On the surface, Guiwanon Spring Park seems like another one of those tourist traps where you go just to take pictures and tick it off your to-do list. My travel buddy Tina and I kept missing this spot when we rented a scooter and explored Siquijor island on our own. Even if we knew where it was exactly on the map, we couldn’t find the small sign along Circumferential Road in Larena.
On my last day in Siquijor, I asked my tricycle driver to take me there for a couple of minutes before my departure ferry ride in Larena Port.
More Than Meets The Eye
I’m glad I didn’t skip this tourist spot! Guiwanon Spring Park is a mangrove preservation and marine park so well-preserved that the current photos you’ll see on social media look exactly the same as visitor photos from several years back.
When I arrived, two locals were in the middle of reconstructing one of the bamboo bridges. It was business as usual as they told me to just cross one bamboo stick that they held down with their hands. “Just balance and cross carefully,” they instructed in Filipino, as if it were the most ordinary thing.
I did cross unscathed, but it wasn’t a walk in the park. I apologize to the birds and other wildlife creatures who heard me scream that morning as I tight-roped my way to the other side.
Adult Playground
I was lucky to have the park to myself that morning. I walked on the bamboo bridges, climbed the tree houses (which were actually conference rooms and resort rooms for rent), and took photographs of the lush mangroves, ponds, and huts on tilts.
For an entrance fee of only ₱10, what’s there to complain about?
Stay A Little Longer
A tip for those visiting Guiwanon Spring Park for the first time: Don’t just drop by for a few minutes like most tourists do. The huts are actually conference rooms, dining areas, and resort rooms for rent. You may have a picnic or sunset drinks there, or sleep over to reminisce your childhood days of having a treehouse clubhouse.
The rooms start at ₱250 per night, while the conference hall is ₱2,500 per day. Stay a little longer! I know I should have.
Guiwanon Spring Park is located at Circumferential Road, Larena, Siquijor Island, Philippines.
Date of visit: February 21, 2018