Bucas Grande · Surigao del Norte · Philippines
The island the tide lets you into.
Somewhere past the last signal, a limestone gate opens at low tide — and Socorro lets you in.
Discover
There’s no road that leads here by accident. Every visitor chose Bucas Grande on purpose.
Bucas Grande · From Above
Dozens of lagoons braid through the limestone, tucked between towers too numerous for any single map to name.
Then the passage widens, the light turns turquoise, and you understand exactly why the people here never wanted to leave.
No roads to it
There is no bridge to Bucas Grande, no highway skirting its coast. You arrive by boat, the way everyone always has — which is exactly why the coastline never got the chance to wear down.
Still someone’s home
Fishing families still time their days around the tide charts that unlock the caves. Socorro isn’t a resort built on an island — it’s a living island that welcomes you into its rhythm.
Experiences
Not a list of tourist spots. A list of stories waiting to happen to you.
By Boat
Island & Lagoon Hopping
Hop between coves that only reveal themselves at low tide, each one quieter than the last.
Book Island Hopping
By Kayak
Kayaking the Quiet Coves
Paddle past mangroves and limestone walls into water so still it holds the sky.
Underwater
Snorkeling the Reef Edge
Drift over coral gardens where the reef shelf drops away into deep blue.
Through Rock
Cave & Cove Exploration
Squeeze through tidal cave mouths into lagoons that shift with every tide.
At First Light
Sunrise at the Viewpoint
Climb the trail at Grande Sunrise Peak before dawn, for a view of both Bucas Grande and Siargao waking up beneath you.
Book the Sunrise Trek
After Dark
Local Cuisine & Fireside Nights
Try harog fresh off the fire during Socorro's own Harog Festival — glutinous rice, coconut milk, and whatever root vegetables are in season.
Signature Destinations
Twelve places the island is proud to share, each one worth the boat ride.
By pumpboat from Hayanggabon Port
Sohoton Cove
A multi-stop cave system by boat — Sohoton's main cove, Hagukan's echoing tunnel, and three more caves besides — ending wherever the jellyfish sanctuary lets you linger.
Book This Tour
A 2-hectare lagoon near Sohoton
Tiktikan Lagoon
Landlocked and tide-fed through an underground passage — the water rises and falls with a sea it never quite touches. Rope swings and cliff jumps included.
Ask the Tourism Office
Inside the Sohoton tour circuit
The Jellyfish Sanctuary
Swim among thousands of stingless jellyfish in a marine lake safe enough to touch — one of only a handful of places on Earth where that sentence is true.
Part of the Sohoton Tour
Brgy. Pamosaingan · ~₱130 by boat
Magkahuyog Falls
A free cottage, cold cascading water, and a mountain view — bring your own snacks, there's nothing else out here.
Book This Tour
Brgy. Salog · ~₱160 by boat
Salog Busay
No admission fee, no stores, no crowds — just a waterfall the barangay has cared for and kept beautiful, for locals and visitors alike.
Book This TourBrgy. Rizal · ~₱40 by boat
Grande Sunrise Peak
A campsite and a trail above the municipal proper, looking out over both Bucas Grande and Siargao — rebuilt after Typhoon Odette, open again and better for it.
Book This Tour
Bucas Grande · from ₱3,500/night
Club Tara Resort
Private beach, an outdoor pool, and a lagoon that turns blue-green by afternoon — the closest thing the island has to a five-star hush.
Ask the Tourism Office
Brgy. Helene · ~₱70 by boat
Hidden Resort
Surfing, a fish spa, and cottages painted every color at once — the island's most unguarded, unserious afternoon.
Ask the Tourism Office
Sitio Carbon, Brgy. Del Pilar
Ecopark Grande
Twelve hectares of forest around two swimming pools — built for the days you'd rather hike and picnic than chase another cove.
Ask the Tourism Office
Brgy. Pamosaingan · ~₱200 by boat
Pagatpat Treehouse
Named for the mangroves it's built inside — a wooden walkway out to the sea, and nowhere to stay the night.
Ask the Tourism Office
Municipal proper · ~₱50 by boat
Puyangi Beach
1.2 kilometers of pale sand and a stone-free seabed — the longest stretch Socorro has, and the least crowded.
Ask the Tourism OfficeNear Sohoton · floating cottages from ₱250
Dagatan Sifai Resort
Kayaks the color of the water they float on, a diving board, and a kitchen that doesn't stop — the closest resort to Sohoton and the Jellyfish Sanctuary.
Ask the Tourism OfficeStories
The island is more than its water. It is the people who never left.
Fourteen Barangays
Most reachable only by boat, ringing the coastline of Bucas Grande. The port itself sits in Barangay Navarro — locals call themselves Socorronhons.
After the Storm
Typhoon Odette tore through in 2021. What's open today — the peaks, the falls, the resorts — is the community's rebuild, not what was left standing.
The Harog Festival
Every year the town throws a festival built around a dessert — glutinous rice and coconut milk simmered with taro, ube, and whatever's in season.
Built by Bayanihan
Socorro's public swimming pool was carved by hand in 1953, fed by mountain springs, and refurbished by the community itself in 1997 — free then, free now.
A Few Delicacies Worth Trying
Pan de Loli
Budbud Nilambiran
Lidgid
Sayongsong
Signature Event
Once a year, the whole island runs.
The Bucas Grande International Marathon draws runners from around the world into a three-leg race trilogy — and turns its aid stations into something closer to a fiesta.
Leg 1 · Feb 22, 2026
1st Bucas Grande International Half Marathon
21KM · 10KM · 5KM
Completed
Leg 2 · Jun 21, 2026
The Uphill Challenge
25KM · 15KM · 10KM · 5KM — 1,240 runners
Completed
Leg 3 · Nov 29, 2026
Colorum Uprising — the trilogy's finale
6KM ₱1,200 · 12KM ₱1,700 · 21KM ₱2,200 · 32KM ₱2,700
Register NowUpcoming
Hinabangay at Every Aid Station
Seafood, pastries, and lechon — this is what happens when a whole barangay decides your race day is also a feast day.
A Medal in Three Parts
Finish all three legs and the medals connect into one trilogy — each race becoming part of the same physical story.
Registration & Updates
Official announcements, virtual runs, and registration are posted on the Bucas Grande International Marathon Facebook page.
Local Talent
The island writes its own songs now.
The Morph is a rising duo based right here on Socorro Island — part of the wave of regional pop and VisPop reshaping Mindanao’s music scene, and just as at home performing at a wedding as a festival stage.
Signature Track
“GAKOS,” composed by Stephan Gus Tav Gultiano — the song that put them on the regional map.
MinPop 2024
2nd Runner-Up at the MinPop 2024 Grand Finals, one of Mindanao's biggest regional pop showcases.
Travel Guide
Everything practical, so the only thing left to plan is what to feel.
Getting There
Fly into Sayak Airport (Siargao), van to Dapa Port, then charter a boat to Bucas Grande. Or take the direct boat from Pantalan Uno in Surigao City.
Best Time to Visit
March to May for calm seas and full sun. The island is still rebuilding tourism infrastructure lost to Typhoon Odette in 2021 — expect a few surprises off-season.
Where to Stay
Club Tara Resort from ₱3,500/night, Hidden Resort from ₱2,750 for 2D1N, or Tiktikan Lagoon's cottages from ₱1,500 — book ahead, rooms are few.
Getting Around
By boat, always — most tourist spots run ₱40–₱200 per person from the port. Habal-habal (motorbike taxis) cover the short overland stretches.
A Sample Itinerary
Day 1
Arrive by boat, settle in, sunset swim at Puyangi Beach's 1.2 kilometers of pale sand.
Day 2
Full-day Sohoton Cove tour — tidal caves, the jellyfish sanctuary, cliff jumps, packed lunch on the water.
Day 3
Morning at Tiktikan Lagoon, afternoon free to kayak at Dagatan or hike Grande Sunrise Peak.
Frequently Asked
Do I need a permit to visit Sohoton Cove?
Yes — a small environmental fee is collected at the tourism office in Socorro, and a registered boatman and guide are required. A typical pumpboat tour for 8–12 people, including entrance fees, life vests, and a guide, runs around ₱1,700 total. Your cottage or resort can arrange this for you.
Is it safe to swim with the jellyfish?
Yes. The species in the sanctuary lagoon has lost its ability to sting, a rare adaptation found in only a few sheltered marine lakes worldwide.
How's the phone signal?
Thin. Expect patchy signal in town and none at all once you're out on the water — treat it as part of the trip, not a problem to solve.
What should I pack?
Reef-safe sunscreen, water shoes for the cave rocks, a dry bag, and cash — there are few ATMs on the island, and most spots don't take cards.
Who do I contact to plan a trip?
The Socorro Municipal Tourism Office — reach them at socorro.tourismoffice@gmail.com to arrange guides, permits, and boat charters ahead of your visit.
Gallery
A few frames worth printing.
Bucas Grande, from above
Sohoton Cove
Grande Sunrise Peak
Salog Busay
Club Tara Resort
A bridge in Barangay Rizal
Last light
Socorro, Surigao del Norte
Your next unforgettable journey begins here.
The tide only opens the gate for a few hours a day. Everything else is up to you.
Book Your Visit