In brief
On PAGASA’s 30-year normals, Hinatuan, a Mindanao station used here as a proxy for Siargao, is wettest from December to February (548 to 776 mm a month), while Roxas City, the proxy for Boracay, is wettest from June to October (202 to 305 mm). Neither station is on either island, so the pattern is a guide, not a Siargao or Boracay measurement.
- Roxas City’s driest months are February to April, at 49 to 70 mm, while Hinatuan receives 319 to 548 mm in the same months1.
- Hinatuan’s driest month is August at 186.7 mm, close to Roxas City’s August figure of 202.1 mm1.
- Boracay recorded 2,155,217 visitors in 20252. The sources used here give no annual Siargao total.
- Siargao is called the “Surfing Capital of the Philippines”, and arrivals there rose 9.8 percent in January to March 2025 on a year earlier, per Department of Tourism data quoted in a Tribune opinion column3.
- Siargao has direct flights to Sayak airport from Metro Manila, Cebu, Clark and Davao, as reported in 20244.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do Boracay and Siargao have opposite wet seasons?
On the proxy stations, the peaks fall in different months: Roxas City is wettest from June to October and Hinatuan from December to February1. Neither station is on the islands, and Hinatuan’s driest month is still 186.7 mm1.
Which is wetter, Siargao or Boracay?
Hinatuan’s annual normal is 4,464.9 mm against 2,043.3 mm at Roxas City, and Butuan City’s is 2,057.8 mm1. These are proxies, so they do not measure either island.
When is Boracay driest?
Roxas City records 49 to 72 mm a month from January to April, lowest in February1.
How do I get to Siargao?
By direct flights to Sayak airport from Metro Manila, Cebu, Clark and Davao, as reported in 2024, or by boat from Surigao City to Dapa4.
How many people visit Siargao?
The sources used here give a 9.8 percent rise in arrivals for January to March 2025 and a Holy Week 2024 projection of 14,904, but no annual total34.
Is Siargao known for surfing?
The Tribune column calls it the “Surfing Capital of the Philippines” and names Cloud 9 and the annual Siargao International Surfing Cup3.
The detail
This page compares the two islands on what the sources support: the rainfall records of the nearest usable stations, how you reach each island, and what each reports for visitor numbers. It gives no verdict. For Boracay’s own monsoon seasons see When to Go to Boracay.
The short answer
| If you are… | Then… |
|---|---|
| Choosing between January and April | The proxy stations differ most here: Roxas City records 49 to 72 mm a month, Hinatuan 319 to 776 mm1. |
| Choosing August | The proxy figures are close: 202 mm at Roxas City, 187 mm at Hinatuan1. |
| Choosing between November and December | Hinatuan rises to 425 mm in November and 555 mm in December; Roxas City records 239 mm and 171 mm1. |
| Flying direct | Siargao had direct flights from Metro Manila, Cebu, Clark and Davao in 20244. Boracay is reached through Caticlan or Kalibo airport5. |
Why "opposite" needs a caveat
Good to know PAGASA has no station on Siargao or Boracay. This page uses Roxas City in Capiz as the proxy for Boracay and Hinatuan, with Butuan City as a second check, as proxies for Siargao. Hinatuan and Butuan are on Mindanao, not on Siargao itself1. A rainfall record from the mainland can differ from the island’s own.
The two proxies peak in different parts of the year. The ranking of months is close to a mirror image, but not the size of the swing: Hinatuan’s driest month, August at 186.7 mm, is about as wet as Roxas City’s August at 202.1 mm1.
Rainfall by month
PAGASA publishes these as 30-year normals in millimetres1.
| Station | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roxas, Capiz (Boracay proxy) | 72.1 | 49.3 | 63.7 | 69.9 | 144.7 | 259.0 | 253.4 | 202.1 | 213.5 | 304.9 | 239.4 | 171.3 | 2,043.3 |
| Hinatuan (Siargao proxy) | 776.3 | 547.6 | 448.3 | 318.7 | 252.9 | 258.1 | 218.9 | 186.7 | 206.5 | 270.9 | 424.9 | 555.1 | 4,464.9 |
| Butuan City (second Siargao-side check) | 318.0 | 225.0 | 145.4 | 109.7 | 115.5 | 154.0 | 143.9 | 105.6 | 126.3 | 178.4 | 197.9 | 238.2 | 2,057.8 |
Source for all rows:1.
Butuan City follows Hinatuan’s shape at a lower level: wettest in January (318.0 mm), driest in August (105.6 mm)1.
How you get there
Siargao. A Rappler report of 27 March 2024, ahead of Holy Week, said Sayak airport had direct flights from Metro Manila, Cebu, Clark and Davao, with 12 to 14 inbound flights a day, and at least six daily boats from Surigao City to Dapa, plus two more from Dapa to Del Carmen4. That is a 2024 report, and schedules change.
Boracay. Visitors arrive at Caticlan or Kalibo airport and go on to the mainland seaport, then cross to Cagban seaport on the island in 10 to 15 minutes by ferry or 3 to 5 minutes by speedboat5. The steps are in Getting to Boracay.
How many people go
| Figure | Period | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boracay | 2,155,217 visitors, 1,765,282 of them domestic (the remaining 389,935 are foreign, by subtraction) | 2025 | Malay Tourism Office, reported by Manila Standard on 5 January 20262 |
| Siargao | Arrivals up 9.8 percent, from 102,439 to 112,510, January to March 2025 on January to March 2024; no annual total given | Q1 2025 | Department of Tourism Caraga data, quoted in a Daily Tribune opinion column, 12 August 20253 |
| Siargao | 14,904 projected for Holy Week 2024 | Holy Week 2024 | Rappler, a projection and one week only4 |
The sources used here give no Siargao total for a full year, so no ratio to Boracay’s count is drawn.
What each is known for
The Tribune column calls Siargao “the Surfing Capital of the Philippines”, says surfers visit Cloud 9 for its swells, and notes the annual Siargao International Surfing Cup3. A peer-reviewed study describes Boracay as a top tourist island known for its 4-km beach6.
Related Articles
Sources (6)
- Climatological normals — PAGASA. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Boracay tourist arrivals up slightly in 2025 despite setbacks — Manila Standard, Jun Aguirre, 5 January 2026, citing the Malay Tourism Office. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Island stories — Daily Tribune (opinion column by Dinah S. Ventura), 12 August 2025. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- DOT sees Siargao Island leading Caraga’s Holy Week tourism resurgence — Rappler, 27 March 2024. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Boracay iPass — Provincial Government of Aklan. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Detection of Algal Bloom in the Coastal Waters of Boracay, Philippines Using NDVI and FAI — Visitacion et al., ISPRS Archives, 23 December 2019. Accessed 2026-10-03.