In going to Siquijor, most people’s impression about Siquijor is that some inhabitants in this island are practicing some sort of witchcraft. This could be one good reason why reportedly there are no robbers or thieves in the area.
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Where is Siquijor? See map below.
But, when you get to Siquijor, all those creepy stories you have in mind are gone. By the time you set your feet on the island, you will be embraced by the white sandy shores on both sides of the port in Siquijor. By the way, the capital of the province of Siquijor is the town of Siquijor. It is not yet a city as of now. With regard to its political subdivision, there are 6 municipalities in the whole province, namely, Siquijor (the capital), Larena, Enrique Villanueva, Maria, Lazi, and San Juan.
According to one of the visitors I have conversed with, she felt blessed upon seeing the crystal clear waters surrounding the island of fire. Speaking of the Island of Fire which is Siquijor, the place is so called because in earlier times, the island is filled with fireflies at night because of its lush species of trees and on that note, Siquijor has a very rich watershed. Developments though are still to be carefully planned.
The People
The people of Siquijor are also hospitable. Since the island is already one of the most visited tourist destinations in the Philippines, you will feel comfortable already roaming around the island. From the natives we have met, they are already open about these queries regarding the creepy thoughts we had towards the Siquijoranons. In fact, they use it already as one of the tourism features and in one resort we went, one of the advertised activities is to experience one kind of healing which is Bolo Bolo. You can also ask from the hotel where to buy love potions in Siquijor. You can also buy other potions for certain uses. Accordingly, even citizens from far-flung nations come to visit the healers in the area.
Accommodation
Most of the nice resorts are located in the town of San Juan which is in the western side of the island so it has to be in the priority list in going to Siquijor. The area is abundant in water. From what I know, the most expensive place to stay is Coco Grove.
Transportation
If you go from one municipality to the other, you can either ride a tricycle or a multicab. The latter they call EZ ride as in Easy Ride. Tricycle fare is around Php 20 to Php 25 or you can do “pakyawan” at Php 200 to Php 250, that is if you want to ride from Siquijor to Larena. They do not have 24 hour schedule for buses or jeepneys so knowing the schedule would be really helpful.
Ports of Entry
There are two ports of entry in going to Siquijor. One is in Siquijor town accommodating mostly boats and fast crafts from Dumaguete City, Oriental Negros. The second one is in Larena town. FJ Palacio and Lite Ferries ships dock here. Both shipping lines route from Cebu City to Larena, Siquijor via Tagbilaran City, Bohol. After it stops in Larena, these boats proceed to Plaridel in Mindanao.
