How to get from Cebu to Siquijor

Why visit Siquijor?

Siquijor is one of the Philippines’ most magical islands, literally. It’s home to natural healers who perform the practice of Bulo Bulo to cure you of your pains and ailments. Go with an open mind and see what happens!

The island looks like a fairytale land, with all its golden beaches, turquoise waters, three-tiered waterfalls, and the 400-year-old “enchanted” balete tree. And because it enjoys fewer tourists than other nearby islands, you can enjoy Siquijors pristine nature in peace.

There are 4 ways to travel the 170 kilometre (106 miles) distance from Cebu to Siquijor. You can choose between the bus + ferry via Liloan, ferry from Cebu to Siquijor, bus + ferry via Dumaguete and ferry via Tagbilaran. The journey takes 4 to 10 hours and the quickest way is by ferry via Tagbilaran. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by bus + ferry via Liloan with tickets starting at 705 PHP ($11.90).

The direct ferry is the fastest way to get from Cebu to Siquijor. OceanJet and Lite Shipping operate direct ferry trips for this route.

OceanJet uses high-speed ferries, and the journey takes around 4h 40m - 5h 20m. Ferry tickets cost 2,100 PHP ($35.50).

Lite Shipping is cheaper at only 735 PHP ($12.40), but it’s a slow ferry that takes about 10h.

Departure and arrival stations

All ferries depart from Cebu Pier 1, about 5 km from Cebu City centre.

OceanJet arrives at Siquijor Pier, 10 km away from the tourist centre in San Juan. Lite Shipping docks at Larena Port, 20 km northwest of San Juan. From either of these ports, you can take a tricycle to your accommodation. Fares start from 300 PHP ($5.10) from Siquijor Port and 500 PHP ($8.40) from Larena Port.

Kate's insider tip

Make sure to arrive at Cebu Pier around 1 hour before your departure time as you need to pay the terminal fee and check in for your trip. This can take some time depending on queues. Plus, some ferry companies have a strict cut-off time for checking in.

The direct ferry from Cebu to Siquijor is the most convenient option. But if it’s fully booked, you can also travel by booking two separate ferry trips.

This option can be cheaper, but you’ll likely have to wait a few hours in Tagbilaran, Bohol.

That being said, this is a great option if you’re planning to make a short stopover in Bohol before continuing to Siquijor.

Three ferry companies are available for this first part of the journey from Cebu to Bohol.

Lite Shipping is the cheapest option, with standard ferry tickets starting at 500 PHP ($8.40). The trade-off is time — this ferry takes about 4 hours to reach Tagbilaran. There’s a daily departure at 22:00, plus an extra 13:00 trip from Monday to Saturday.

If you’d rather get there faster, OceanJet and SuperCat offer quicker rides to Tagbilaran in just 2 hours. Rates for a standard class ticket start from 960 PHP ($16.20). You can also book business class tickets for a few dollars more.

Make sure to book a ferry heading to Tagbilaran Port, where the ferries bound for Siquijor depart from. Bohol has two other ports — Tubigon and Jetafe — which are 1.5 to 2 hours away by land.

For the Tagbilaran to Siquijor route, Oceanjet travels directly to Siquijor Pier. Fares start from 1,010 PHP ($17) on BookAway.

Travel time to Siquijor is 2h.

Instead of taking a direct ferry from Cebu to Siquijor, you can also travel mostly overland via Liloan Port in southern Cebu. This combined bus and ferry journey takes around 6 hours 30 minutes when you’re coming from Cebu City.

First, you’ll hop on a bus heading to southern Cebu, then catch a ferry to Siquijor. This route used to be a favourite among budget travellers because it was the cheapest way to get to the island.

These days, though, ferry schedules have been cut back. Now, there’s only one daily ferry from Liloan Port, leaving at 02:00 in the morning. You’ll get to Siquijor in around 04:00. That’s a pretty early arrival, and not the most ideal way to start your island adventure.

We recommend this route only if you’re already in the south, in places like Moalboal or Oslob, as it’s much more convenient from there. Just a heads-up for the return trip: ferries from Siquijor to Cebu dock at Bato Port, about 6 km from Liloan Port.

From the South Bus Terminal in Cebu City, you can take a bus bound for Liloan Port in Santander, a town at the southern tip of Cebu Island.

Look for a bus with “Liloan Port” on the signboard. If you don’t see one, buses marked “Bato via Oslob” will also get you there since they pass through Santander.

A ticket costs 410 PHP ($6.90) for an air-conditioned bus. The first bus leaves at 03:00, and they run every 2 hours until 21:00

TIMING TIP: The ferry to Siquijor departs at 02:00 AM. If you hop on that 21:00 bus, you’ll arrive at Liloan Port around 01:30 AM — just in time to catch the ferry without a long wait!

The only company with trips from Liloan Port to Larena Pier in Siquijor is Maayo Shipping.

The ferry departs at 02:00 every Tuesday to Saturday, so it’s best that you arrive at Liloan Port the night before. On Sundays, they also have a 07:00 morning trip.

A ferry ticket costs 295 PHP ($5) for a ferry ride of 2 hours to Siquijor.

Sugbo Urban Transit offers a combined bus + ferry trip from Cebu to Siquijor via Liloan Port.

You’ll only have to wait a bit at the port, making the overall travel time 10 hours. This is a great option if you don’t want to worry about transfers. It’s also a bit cheaper than taking the bus and ferry separately.

The company partners with Maayo Shipping for the ferry ride. Trips are available only on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights. Then on Sundays, the bus departs at 01:00 in the morning from Cebu City. Here’s the schedule for this route:

1. 1. Cebu South Bus Terminal to Liloan Port – 20:00-24:00
   2. Waiting time at Liloan Port – 24:00-02:00
   3. Liloan Port to Larena Port – 02:00-06:00

Upon arrival at Larena Port, the bus will travel around Siquijor Island until it goes back to Larena Port at around 08:00.

Wondering if it stops in San Juan? Yes, it does! So you can stay onboard the bus and ask the driver to drop you off near the island’s main tourist hub.

You can buy your bus ticket at the terminal for 345 PHP ($5.80), and you’ll also have to buy your own ferry ticket at Liloan Port for 295 PHP ($5).

For this option, you’ll take a bus and ferry combination from Cebu to Dumaguete, a town on the neighbouring island of Negros Oriental. From here, there are several ferry trips bound for Siquijor.

The total travel time when travelling via Dumaguete is 6 hours 45 minutes to 7 hours 30 minutes. We suggest taking this option only if you also plan to explore Dumaguete, which offers a few attractions of its own.

At the South Bus Terminal in Cebu, there are regular bus departures to Dumaguete since this town is a major destination in the south. For this first leg of the trip, the total travel time takes 6 hours, including a 30-minute ferry ride.

Ceres Bus departs almost every hour from 06:00 to 23:00 daily. A bus ticket costs 350 PHP ($5.90). You can buy your ticket at the terminal or on the bus. Note that you have to pay for the ferry ticket to Dumaguete separately. This costs 130 PHP ($2.20).

At Bato Port in Santander, the bus will board the ferry bound for Negros Oriental. You will have to get off the bus, pay for your ferry ticket, and then sit on the ferry’s passenger seating area.

Once the ferry docks at Tampi Port, board the bus again. Dumaguete Port is still 40 minutes away. Since you’re heading to Siquijor, ask the conductor to drop you off at Dumaguete Port. There’s a bus stop right at the port, which saves you the extra 2 km trip from the city’s main bus terminal.

Alternatively, you can stop for a bite in one of Dumaguete City’s many quirky cafes before continuing to Siquijor.

Four main ferry companies operate between Dumaguete and Siquijor: OceanJet, Montenegro Lines, Anika Star and Aleson Shipping.

Tickets for the bigger car ferries start from 245 PHP ($4.10) when you buy at the port. If you’re after a quicker trip, high-speed ferries can get you to Siquijor in under an hour, with fares starting at 410 PHP ($6.90).

There are two ports on Siquijor Island, but all ferries from Dumaguete arrive at Siquijor Pier.

It’s usually easy to buy tickets at the port on regular days. But if you’re travelling on a weekend or in the summer (March to June), we highly recommend booking online via BookAway to get a seat at your desired time. Otherwise, prepare for long ticket queues under the sun.

PRO TIP: The waves and the salty breeze might lull you to sleep, but make sure you are awake as you get close to the port in Siquijor. On good days, you can see dolphins playing near the shore!