“Every time I stand before a beautiful beach, its waves seem to whisper to me:
If you choose the simple things and find joy in nature’s simple treasures,
life and living need not be so hard.”  ― Psyche Roxas-Mendoza

General Luna, Siargao Islands, Surigao del Norte © Jojie Alcantara [ FujiXA2 ]

September and October are the months when most tourists flock to Siargao Islands for an international surfing competition boasting of huge prize money and giving world-class surfers the chance to show off and tackle the island’s renowned hollow swells rolling in from the Pacific Ocean at 1.5-2m tubing waves.

On the other hand, non-surfers and beach bums can enjoy the serenity of a calm beach vista like the one above. Simply being in Siargao is worth the long trip by land, ferry or small plane.

The Philippines’ Surfing Capital once again shines out this coming Sept. 24-29 as it prepares to host the 22nd Annual Siargao Surfing Cup at Cloud 9, General Luna, Siargao Islands. Below was taken in last year’s competition (2015).

Cloud Nine, General Luna, Siargao Islands © Jojie Alcantara 2015 [ FujiXA2 ]

Siargao Islands ‘Cloud 9’ is a powerful hollow right-hander that has elevated the country among wave seekers as having one of the best waves in the world comparable to the popular surfs of Hawaii and Indonesia.

Siargao’s Cloud Nine © Jojie Alcantara 2011

Cloud Nine back in 2011 was pounding awesome gigantic waves, though. I had a great time capturing them.

More photos in Cloud Nine, Siargao by Jojie Alcantara