There’s more to Siargao than General Luna. The surfing capital of the Philippines, Siargao is one of best islands in my book. I visited Siargao for the first time in March 2020. I circled the island and spent a few nights in San Isidro.

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It was a quiet, borderline lonely escape since I had come from endless partying and drinking with my newfound backpacker friends in General Luna. But after settling into my little hut, I realized I needed this respite. I rented a scooter for my solo three-day trip to San Isidro. It was the perfect place to practice my motorbiking skills (or lack thereof), because there were hardly any people and vehicles on the road.

If you’re planning to book a trip to Siargao soon, I hope you’ll go beyond General Luna, home to Siargao’s famous Cloud 9 and partying scene. Most tourists staying in General Luna plan a half-day day trip (through a local guide or DIY with their rented mopeds) to San Isidro, around 43km away. That’s about an hour via car or two hours via motorbike or tricycle.

But San Isidro deserves more than just a few hours of your time. There’s absolutely no mobile signal there, except for a spot near Bigwish Resort that the locals call “Wi-Fi Hill,” which has no Wi-Fi but gets a decent a mobile signal. You’ll know you’re there when you see a bunch of people by the bushes doing the Asian squat while on their smart phones.

As for Wi-Fi, there are some resorts that have Wi-Fi, but it works only if 1-2 people are using it, max.

Just enjoy the unplugged life. Things to do in San Isidro include: lounge at the beach, surf (but their waves are for more advanced surfers), look for the island’s only waterfall at the northernmost part, rent a motorbike and enjoy the scenery, and have long unscheduled meals without a care in the world.

Mapupungko, San Isidro’s scenic sand beach with natural rock formations and tidal pools, was closed when I was there. Environmentalists said that the rocks have turned white from the tourists’ sunblock residue (gasp!) so they needed the place to cleanse and heal naturally.

San Isidro isn’t exactly a big secret spot in Siargao. It’s just that it doesn’t have as many attractions as General Luna, the waves are for more advanced surfers, and the absence of mobile signal deters tourists from staying too long. But that’s what makes it the perfect escape.

Refreshed, I headed back to General Luna to reconnect with my backpacker friends.