Siargao Island Hopping Guide – Daku, Guyam & Naked Island

Just offshore from General Luna sits a scatter of small islands that make up Siargao’s classic day trip. The three everyone visits — Naked, Daku, and Guyam — sit close together a short boat ride from town, and the standard tour links all three in a half- or full-day loop.

Each has its own character: Naked is a bare sandbar with no trees, Daku is the biggest with a fishing village and lunch huts, and Guyam is a tiny palm-topped islet ringed by reef. Together they’re the postcard image of Siargao.

Further out lie quieter islands — Mamon, La Januza, Anajawan, and Corregidor — visited on longer or private trips for those who want fewer crowds and more time on the water.

This is a day-trip experience, not a place to stay. You leave from General Luna in the morning and you’re back by afternoon, sun-tired and salty.

The island-hopping trip is for just about everyone visiting Siargao — couples, families, groups, and solo travellers happy to join a shared boat. If you want one easy day of swimming, snorkelling, sandbars, and a boodle-fight lunch, this is it.

It’s less suited to anyone after total solitude on a peak-season weekend, when the big three get busy. If that’s you, book a private boat and add the quieter outer islands, or go early in the day.

From General Luna. Boats leave from the GL jump-off near the public market most mornings. A shared joiner tour runs about ₱1,500–1,600 per person and usually includes transfers, a boodle-fight lunch, and fees.

Private boat. Booked through the GL Tourism Office, a private boat starts around ₱3,000 for up to five people (six with the guide) and scales up for bigger groups. On top of the boat you’ll pay roughly ₱100 per person in tourism and general fees, plus small docking fees for Guyam and Daku.

The easiest route is to book an island-hopping tour with everything bundled in. Bring extra cash for fees and food.

Once you’re on the water, your boat takes you between the islands — there’s no other way around. A typical loop spends a couple of hours at Daku for lunch, a stop to snorkel and photograph Guyam, and a quick visit to Naked’s sandbar.

Agree the route and timing with your boatman before you set off, especially if you want to add quieter outer islands or spend longer in the water at any one stop.

Daku. The largest of the three and the usual lunch stop, Daku has a small fishing village, palm shade, and huts where boodle-fight meals are laid out. Budget ₱200–400 for food if it isn’t included in your tour.

Guyam. A tiny island crowned with palm trees and ringed by reef — the most photogenic of the group and a good spot to snorkel just offshore.

Naked Island. Exactly what it sounds like: a pure white sandbar with no trees and no shade. Striking for photos and a quick swim, but bring sun protection — there’s nowhere to hide from the midday heat.

On longer or private trips you can reach the quieter outer islands. Mamon, La Januza, Anajawan, and Corregidor sit further from General Luna and see far fewer visitors.

They take more time and usually a private boat, but reward you with emptier sand and better snorkelling. Worth it if you’ve done the big three already or want a calmer day on the water.

Lunch happens on Daku, where most tours serve a boodle-fight spread — grilled seafood, meat, and rice laid out on banana leaves and eaten by hand. If your tour doesn’t include it, you can buy a meal from the huts for ₱200–400.

There’s nothing on Naked or Guyam, so bring snacks and water. For your bigger meals before and after, General Luna has the island’s widest choice — see the Siargao restaurant guide.

Swim and snorkel. The water around Guyam and the outer islands is clear and good for snorkelling — bring or rent a mask, as marine life sits just off the reef.

Sandbar photos. Naked Island’s blank white sandbar is the classic Siargao shot, especially in the morning light before the crowds.

Relax on Daku. Daku has the most shade and space to lounge after lunch — the easiest island to simply do nothing on for a while.

These islands are day-trip destinations — you don’t base a stay here. Most are uninhabited or have only a small fishing community, and the standard tour returns to General Luna by afternoon.

Basic overnight camping is sometimes possible on Daku or the outer islands if arranged in advance with a boatman, but it’s rustic. For comfortable rooms, stay in General Luna and island-hop from there.

The dry season (March to November) is best — calmer seas, clearer water, and safer boat trips. Mornings are usually flattest on the water and best for photos before the day-trip crowds arrive.

Weekends and holidays bring more local visitors to the big three, so go on a weekday or book a private boat for a quieter trip.

In the wet season (December to February), rough seas can cancel trips outright. Check the forecast and confirm with your operator the day before.

Cash. Bring enough pesos for the boat, tourism and docking fees, lunch, and snorkel rental. There’s nowhere to withdraw money once you leave General Luna.

Sun and water. Naked Island has zero shade — pack reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, a rash guard, and plenty of water. A dry bag keeps valuables safe on the boat.

Share to save. Joiner tours are far cheaper than a private boat if you’re a small group. Teaming up at the jump-off splits the cost.

Time it. Start early to beat the heat and the crowds, and confirm the route with your boatman before paying.

The islands are an easy add-on to a southern base. General Luna is the jump-off and the place to stay, Catangnan next door has Cloud 9, and for another day on the water, Del Carmen offers Sugba Lagoon and the mangroves.

For another day on the water, see Sugba Lagoon.