CARAGA Northeastern Mindanao – Surigao City: City of Island Adventure

For the second part of my CARAGA Northeastern Mindanao Tra-Abel trip, I visited Surigao City and Siargao Island, both are part of Surigao del Norte.  Surigao City is located at the Northeastern Tip of Mindanao and dubbed as the 'City of Island Adventures'. 

How to Get There:

By Land – Buses from Pasay City, Metro Manila have trips going to Surigao several times a week via Lipata Ferry Terminal. Daily bus trips from Butuan, Cagayan de Oro City or Davao City to Surigao City are also available at regular intervals.

By Sea – Passenger boats are available every day except Sundays from Cebu. Boats from Manila also have regular trips to Surigao.

By Air – Cebu Pacific Air flies daily from Cebu to Surigao every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday & vice versa. PALExpress (Philippine Airlines) likewise flies from Manila to Surigao every day except Wednesday and vice versa. Skyjet flies to Surigao from Manila every Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday and vice versa.  For more regular trips, you can fly to Butuan City or Davao City and from there take a bus to Surigao City.

Where to Stay:

There are plenty of accommodations available in town but it is not recommended to stay overnight since Surigao City is only the gateway to Siargao Island and Bucas Grande Island and the tour to the city will only take you half day. But if you find yourself stranded (left by the ferry to Siargao and Bucas Grande) you can choose from plenty of budget friendly hotels in town. Here is the contact number of provincial tourism office of Surigao del Norte for help and inquiries:

Provincial Tourism Office

Provinicla Capital, Surigao City

Tel. Nos. (086) 826-0462 local 105, 410

Email address: surigaodelnortetourism@yahoo.com

Website: www.surigaodelnorteph.com

Where to get affordable souvenirs

Tri-tag, Enterprises – offers a variety of items, from affordable souvenir shirts to colorful bags and wallets, from peanut delights (most popular pasalubong) to other locally made delicacies. Tri-tag is exactly located at Magallnes corner Borromeo Street, Surigao City, it is near Lumad Store and just beside a water refilling station (ACM PI Water) along the main road of Surigao city.

Lumad Pilipino Pasalubong– they make quality souvenir shirts and distribute them to other souvenir shops in town, so their prices are cheaper compared to other shops. It is located along Borromeo corner Magallanes Street, Surigao City across the Luneta Park.

Tourism Souvenir Shop – if the other two souvenir shops above are close, the provincial tourism souvenir shop is your next best choice. It can be found at the 2^nd floor of Surigao City’s Tourism Office located inside Luneta Park.

Here are the places to go at Surigao City:

Surigao City Boulevard – A morning walk at Surigao City Boulevard is the best way to start your day. Aside from your daily dose of morning exercise, you can also find here exciting restaurants where you can eat delicious and fresh seafood. Small vessels going to nearby islands (Dinagat, Siargao and other nearby islands) can also be hired from here.

Luneta Park – Located at the center of the City across the Cathedral. A place to relax after shopping, a place where you can interact with the locals or just the place where you can get your nails done! Yep you heard me right, there are rows of nail technicians lining in one walkway ready to serve you.

Night BBQ at Pier – The most affordable and tastiest chicken barbeque in the whole wide universe (or maybe not, LOL). For budget conscious travelers like me, the array of BBQ stores lined up along the pier is the perfect choice for your dinner. Your Php100.00 will go a long way, believe me! 

Ocean Bounties – Ocean bounties seafood market and restaurant is a dampa style restaurant located near the market of Surigao City. Fresh seafood such as lobsters, crabs, squids and many more are available at reasonable prices.

Mabua Pebble Beach – If you still have spare time to consume, don’t forget to visit the infamous Mabua Pebble Beach. From its name, Mabua has a shore of pebbles and stones but what I enjoyed most during my visit there is the peace and tranquility of the place.

There are still plenty of fun and exciting activities that can be done at Surigao City! You just have to find them. 


Follow my CARAGA Northeastern Mindanao adventure on the succeeding posts.

First Weekend Trip
Surigao Del Sur (Day 1) - A Roadtrip to the Unknown: Bislig City
Surigao Del Sur (Day 1) - Tinuy-an Falls: Little Niagra of the Philippines
Surigao Del Sur (Day 2) - Hinatuan Enchanted River: Bluer than Blue

Second Weekend Trip
Surigao Del Norte (Day 1) - Surigao City: City of Island Adventures
Surigao Del Norte (Day 1) - Siargao: Tra-Abel Enroute
Surigao Del Norte (Day 2) - The Boardwalk at Cloud 9: Sunrise Watching
Surigao Del Norte (Day 2) - Siargao Island Hopping: The Three Islands