Casa de la Playa Beach Resort

Casa de la Playa is on Sandugan Beach, six kilometres from Larena, on the north-east coast. It is one of very few places to stay in this part of the island — which is exactly the point: you will be at the opposite end of Siquijor from the San Juan crowd.

What makes the place. A white sand address, run by a local operator with a German partner, with a rustic, artistic look that guests describe as its real character. The restaurant, Pagoda Verde, specialises in vegetarian cooking — as far as we know the only vegetarian table in this part of the island. There is a spa where the massages are given by local healers, plus yoga, Chinese and oil-painting classes. The starfish off Sandugan are what everyone photographs.

Rooms, by type and price — the clearest published rates in this selection:

Type	Per night
Standard house	1,000 to 1,400 ₱
House with kitchen and fridge	1,550 to 1,750 ₱
Air-conditioned garden unit	1,700 to 1,900 ₱
Two-storey house with fridge	1,800 to 2,000 ₱
Air-conditioned deluxe, Greek style	2,200 to 2,400 ₱

All rooms have wifi, hot and cold water and ventilation. Motorbike rental on site.

Our reservations, and they are serious. This is the lowest score in our accommodation selection: 3.6 out of 5 from 162 TripAdvisor reviews. What recurs: ageing fabric — leaking roofs, worn sockets, slow in-room wifi; difficult swimming — shallow water, coral, rocks and seaweed; slow kitchen service, even when the food is good; no air conditioning in some units, and cold water only; and overpriced extras (laundry, scooter rental, activities) compared with the rest of the island.

One point of honesty, and it matters. The most recent public reviews we could find date from January 2021. Five years with no online trace, on an island where properties change hands, is a long time. Call or write before making the trip, and confirm the rates in the table above: we give them as published, not as verified this season.

Who it is for. Anyone after the north-east coast, complete quiet, a vegetarian kitchen and a low rate — and who accepts rustic comfort. If you are coming to swim every day, Sandugan beach will disappoint you.