SIQUIJOR
 
 
Siquijor, known as the island of the mental healers is located east of Negros Oriental and south of Bohol. The island itself is still a hot tip for tourists and that's why it is nice for people who like it easy going. The two bigger cities Larena and Siquijor-Siquijor (the capital) in the western part of the island are facing Negros and Cebu Island.
 
Getting there: The ferry from Cebu City will bring via Tagbilaran and Dumaguete to Siquijor Town in approximately 5 hours. You can also take a 1 hour fast ferry from Dumaguete to Siquijor-Siquijor . The best, easiest and most comfortable way to reach Coco Grove Beach Resort is to let the Sea Explorers Head Office in Cebu organize your transfer.
 
Coco Grove Beach Resort Siquijor
 

The Coco Grove Beach Resort, close to the village of San Juan in the south west of the island, is just 20 minutes car ride away from Siquijor City. The well maintained and nice designed resort in a tropical atmosphere lies directly on a white fine sandy beach.

 
The Philippine management is always friendly and helpful. All the 32 spacious bungalows have a veranda, air-condition, warm shower and mini bar. A smaller swimming pool surrounded by palm trees is available for the guests at the main resort. A new and huge swimming pool with pool-bar is available at the newer part of the resort, namely Coco Grove Paradise Beach, behind the dive center.
 
Have a cool drink or a beer at the beach bar, sunset bar or Paradise pool bar. In the restaurant you can have delicious food and from there you have a nice view to the sandy beach. Every Saturday in a high season there is a spectacular cultural dance show in the resort.
 

Sea Explorers Siquijor
 

The dive center in Siquijor is one of the smaller Sea Explorrers dive centers, but with the same good service. This PADI 5 Star Gold Palm Dive Center is located inside Coco Grove Beach Resort, directly at the white sandy beach. The dive center is very well equipped with excellent rental equipment and a multimedia class room.

 

Information: Diving with Sea Explorers in Siquijor can only be offered until October 31, 2010. As of November 2010 the dive center will not be owned nor managed by Sea Explorers anymore. However, special daytrips to the dive sites of Siquijor can be arranged from our dive center in Dauin/Dumguete (upon request).

 
The dive center in Siquijor is managed by the Philippine PADI instructor Poloy. The dive guide Norman is also leading dives for our dive guests.
 

A Sea Explorers speedboat belongs to the dive centre and takes the guests to the 13 most beautiful dive sites in the area of the San Juan municipality. For larger groups we will rent a native outrigger boat.

SPEEDBOAT : Boat with 25 Hp. out boarder.
Capacity: max. 8 divers.

 
Sea Explorers Siquijor offers

  • World class Macro- and Night-dives
  • 13 different dive sites for low current and relax diving
  • Up to 4 day dives and 1 night dive per day
  • PADI courses up to divemaster
  • Good quality, well maintained rental equipment
 
 
                Technical information

  • Water temperature: approx. 26-29 °C
  • Electricity in the resort is 220 volts, plug adapter is needed
  • 15, 12 and 10 liter aluminum tanks available
  • All the valves are INT valves, bring an adapter just in case
  • Maximum depth is 40 meters
 
 

Dive Sites around Siquijor
 
TUBOD SANCTUARY

This protected area is just in front of the Dive Center and is having the best corals of the entire island, over 173 different kinds of hard corral are found here. This diversified place you can dive in different depths between 5m and 20m. The shallow part are some shallow walls and the deeper part is a hard coral slope. There you can see a large school of blue spine unicorn fish, parrot fish, nudibranches of many colors, razor fish, clown fish, some big groupers and sometimes a sea turtle and over 15 giant clams. This place is also excellent for snorkeling.

 

 

 
MAITE POINT

This dive is very good for a sunset dive. The maximum depth is with 15m quite shallow and the dive spot is a highlight for macro photographer and the famous Mandarin fish. It's the home of more small fishes like the famous mandarin fish and nudibranches, Pipe fish, ribbon eel, Pegasus, Baracuda and the Spanish dancer. If you do a night dive there you will see additional marine life like cuttlefish, octopus and big sea Slugs.

 

 

TAGOT SHOAL, SUNKEN ISLAND

This dive site is not even on the nautical charts but you will see lots of fish there. It's 10 min. north-west of the dive center and the flat top of the shoal is at 12 meters deep and slopes down to 25 / 35 meters, if planned well you can make two spirals around it and see everything there. You can see big schools of Big mouth mackerels, Fusiliers, Anthias fishes and Damsels. Hunting Tunas in the middle of clouds of anchovies. Sometimes large barracudas, Eagle ray, sea snakes and turtles.
 

SAWANG

This shallow dive is also good for beginners because of the maximum depth of 18m and the nice variety of corals and bottom composition. There are many big coral blocks you feel like diving in a canyon and a small tunnel is also there where you can dive through. There are many small fishes like; different kinds of clown fishes, Jaw fish, Scorpion fishes and sometimes also mandarin fishes and Sea Turtle.
 

PALITON WALL

This spectacular wall goes down to 36 meters with in the beginning at 30 meters a spectacular cathedral with Black corals and Lion fishes. Along the wall are nudibranches, flatworms, eels, scorpion fish, Golden sergeants, Fusiliers and Big mouth Mackerels. Quite often you can find at the reef edge Blue ribbon eels, Clown Angler fish and fire gobies.
 

These are only some of the most exciting dive sites around Siquijor Island- there are many more great dives spots around Siquijor, in total 23.

The diving fee’s in the San Juan district is 100 pesos (1.65 euro) per day per diver.

Come and see for yourself!

 
 
Sightseeing around Siquijor
 
  • Visit the old St. Isidore Parish Church built 1884 in Lazi.
  • Go caving in the impressive dripstone cave in Cantabon.
  • Go shopping at the market of Siquijor Siquijor.
  
  • Have a shower under the Cambugahay Waterfall close to Lazi.
  
  • Enjoy an amazing Sunset at the Beach.