Bewitched by Siquijor

We were on open water in an 8-passenger motorized boat for 5 butt-numbing hours; on land only for 3. Happily, Siquijor proved worth the trip.

The island had us at hello, greeting us at our drop-off point in Larena (near the island’s northern tip) with Sandugan’s wide stretch of white-sand beach. Our boat stopped a mile from the shore and we waded our way through on foot in clean, clear knee-deep (or should that be knee-shallow?) water.

The beach was deserted except for the three of us newly arrived daytrippers (we were staying in Bohol) and its longtime residents – hundreds of big, colorful starfish, thousands of people-shy mini-crablets that burrowed themselves in the sand at our approach, and a few small forlorn trees that jutted out of the sand. It was surreal.

As was the rest of our jaunt in the island alternately called "bewitching," "enchanting," "mystical." From Sandugan beach we made our way by jeepney to the town proper of Larena where we hired a rented van to take us around. As we had only three hours to spare before we had to head back for Bohol (to avoid the late-afternoon wind-powered waves, said our boatman), our compressed tour consisted of only three sites.

First stop was the massive centuries-old balete tree in the town of San Juan, next was the Spanish-era San Isidro Labrador Church and Convent in Lazi, and, finally, the alagdoong beach in Maria.

It may not have been enough to take us to all of Siqquijor’s main attractions but it was enough to literally tour us around the entire island. We got more than enough to carry us through the butt-numbing ride back to Alona beach in Bohol. And more than enough to make us want to go back for more surreal time.

Call us bewitched, enchanted, mystified.

[ Alona Beach Wiki | Lazi Wiki ]