Anchorage· Siargao· Philippines

General Luna Anchorage

9° 46.4′ N · 126° 9.8′ E · approximate

The reef-protected lagoon off General Luna, Siargao's surf-town hub, where island-hopping bancas run flat water out to Guyam, Daku and Naked Island. Visiting yachts have anchored here within a short dinghy ride of Cloud 9 and the Tourism Road restaurants.

Practical

Approx position: mid-lagoon between General Luna town and Guyam Island, plotted from OpenStreetMap shoreline and island positions; checked in water about 1 km off the nearest OSM coast and about 900 m inside the OSM-mapped barrier reef (relation 9821616). No published cruiser waypoint, depth or holding figure exists for General Luna: Hacking Family, Noonsite (Surigao pages) and the OCC Philippines thread cover Surigao, Mabua, Nonoc and Hinatuan but not Siargao, so sound your way in and use satellite imagery. What is published: the lagoon is about 800 m x 1,500 m, enclosed by a reef that keeps it calm and flat; kiters favour mid to high tide for depth and warn to keep reef and coral in sight and to stay clear of fishing bancas crossing the lagoon (Kitesurf Culture). The coast sits behind a shallow barrier reef that limits depth, and near the town beach it can be too shallow at low tide (Mariden Resort guide). Siargao's tide is diurnal (Wikipedia). A 2012 catamaran account (Home On A Boat) describes hours of tense motoring across reef to get close in, then leaving the dinghy about 10 minutes' wade from shore at low tide (jellyfish in the shallows). s/v Delos anchored off Siargao within a short dinghy ride of Cloud 9 and within swimming distance of white-sand beaches. The OSM-mapped outer reef is continuous from about 9.725N to 9.80N, so the practical approach is from the southwest inside the reef (see passage 'General Luna Inner Approach'). Open to the Pacific beyond the reef: swell wraps over it in NE monsoon surges and big surf; leave for Dapa or the west coast in any typhoon threat. Dinghy to the island-hopping dock in General Luna (see entry). Fuel by jerry can from the Petron on Tourism Road; ATMs are best in General Luna (Mariden). Siargao is a protected area (Siargao Island Protected Landscapes and Seascapes) - no fishing on reefs or coral damage; anchor in sand only.

Best for

Base for Cloud 9, the three-island hop and General Luna's restaurants

Season

Calmest in the inter-monsoon months (roughly Apr-Jun); swell wraps over the reef in NE monsoon surges

Nearby