This sleepy little Filipino town was virtually unknown to the international tourist scene until it was featured in surfing magazines in the 1990s. It is found on Siargao Island, an out-of-the-way destination that stays quiet and secluded year-round.
General Luna operates a range of hotels and resorts that cater to the surfing crowd. Everything books up during September when the city hosts an international surfing competition. In other seasons there are ample rooms to choose from.
There is plenty to do for those who aren’t surfers. The coastline is riddled with inlets, lagoons and craggy outcroppings that can be explored with a kayak or by chartered banca boat. These boats will also take tourists to nearby islets like Guyam or Daku islands.
You don’t have to travel far from General Luna before you are in the jungle. The local ecosystem is rich in plant and animal life, including orchids, pitcher plants, monitor lizards, flying lemurs and adorable tarsiers.
General Luna - getting there
Getting to General Luna is a multi-step process that usually begins in Manila. From here you can fly to Cebu and then travel on to Surigao City by ferry. This is followed by a short transfer to Dapa Town on Siargao Island. The other option is to fly from Manila to Butuan and ride the bus (2 hours, 30 minutes) to Surigao City. Direct flights from Manila to Surigao are increasingly common.
In brief
Worth it? General Luna is a must for surfers, though other tourists are likely to find the same sorts of attractions in other more accessible parts of the Philippines.
What to do: surfing Cloud 9, trekking in the jungle, island-hopping, scuba diving.
Best time to go: from November to March when rainfall is minimal, or with the summer typhoons if you plan on surfing.
How long? Two days is enough in General Luna.
Trivia: General Luna was called ‘Cabuntog’ until 1929 when its name was changed to honor the Filipino independence fighter.
General Luna attractions
- 1 Guyam Island: directly across from General Luna Beach, this palm-fringed islet can be reached by boat in just a few minutes and is a great place to go surfing or scuba diving
- 1 Sohoton Lagoon: a bizarre landscape where the sea meets caves and rocky outcroppings dotted with orchids and pitcher plants.
- Tak Tak Falls: near Tangbo Beach, this waterfall is a popular cliff-diving destination when the surf is too tame.
- Daku Island: boasts a gleaming white-sand beach and offshore reefs that are ideal for snorkeling and diving.
Events
- Billabong’s International Surfing Competition: held in September, this surfing event sees this otherwise sleepy town spring into life.