The Mystical and Enchanting Siquijor

Siquijor 4:24 PM

The first thing we did when we arrived in Dumaguete City is to find the port that will bring us to Siquijor. The port is located at the back of Silliman University near Rizal Boulevard. We looked for ferry schedules and rates.

It is our second day of our Dumaguete-Siquijor-Cebu trip. And on top of our list is to tour the mystical Siquijor. It is not yet boarding so my kids enjoyed the playground area of the ferry terminal.

while daddy's waiting...

boarding...

our smooth sailing ride

waiting for dolphins to fly =)

awww!!! so gwapo! (photographed by baby James)

they're just so cute... hope you'll always be my babies =)

I noticed that they are only few locals traveling from Dumaguete to Siquijor... there are more foreign tourists. When we were in Dumaguete and asking for directions on how to get to the port going to Siquijor, they were asking why are we going there and if we have relatives living in the province. We said that we wanted to see how beautiful the province is and that I've searched that Siquijor has the best beaches in the country. If you haven't seen the early days of Boracay, then I guess you should see and witness how amazing their beaches are. You can take a peek here http://wanderingdylan.com/2011/03/13/siquijor-beaches-explore/

approaching Siquijor

Siquijor... more famous to foreigners than to local tourists

just arrived at the beautiful province of Siquijor

Siquijor is once a part of Bohol and then Negros Oriental. Siquijor didn't become an independent province until 1971, although economically and politically it still seems like a little sister to its larger neighbors. This seems unlikely to change as long as Siquijorenos continue to migrate to Cebu, Manila or abroad seeking work. Larena is Siquijor's main port and Siquijor town its capital.

(Source : http://www.lonelyplanet.com/philippines/the-visayas/siquijor)

sa port pa lang panalo na ang beach!!!

Siquijor's long ago reputation as a place of magic and sorcery both attracts visitors and keeps them away. Siquijor is also well known for its festivals that focus on primitive healing rituals where incantations are sung while the old folks make potions out of herbs, roots, insects and tree barks. In hushed talks, locals would share a story or two about folk legends pointing to the existence of witchcraft and witches in the island.

Among the many attractions are the beaches, caves, waterfalls, Bandilaan Natural Park, and butterfly sanctuary. White sand beaches make up most of the 102-kilometer coastline of Siquijor.

The coral reefs ringing the island offer some of the best diving in the Philippines for snorkelers and scuba divers. Dive courses are conducted by several dive operators on the island in version of PADI, CMAS and NAUI. Siquijor was declared a marine reserve in 1978.

During 2007, data from the Philippine Department of Tourism showed that Siquijor posted the highest growth in visitor arrivals among the four provinces in region 7

(Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siquijor)

Siquijor is a small island in Visayas. Siquijor Island or Isla del Fuego as the Spanish named it, due to the intensity of fire flies, lies some 22 km east of Southern Negros. Legend has it that Siquijor rose from the sea during a tremendous thunder storm sited as evidence is fossils and shells which can still be found in Mount Bandila-an, Siquijor's highest point. While the coastline is mostly white sand beaches, oceans full of tropical marine life the interior is mountainous.

(Source : http://wikitravel.org/en/Siquijor

St. Francis de Assisi Parish Church and Bell Tower located near Siquijor, Siquijor port. The first tourist attraction right after arriving.

Outside the port, there are trikes and fiera-type vehicles that can tour you around Siquijor... the entire 76 kilometers of the province. Fiera-type vehicles can be rented for Php1,800 and trikes at Php1,100.00.

Motorbikes can be rented for a whole day for Php300. Just check if the helmets are already included in the rental. Some are requiring that the motorbike be returned before sunset. During the entire day of touring Siquijor, You might think that you are in another country, because the foreign tourists here are everywhere and driving their rented motorbikes.

Our first stop .... Capilay's Spring Park

Capilay Spring Park is a natural spring fed swimming pool in the center of San Juan.

Naks! dalaga na kasi eh

Capilay Spring Park is a kid-friendly park =)

our trike driver/tour guide kuya Joseph Rey Larajosa whom you can reach at cel no. 0926-4110116

one of the beach resort/hotel in San Juan

Our second stop ... the enchanted 400 year old Balete tree...

the enchanted old Balete tree

To Filipinos, Siquijor has an aura of mystery and magic; its mountainous interior is home to a number of mangkukulam (healers) who practice NOT with spooky incantations BUT with smelly herbs and soothing oils. This little island, the smallest of the four Central Visayas provinces, is dotted with laid-back beach resorts.

(Source : http://www.lonelyplanet.com/philippines/the-visayas/siquijor)

Instant foot spa, haha =)

There's no entrance fee at the site but there is an optional donation box for the maintenance of the Balete tree area.

the caretaker of the old tree

Kuya Joseph, our driver/tour guide just stop here and we took some photos...

my favorite jump shot by James and Josh

Arriving at Lazi...

St. Isidore Parish Church at Lazi

From San Juan, the town of Lazi, home to the famous parish church and convent, is a good fifteen kilometers drive. It is in this southern tip of Siquijor Island that the commanding parish church and convent buildings stand ground amidst stately acacia trees. Known as the biggest convent in the whole of Asia, conceptualization and construction of the St. Isidore Labradore Convent began in 1857 by Augustinian Recollects and was completed by Filipino artisans in the year 1884. In the 1970’s, both the church and the convent were declared National Historical Shrines.
(Source : http://www.dumagueteinfo.com/lazi-convent-siquijor.php)

St. Isidore Convent (in front of the church)

The convent is an imposing U shaped two story structure whose size is approximately 50 x 50 meters – a size considered to be colossal in that period of time. This building was used by friars for among other things, a place of rest and recreation. It is a typical Bahay na Bato (stone house), one with a ground floor made of a thick stone layer and the second level, of hardwood studs and panels. Construction for the convent began in 1887 and finished in 1891.

Work on the church and convent is attributed to Fray Toribio Sanchez who took the initiative of building the new convento in 1887 by merely using coral blocks and available wood. It was reported that before the construction of the St. Isidore Church and Convent, there was already an existing church and convent but of poor and deteriorating conditions. Still other projects begun by the friars were the Casa Real, Escuela, some bridges and agricultural irrigation systems.

(Source : http://www.dumagueteinfo.com/lazi-convent-siquijor.php)

Cambugahay Falls

There is no entrance fee at Cambugahay Falls but there is a minimal parking fee.

Cambugahay Falls is just 2 kilometers from Lazi town. It consists of three cascading waterfalls. The water is so clean and green and looks so inviting. My two boys took a dip at this warm waterfalls.

And to end our tour, we asked our trike driver/tour guide to bring us to a souvenir shop. The shop is located near the port. Aside from the usual shirts, mugs, ref magnets and key chains, these are what we saw, hehe =)