Exploring the beach side of Siquijor

Hello, Hive!

December is officially upon us. A month of twinkling lights, cozy moments, delicious food, and festive celebrations for most. A month of sentimental pining and missing home for some. For today's post, I've decided to mix a bit of two — highlighting some cozy moments and some sentimental pining from our trip a year ago.

You see, every year, my circle of hiking friends try to make time and go somewhere to celebrate the birthdays of Chiarra (December 9) and @iamcjestrada (December 10). Be it on the mountains, by the beach, or at a restaurant, it has been our little tradition to meet before the busy holidays start.

Sadly, I was not able to join them on their Siargao trip this 2023 because of my limited vacation leaves (after our six-day climb in the mountains of Bukidnon) and funds (poorita nga aunchie). How I wish I could try surfing at Cloud 9 like what @thestrollingmind sucessfully did, or just spend some pensive afternoon and think about life and its beauty despite the negativities with @ybanezkim26 at the Naked Island. @kev.incredible and @iamcjestrada also had their share of fun, but that will be their story to share — soon.

Anyway, here I am, going back to our 2022 trip when I was present. Since, I've been writing about mountain escapades lately, I'm taking you to the beach this time. 🥳

Glamping by the beach

Siquijor is a province located in the Central Visayas region. For many years, this humble island has been misleadingly tied to witchcraft, magic and mysticism. But more than its otherworldly reputation, Siquijor actually offers some of the best treats tourists could ever ask for: amazing waterfalls, stunning beaches and kind people.

Our first stop is at the Siquijor Sunset Glamping Village. Located in Brgy. Solangon, San Juan, Siquijor, this beach resort will surely give you that tropical vibe with its tree-lined shore and white sandy beach. If aesthetic camping is what you're looking for, this is your place.

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After eating breakfast, buying snacks and changing onto our beach OOTDs, we started exploring the area, taking photos and poses at every instagrammable corner.

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Siquijor Sunset Glamping Village also offers an enchanting view of the sunset and we were lucky to have caught a glimpse of it right after our Day 1 tour.

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During the night, we celebrated CJ and Chiarra's birthday at the Bitaog Restaurant and Old Mates Bar where we also listened to live band.

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Quick stop at the Paliton Beach

First on the itinerary for our second and last day in Siquijor is a quick stop at the famous Paliton Beach. Located in the town of San Juan, this public beach is considered as one of the most beautiful beaches in the island.

Paliton Beach is known for its powdery-white sands, tall palm trees and fantastic sunset view. Recently though, more attractions have been added such as the sand castles and swing boards which you can ask the local “human drone” experts to take video or photos of you. Like Boracay, there is no exact amount to pay and instead, you can leave a "donation." You are free to be generous of course if you're happy with their captures.

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Freediving at Tulapos Marine Sanctuary

As a special request by our hiker-slash-freediver friend @iamcjestrada, we made sure to visit the Tulapos Marine Sanctuary before going back to Cebu. This diving site located in the municipality of Enrique Villanueva is famous for its beautiful underwater scenery. In fact, it is the oldest marine protected area on the island.

Here, guests have the option to scuba dive, freedive, or snorkel and witness a school of barracudas or — if you're extremely lucky — even black tip sharks. CJ, Kevin, Kimmy, Kim, An, Jovy and Shiela, gamely headed out to the open sea. Meanwhile, Chiarra, James and I contentedly waited on the nipa hut.

If there's one thing I regret during our Siquijor trip, it was not joining them exploring marine sanctuary. More than the photos and videos, I was very envious of the experience they got after finally swimming those hundreds of barracudas. Will definitely come back to see one day! 😁

For the complete story of their freediving experience, check out CJ's blog post.

_{Maria is a hopeless romantic who travels in pages and places. She is an INFP who loves sunrises and moonlight nights and reading books in between. On weekdays, she works for a self-publishing company as a copywriter. On weekends, she lives her life as a poet or hiker. She hopes to share her love for words and the world with you here on HIVE.}

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