tramp· Published · Updated

Photo: Genpasaporte2, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Siquijor is a small, round island you can circle by scooter in a few hours. Most places to stay sit along the west coast at San Juan, near the port in Siquijor town, or further round at Lazi near the waterfalls. Dumaguete, on the neighbouring island of Negros, is the usual ferry port to reach it and worth a night only if your crossing times make that necessary.

Quick picks

  • First time in Siquijor: San Juan. The most restaurants, bars and places to stay within walking distance, and the easiest base for a first visit.
  • On a budget: San Juan for the widest choice of guesthouses, or Lazi for a smaller, cheaper selection further from the crowds (see below).
  • Near the waterfalls: Lazi, closest to Cambugahay Falls and the island’s heritage church.
  • For an early or late ferry: Siquijor town, right at the port.

Comparing the three areas

Scroll across for the rest of the columns.

Area Feel Distance to the port Price bracket Best for
San Juan The main tourist strip, most restaurants, bars and nightlife within walking distance About 15-20 minutes by tricycle or scooter from Siquijor town port Budget to mid-range First-timers, solo travellers, anyone who wants restaurants nearby
Siquijor town The port town itself, quieter than San Juan, close enough to its beaches At the port Budget to mid-range An early or late ferry, travellers who still want San Juan a short ride away
Lazi Calm, spread out, close to Cambugahay Falls and the Lazi church About 30-40 minutes by scooter from the port Budget to mid-range Waterfalls, a quieter stay, families

See how to get to Siquijor.

San Juan: the main tourist strip

San Juan has the island’s biggest cluster of restaurants, cafés and bars, and the largest selection of places to stay, from guesthouses to a large beachfront resort. It is the easiest area for a first visit, because little needs planning in advance.

Why here: the most restaurants and bars within walking distance, easiest to arrange scooter rental and tours on the spot. Why not: the busiest stretch of the island, so less quiet than Lazi or the smaller stays further round the coast.

San Juan isn’t one strip but a run of linked barangays. Tubod, right on the beachfront, is where Coco Grove and most of the sand-front resorts sit, while Solangon, a short walk inland on the Provincial Road, holds a cluster of guesthouses and cafes that double as remote-work spots, Monkey Business among them. A room right on the beachfront strip sits closest to the bars and their noise in the evening; a guesthouse a street or two back in Solangon trades a short walk for a quieter night.

A sense of what’s on offer in San Juan:

  • A range of smaller guesthouses and hostels along the same San Juan strip, with more properties listed here than anywhere else on the island.
  • Budget rooms from roughly $14 a night are listed for the island, most of them concentrated in San Juan.
Map of places to stayPlaces to stay in San JuanLive prices and availability for your dates.Show places to stay on the map

Siquijor town: right at the port

The port itself, on the island’s southwest coast. Quieter than San Juan, with its own small selection of places to stay, close enough to San Juan’s restaurants and beaches by tricycle that staying here mainly makes sense around ferry timing.

Why here: closest to the port for an early or late crossing, and the easiest place on the island to handle banking, see connectivity and ATMs below. Why not: fewer restaurants and bars within walking distance than San Juan, and a tricycle ride away from most of them. A chartered tricycle from the port to San Juan runs roughly ₱400, about the same trip a visitor based in town would make most evenings for San Juan’s restaurants and bars.

  • A small cluster of guesthouses and a beach cottage within a few minutes of the port and town centre.
Map of places to stayPlaces to stay in Siquijor townLive prices and availability for your dates.Show places to stay on the map

Lazi: waterfalls and a quieter stay

Lazi sits on the southeast coast, closest to Cambugahay Falls and home to the island’s largest heritage church. It has a calmer, more spread-out feel than San Juan, with fewer but still varied places to stay.

Why here: closest base to the waterfalls, quieter than San Juan, and home to the San Isidro Labrador Church and its adjoining convent, completed in 1884 and 1891 from coral stone and hardwood and often cited as the largest convent of its kind in Asia, a heritage stop alongside the waterfalls if you’re based here. Why not: a 30-40 minute scooter ride from the port and from San Juan’s restaurants, and a chartered tricycle from the port runs roughly ₱500-600, noticeably more than the ride to San Juan given the extra distance round the coast.

Map of places to stayPlaces to stay in LaziLive prices and availability for your dates.Show places to stay on the map

Getting between the three areas

Most visitors base themselves in one of San Juan, Siquijor town or Lazi and treat the other two as day trips, either on a rented scooter or, on arrival and departure days, a chartered tricycle or habal-habal.

Scroll across for the rest of the columns.

Route Typical fare Notes
Port (Siquijor town) to San Juan ≈ ₱400 by chartered tricycle A shared jeepney or local tricycle along the same road costs less; drivers quote the higher fare for a direct, chartered ride
Port (Siquijor town) to Lazi ≈ ₱500-600 by chartered tricycle Lazi sits further round the ring road than San Juan
Short habal-habal hop, for example toward Larena ≈ ₱150-200 starting fare, rising with distance No meters on the island, agree the fare with the driver before you get on

Renting a scooter yourself is the cheaper option over more than a day or two of moving between areas; see things to do in Siquijor for rental prices and the ring-road loop itself.

Connectivity and ATMs

Bring more cash than you think you’ll need. Siquijor has very few ATMs: a Metrobank machine in Siquijor town, on the main road, accepting MasterCard and Visa, and a PNB machine in Larena that accepts Visa only, alongside a Land Bank branch and ATM there. Neither San Juan nor Lazi has a bank ATM of its own. Withdraw what you need in Siquijor town, or better, in Dumaguete before you cross over.

Mobile coverage comes from Globe and Smart, both reaching the island; signal is strongest around San Juan, Siquijor town and the other main settlements, and patchier on back roads and inland routes. WiFi across the island is slow rather than absent, though a handful of San Juan guesthouses and cafes advertise faster connections aimed at longer-staying visitors and remote workers, Monkey Business on the Provincial Road among them. For the island’s power situation, scheduled and unscheduled outages included, see the FAQ below; pack a power bank regardless of where you stay.

Before you book

Most visitors base themselves in San Juan or Siquijor town and reach Lazi and the rest of the ring road as day trips by scooter, see things to do in Siquijor for what that day looks like, Siquijor diving and Tulapos Marine Sanctuary if you want a dive day instead, and a 3-day Siquijor itinerary for how to spread it out. Check your ferry’s departure time before picking a side of the island, see how to get to Siquijor. For the best season to go and what a day there costs, see Siquijor: best time to visit and cost.

Places to stay on Siquijor

The best hostels, budget stays, resorts and hotels on Siquijor, with the area each one is in.

The best hostels on Siquijor

The best budget stays on Siquijor

The best resorts and hotels on Siquijor

Prices checked 21 October 2026, they change with dates.

More places to stay: every stay I recommend in the Philippines and the best hostels in the Philippines.

Questions people ask

Where should I stay in Siquijor?

San Juan, on the island's west coast. It has the largest number of restaurants, bars and places to stay within walking distance of each other, and is the easiest area for a first visit.

Do I need to stay in Dumaguete before going to Siquijor?

Only if your ferry leaves early or arrives late. Dumaguete is the usual jump-off port, and most visitors treat it as a one-night stopover rather than a destination on its own, see how to get to Siquijor.

Where should I stay in Siquijor to be close to the waterfalls?

Lazi, on the southeast coast. It sits closest to Cambugahay Falls and the island's heritage church, and is quieter than San Juan, at the cost of fewer restaurants within walking distance.

Should I stay in Siquijor town?

Mainly if you want to be right at the port, for an early ferry or a late arrival. It is close enough to San Juan's beaches and restaurants that staying there instead of San Juan itself saves little.

Is Siquijor only about its witch-doctor reputation?

No. That reputation gets attention, but most visitors come for the beaches, waterfalls and the quiet pace of going around the island by scooter, see things to do in Siquijor.

Where should I stay in Siquijor on a budget?

San Juan has the widest range of budget rooms and guesthouses on the island. Lazi's guesthouses are also inexpensive, but fewer in number.

How many nights should I spend in Siquijor?

Most visitors base themselves for 2-3 nights: enough for one day circling the ring road by scooter for the waterfalls and beaches, and a slower second day, see a 3-day Siquijor itinerary.

Do I need to book Siquijor accommodation in advance?

During peak season and the Easter holidays San Juan's better-located rooms fill up, so booking a few days to two weeks ahead is safer than arriving and looking.

Is mobile signal reliable in Siquijor?

Patchy outside the main towns. Globe and Smart both cover the island, and signal is strongest in San Juan, Siquijor town and the other main towns; some pockets are weaker. Most San Juan resorts and cafes offer WiFi as a backup.

Are there ATMs in Siquijor, should I bring cash?

Only a few ATMs exist on the island, so most restaurants, bars and smaller guesthouses expect cash. Withdraw what you need in Dumaguete or Cebu before crossing over, rather than relying on finding a working machine once you're on the island.

Does Siquijor have reliable electricity, or should I expect power outages?

Through 2025 the island went through a genuine power crisis after its main supplier lost its operating authority, and new supply has since come in. Pack a power bank anyway, short outages still happen and are more likely outside San Juan and Siquijor town.

Is there a direct ferry from Cebu to Siquijor?

Some direct Cebu-Siquijor sailings exist, but confirm the current routing with an operator before planning around one. Almost every visitor goes via Dumaguete, which has by far the most frequent sailings: a Cebu-Dumaguete crossing, then a Dumaguete-Siquijor ferry, see how to get to Siquijor for the Dumaguete schedules and fares.

How do I get between San Juan, Siquijor town and Lazi if I'm staying in one of them?

By rented scooter if you want to cover the ring road yourself, or a chartered tricycle or habal-habal otherwise. A chartered tricycle from the port in Siquijor town to San Juan runs roughly ₱400, and on to Lazi roughly ₱500-600.