So you want to go from Moalboal to Siquijor without going through Cebu City…
But when you try to look up the route, it looks SO complicated.
Welp, I’ve got some good news for you:
It’s actually a lot easier than it might seem!
In this complete Moalboal to Siquijor travel guide, I’ll go over ALL the travel options you have in a step-by-step manner, so you can just follow along and you’ll arrive at your destination.
- via Liloan – Sibulan – Dumaguete (fastest)
- via Bato – Tampi – Dumaguete (less complicated)
- via Liloan – Larena (most straightforward)
- via Bohol (if you’re hellbent on avoiding Cebu City 😂)
I’ll also give you updated boat schedules and personal tips so you’ll have a better idea of what it’s like on the ground – and of course how to do these routes the other way around.
Let’s get into it!
How to Get From Moalboal to Siquijor via Liloan – Sibulan – Dumaguete (Fastest)
Here’s the fastest way to get from Moalboal to Siquijor:
- Bus to Bato | 1.5 hours
- Tricycle or Bus to Liloan Port | 10 minutes
- Ferry to Sibulan | 30 minutes | Maayo Shipping
- Tricycle or Bus to Dumaguete Port | 20 minutes
- Ferry to Siquijor | 40 minutes | OceanJet
This route might sound complicated, but when you’re on the ground, you’ll realize it’s not bad at all.
There are countless buses plying the Moalboal to Bato route, countless tricycles willing to take you to Liloan, and countless boats (about 15) from Liloan to Sibulan.
Finally, there are more than 10 trips from Dumaguete to Siquijor every day.
It’s a mix of fast and slow boats. I recommend most travelers to get on OceanJet’s fast craft, since they’re the best company right now. But they only do this route twice a day, so you may have to settle for Montenegro, Alesson, or Anika instead.
Liloan to Sibulan (v.v) Ferry Schedules 2024 (Maayo Shipping)
Liloan to Sibulan (Updated Nov. 15, 2024) | |||
Frequency | Schedule | Booking | |
Daily | 4:30am 6:00am 7:30am 9:00am 10:30am 12:00nn 1:30pm 3:00pm 4:30pm 6:00pm 7:30pm 9:00pm 10:30pm | In-person or via Tripket app |
Notes:
- Right now, there’s only one company doing this route (Maayo Shipping)
- Check Maayo Shipping’s Facebook page for any advisories. They sometimes cancel trips during holiday seasons, so keep an eye out during these times
- The Sibulan-Liloan ferry leaves at exactly the same times as the Liloan-Sibulan one
Dumaguete to Siquijor (v.v) Ferry Schedules 2024 (OceanJet, Montenegro, Aleson, HS Star Marine “Anika”)
There are currently 4 companies that do the Dumaguete to Siquijor route – OceanJet, Montenegro, Alesson, and HS Star Marine (a.k.a Anika Star).
OceanJet is by far the most modern and tourist-friendly. They’re also very active online, so you can always be sure their schedules are up-to-date.
Montenegro, Alesson, and Anika are slightly old-fashioned and less reliable. But I think the need to modernize has caught up to them, since they’re now becoming more active on their Facebook pages.
All Dumaguete to Siquijor Ferries (Updated Nov. 26, ,2024) | ||
Time | Company (Type) | Online Booking |
6:00 am | Anika (Fast) | In-person only |
7:00 am | Montenegro (Slow) | Book here! |
7:20 am | OceanJet (Fast) | Book here! |
9:00 am | Montenegro (Fast) | Book here! |
9:20 am | Anika (Fast) | In-person only |
10:00 am | Montenegro (Slow) | Book here! |
10:00 am | Aleson (Slow) | Book here! |
11:00 am | OceanJet (Fast) | Book here! |
12:30 pm | Anika (Fast) | In-person only |
1:00 pm | OceanJet (Fast) | Book here! |
2:00 pm | Montenegro (Slow) | Book here! |
3:30 pm | Montenegro (Fast) | Book here! |
4:00 pm | Anika (Fast) | In-person only |
6:00 pm | Aleson (Slow) | Book here! |
6:00 pm | Montenegro (Slow) | Book here! |
7:10 pm | OceanJet (Fast) | Book here! |
All Siquijor to Dumaguete Ferries (Updated Nov. 26, 2024) | ||
Time | Company (Type) | Online Booking |
6:00 am | OceanJet (Fast) | Book here! |
6:00 am | Aleson (Slow) | Book here! |
7:00 am | Montenegro (Fast) | Book here! |
7:30 am | Montenegro (Slow) | Book here! |
7:35 am | Anika (Fast) | In-person only |
10:00 | OceanJet (Fast) | Book here! |
10:00 am | Montenegro (Slow) | Book here! |
10:45 am | Anika (Fast) | In-person only |
12:00 pm | OceanJet (Fast) | Book here! |
1:00 pm | Montenegro (Fast) | Book here! |
1:30 pm | Aleson (Slow) | Book here! |
2:00 pm | Montenegro (Slow) | Book here! |
2:20 pm | Anika (Fast) | In-person only |
4:30 pm | Montenegro (Slow) | Book here! |
5:30 pm | Anika (Fast) | In-person only |
6:00 pm | OceanJet (Fast) | Book here! |
Notes:
- All of these ferries leave daily!
- These are the current schedules. I’ll update this list once a month so you can rely on it.
- The booth selling OceanJet tickets in Dumaguete is across the highway from the port. You can also buy tickets online.
- Fast boats take 40 – 50 minutes, while slow boats (Roro) take about 1.5 hours.
(Vice Versa) How to Get From Siquijor to Moalboal via Dumaguete – Sibulan – Liloan
- Ferry to Dumaguete | 40 minutes | OceanJet
- Tricycle or Bus to Sibulan Port | 20 minutes
- Ferry to Liloan Port | 30 minutes | Maayo Shipping
- Tricycle or Bus to Bato | 10 minutes
- Bus to Moalboal | 1.5 hours
You can see the full ferry schedules above!
How to Get From Moalboal to Siquijor via Bato – Tampi – Dumaguete (Less Complicated)
Here’s a more simple way to get from Moalboal to Siquijor:
- Bus to Bato | 1.5 hours
- Ferry to Tampi | 30 minutes | Maayo Shipping
- Bus to Dumaguete Port | 40 minutes
- Ferry to Siquijor | 40 minutes | OceanJet
This route is almost exactly the same as the one above.
However, instead of adding an extra tricycle ride from Bato to Liloan, you can just ride the ferry from Bato instead.
The Bato ferry docks in Tampi, which is farther away from Dumaguete than Sibulan.
But if you’d rather spend an extra 20 minutes on a bus than haggle with tricycle drivers to take you to Liloan, then you could go for this one .
Also, as you’ll see in the schedule below, the Liloan-Sibulan and Bato-Tampi ferries alternate in schedule, so there’s one leaving roughly every 30 minutes.
Instead of waiting for the next Liloan-Sibulan ferry to leave, you can save time by doing this route instead!
Bato to Tampi (v.v) Ferry Schedule (Maayo Shipping)
Bato to Tampi (Updated Nov. 15, 2024) | |||
Frequency | Schedule | Booking | |
Daily | 4:00am 5:00am 6:30am 8:00am 9:30am 10:30am 11:30am 12:30pm 2:00pm 3:30pm 5:00pm 6:30pm 8:00pm 9:30pm 11:30pm | In-person or via Tripket app |
Notes:
- The Tampi-Bato ferry leaves at exactly the same times as the Bato-Tampi one
- Again, only Maayo Shipping does this route
- And again, keep an eye on their FB page during holidays!
Scroll up to see the Dumaguete – Siquijor schedule, or click here to jump to it!
(Vice Versa) How to Get from Siquijor to Moalboal via Dumaguete
- Ferry to Dumaguete | 40 minutes | OceanJet
- Bus to Tampi | 40 minutes
- Ferry to Bato | 30 minutes | Maayo Shipping
- Bus to Moalboal | 1.5 hours
Again, you can check the ferry schedules by scrolling up a bit!
How to Get From Moalboal to Siquijor via Liloan-Larena (Most Straightforward Route)
There is a direct ferry from South Cebu to Siquijor. Here’s how to use it from Moalboal:
- Bus to Bato | 1.5 hours
- Bus/Tricycle to Liloan Port | 10 minutes
- Ferry to Larena, Siquijor | 3 hours | Maayo Shipping
- Tricycle to San Juan | 30 minutes
This might seem like the simplest way to get from Moalboal to Siquijor, but there’s one BIG problem:
The ONLY ferry from Liloan to Larena only leaves at 2 AM!
Well… okay… it leaves at 7 am on Sundays (see full schedule below).
But you have to time this route. It’s not something you can just do without planning, unlike the Dumaguete route.
Also, there are fewer buses around late at night. So I’d recommend leaving Moalboal at around 10 pm. You’ll arrive in Liloan Port at around midnight, but waiting at the port is better than waiting for a bus that may or may not arrive.
One last thing:
This ferry docks at Larena Pier, which is Siquijor’s 2nd port, and much farther away from the tourist zone (San Juan). When you arrive, tricycles and motorbike taxis can charge php300 – 500 to take you to San Juan, and it takes around 30 minutes.
Liloan to Larena (v.v) Ferry Schedule 2024 (Maayo Shipping)
Liloan to Larena Schedule (Updated Nov. 26, 2024) | ||
Frequency | Time | Booking |
Tuesday, Wednesday. Thursday, Friday & Saturday | 2:00 am | In-person only |
Sunday | 7:00 am | In-person only |
Notes:
- Maayo Shipping is the only ferry that runs this route. Check their Facebook page for any weather advisories and holiday schedules!
- Note, the ferry from Larena to Cebu docks in Bato, NOT Liloan, see the schedule below!
(Vice Versa) How to Get From Siquijor to Moalboal via Larena-Bato
It’s much easier to go from Siquijor to Moalboal via Larena than it is the other way around. Here’s how:
- Tricycle to Larena Port | 30 minutes
- Ferry to Bato | 3 hours | Maayo Shipping
- Bus to Moalboal | 1.5 hours
That’s right…
The ferry from Larena doesn’t dock in Liloan, it docks in Bato. This makes it simpler to get to Moalboal since there are direct buses from Bato.
Also, the tricycle / habal-habal to Larena port time estimate is if you’re coming from San Juan. It might be quicker if you’re staying elsewhere in Siquijor.
Larena-Bato Ferry Schedule 2024 (Maayo Shipping)
Larena to Bato Schedule (Updated Nov. 26, 2024) | ||
Frequency | Time | Booking |
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday | 1:00 pm | In-person only |
Sunday | 4:00 pm | In-person only |
- Again, make sure to check Maayo Shipping’s Facebook. That’s where they post advisories on cancelled trips and holiday schedules.
How to Get From Moalboal to Siquijor via Bohol (Alternative Route)
The best way to go from Moalboal to Siquijor via Bohol is to ride the Oslob ferry to Bohol, then ride OceanJet straight to Siquijor from there:
- Bus to Bato | 1.5 hours
- Bus to Quartel Beach, Oslob | 40 minutes
- Ferry to Panglao | 1.5 hours | Apekop Travel
- Tricycle to Tagbilaran Pier | 30 minutes
- Ferry to Siquijor | 2 hours | OceanJet or Apekop
Before I get to the details, let me just say:
This route doesn’t make a lot of sense.
I mean, it makes sense if you’re going to spend a few days in Bohol and explore the area first. But if you’re using Bohol as a stopover to get to Siquijor… why???
The other two options are cheaper, faster, and so much better.
But okay… if you really want to do this route for whatever reason, here are the ferry schedules.
Note: this isn’t the only way to get from Moalboal to Bohol (there are 3 other routes!). But if you’re intention is just to get to Siquijor, this is probably best.
Osob to Panglao (v.v.) Ferry Schedule 2024 (Apekop Travel)
Oslob to Panglao (Updated Nov. 15, 2024) | |||
Frequency | Schedule | Booking | |
Daily | 11:30 am | In-person or Online (book here) |
Panglao to Oslob (Updated Nov. 15, 2024) | |||
Frequency | Schedule | Booking | |
Daily | 6:30 am | In-person or Online (book here) |
Notes:
- This is the only ferry from Oslob to Panglao, Bohol. It’s quite small, so it’s one of the only ferries in the Philippines I highly recommend booking online.
- Check Apekop Travel’s Facebook page for any updates! They usually add an additional time slot during busy season (Christmas and New Year), so there might be more than their regular 1 trip a day.
Bohol to Siquijor (v.v) Ferry Schedule 2024 (OceanJet & Apekop)
Tagbilaran to Siquijor Fast Ferries (Updated Nov. 26, 2024) | ||
Time | Company (Dock) | Online Booking |
7:30 am | OceanJet (Siquijor) | Book here! |
10:00 am | Apekop (Larena) | Book here! |
3:20 pm | OceanJet (Siquijor) | Book here! |
Siquijor to Tagbilaran Fast Ferries (Updated Nov. 26, 2024) | ||
Time | Company (Dock) | Online Booking |
8:20 am | OceanJet (Siquijor) | Book here! |
2:30 pm | OceanJet (Siquijor) | Book here! |
1:00 pm | Apekop (Larena) | Book here! |
Notes:
- I recommend getting the OceanJet ferry because it docks in Siquijor Port. Apekop docks in Larena, which is much further away from the tourist zone (San Juan) than Siquijor port is.
(Vice Versa) How to Get From Siquijor to Moalboal via Bohol
- Ferry to Tagbilaran | 2 hours | OceanJet or Apekop
- Triycle to Momo Beach | 30 minutes
- Ferry to Oslob | 1.5 hours | Apekop Travel
- Bus to Bato | 40 minutes
- Bus to Moalboal | 1.5 hours
More Info About Visiting Moalboal and Siquijor
And that’s about it!
That’s all the ways you can go from Moalboal to Siquijor without passing through Cebu City!
If you’re not sure what you can do in these places, here are some sample itineraries:
📋 Moalboal Sample Itinerary
Sample only! See my Moalboal travel guide for more info
Day 1:
🐟 Watch the sardine run in Panagsama
🐢 Snorkel with the turtles in Panagsama
⛰️ Enjoy the view in Osmena, Kandungaw, or Casino Peak
🏖️ Chill, swim, or watch the sunset in White Beach
Day 2:
🏊 Go canyoneering in Badian
⛱️ Swim or watch the sunset at Lambug Beach
Day 3: (Oslob)
🦈 Swim with the whale sharks
💦 Visit Tumalog Falls
📋 Siquijor Sample Itinerary
Sample only! See my Siquijor travel guide for more info
Day 1: Explore San Juan
🤿 Snorkel in Tubod Marine Sanctuary
🟩 Swim in the green Lugnason Falls
⛲ Relax in Capilay Spring Park
🌅 Watch the sunset in Paliton Beach
Day 2: Explore Lazi
🌳 Foot spa in the Old Balete Tree
🧙 “Witch” jump shot in Hapitanan
💦 Jump into Cambugahay Falls
🦇 Swim through the Sambulawan Underground River
⛪ Visit the Lazi Church and Convent
Day 3: Explore the Mountains
⛰️ Visit the Mt. Bandilaan view deck (tallest point in Siquijor)
🦇 Go spelunking in Cantabon Cave
🍽️ Eat in Larena Triad Coffee Shop
🦋 Visit the butterfly sanctuary
🗺️ Try to find Cangbangag Falls
You can also check out my full Moalboal and Siquijor travel guides.
Other than that, I hope this guide served you well.
Safe travels!
– Manoling
Hi! I’m hoping you can help me. Firstly, your post has really helped me so thank you! I’m planning on travelling from Siquijor to Moalboal in May, and decided it makes the most sense to take the ferry from Larena Port to Bato, you advised that there are buses from bato to moalboal but I can’t find any information on timetables or where to get this bus. If you could help I would really appreciate it thanks! Happy Easter 🙂
Hi!
The bus terminal is just about 500m from the port. You can Google “Bato-Samboan Bus Terminal,” and just walk there. Or just wait along the highway for a bus to pass. There’s no official schedule, but there’s one that leaves roughly every 30 mins, so you shouldn’t have any problems ☺️
Just make sure you get on a bus to Cebu City “via Barili,” because the “via Oslob” buses don’t pass Moalboal.
Happy Easter!
Hello!
We’re planning on getting the bus from Moalboal to Larena port to get the 2am ferry to Sidiqjor. What bus route is it – Ceres and have found out where our closest bus stop is but just wondering what should be written on the front of the bus to ensure we’re getting the correct one?
Many thanks! You’re blog has really helped plan our journey!
Hey Lia!
Thanks for the kind words.
The bus should say “Bato via Barili.”
That’ll take you to Bato Terminal. From there it’s a 10-15 minute tricycle or bus ride to Liloan port. The bus should say “Cebu City via Oslob”
Also, I’m not sure if there will be busses running that late at night. You might want to ride earlier in the evening and just wait around at the port.
It’s best to ask the locals once you get there what’s the best way to do this.
Enjoys your travels!
Epic detail mate. Really gave me a lot of detail about how to get to Siquijor from Moalboal.. thanks for the info.
Cheers! 🙂