Landmark· Bucas Grande· Philippines
Sohoton Cove (Bucas Grande)
9° 35.8′ N · 125° 55.7′ E
A hidden maze of limestone islets and lagoons on Bucas Grande, entered through a narrow sea cave that is only open at low tide - the signature trip from Siargao.
Practical
Sohoton is reached by banca from Socorro, from Pamosaingan port or from Hayanggabon port (Claver) on mainland Mindanao. Philippine Beach Guide (July 2026): environmental fee PHP 50 local / PHP 150 foreign; join-in tours about PHP 3,000; jump-off Dagatan Bay Resort, 15 min from Pamosaingan port. Older fee lists (GMA, 2014): entrance PHP 25, environmental PHP 25, life vest PHP 30, guide PHP 330 - verify locally. Guides, helmets and life vests are mandatory and you register at the Sohoton Cove Tourist/Visitors Center first. A local guide reported a 400-visitor daily cap and 'No Permit, No Entry' from April 2016. The cave entrance vanishes at high tide (Lakwatsero); tours are timed to the tide - check Surigao tide predictions. Name means 'narrow opening'; often mistakenly called a national park (Wikipedia). Other caves: Crystal Cave (easy, sparkling formations) and Bolitas Cave (tight crawl, swiftlet nests).
Best for
A full-day cave-and-lagoon adventure
Season
Low tide; calmer seas Mar-Oct
Place data includes © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).