Mts. Palhi & Redondo, Dinagat Islands

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It was quite a journey from Siargao to Dinagat Islands (1 hour trike from General Luna, 1.5 hr boat ride to Surigao City then another boat to San Jose pier) but thankfully, we got to Dinagat islands before sunset. Island View Suites was walking distance from the port, on a hill - a 30 meter ascent! By the time we reached the reception - after taking another flight of stairs from the ground floor, I breathed obscenely without care. Thankfully, they offered nice and clean aircon rooms and I was able to rest well that night. 
Boat going to San Jose, Dinagat Islands

Mt. Palhi
The next day at 4AM, we made our way to Brgy. Llamera, taking a hired trike rented through Island View Suites. A motor boat took us to the jump-off at Sitio Maytubig.  It was a surreal 50-minute ride, passing mangroves and foggy mountain views. 

Upon our arrival, we met up with the barangay captain and Ma'am Crissie, our main contact introduced by Kagawad Mark (Thanks to our friend Cha for the referral!).  By 7AM, we had started our hike, joined by Ma'am Crissie's young son and with our boatmen as guides. As this was considered a late start, the sun was already shining intensely on us and it felt very humid! Ma'am Crissie recommends starting at 4AM to avoid the intense heat as the first section of the trail is exposed to the sun.  

The hike began with a brutal uphill climb on loose soil. However, the mountain quickly rewarded us with stunning views of the sea and a variety of fascinating plant life, including pitcher plants. The beautiful flora reminded me of my 2017 hike up Mt. Hamiguitan (Post here). 

I wished to see more but after only 2 hours of hiking, I surrendered to fatigue and stayed behind at a view point  to savor the scenery while Gid continued to the summit. Here's his account of his hike, Pinoy Mountaineer | Hiking matters #803: Climbing Mt. Palhi (Babaeng Bukid) in Dinagat Island.

By 12:30PM, we were making our way to the next part of our journey, Mt. Redondo in Loreto. 

Mt. Redondo

We arrived in Loreto Municipal office at 2:15 PM.  The trail has not opened  so we were required to hire a 4X4. After waiting for our permits (Thanks to municipal tourism officer Daior Apole and staff), we made our way to Mt. Redondo. The bumpy ride took about 40 minutes, passing remnants of a quarrying site. Thankfully, operations had stopped. This mountain is too precious to be stripped away of its beauty. During the ride, we saw a lot of pitcher plants along the trail and other plants similar to what we saw in Mt. Palhi. 

From the drop-off, we found a rugged short trail to the summit. 


By 7PM, we were back in San Jose and capped the very long day with a filling dinner at Boss Fons Grill, a decent restaurant within walking distance from Island View Suites. Thanks to Gid for this exciting adventure!

Accommodation in San Jose, Dinagat Islands
Island View Suites - link to Google map here.
Rates start for an aircon room with private t&b.
Booking can be done thru Agoda or direct. We booked direct as the rates were cheaper. The staff was very warm and accommodating. They helped us get a tricycle and contact  the tourism office in Loreto for Mt. Redondo.We had tried to connect to them before coming to Dinagat islands but did not have any luck.

Island View Suites Contact Details
Smart: 09127014467 Globe: 09275166593
Email: islandviewsuite@gmail.com

How to Get to Dinagat Islands 
From Siargao, we took the 1PM Nathan ferry boat (Travel time : 1.5-2 hours)  from the pier in Dapa to Surigao Boulevard.  Then board another 1-hour boat to San Jose pier in Dinagat Islands. 





















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