The coconut palm roads and the Maasin river swing

A ride through endless coconut palms to a river where a bent palm leans over green water, perfect for swinging, swimming and floating downstream.

Area

General Luna & Cloud 9

Start from

General Luna, Siargao

Distance

about 20–30 km round trip by scooter

Time needed

half a day

Best season

All year; driest roughly March – September

Difficulty

Easy

Transport

Scooter or hired tricycle

Tickets & rules

Small fees for river access and boat rides

Why go

Siargao’s roads are as much a sight as its beaches. Ride north from General Luna and you pass through an almost unbroken forest of coconut palms, mile after mile, with sunlight flickering through the fronds and the road unspooling ahead. One stretch, with a viewpoint above a sea of palm crowns, has become one of the most photographed views on the island.

The destination is Maasin River, where a coconut palm leans out at a steep angle over the water. People climb it and jump or swing from a rope into the river, which is calm and green and lined with more palms. You can also hire a small boat or paddleboard and float upstream into quiet, jungly bends.

It is a half-day of simple pleasures: wind in your face on the scooter, a swim in fresh water instead of salt, and a long look at the landscape that sustained the island before surfers arrived.

The story

Coconuts are the backbone of Siargao’s traditional economy. For generations families harvested them for copra, dried coconut meat sold for oil, and many still do. The palms are planted in neat lines that, from above, look like an endless green carpet, and the trees are used for everything from building material to food and drink.

Typhoon Odette in 2021 snapped and flattened huge numbers of palms across the island, and for a while many of these roads looked bare and broken. Coconut palms are remarkably resilient, though, and new fronds sprouted on many of the survivors, while farmers replanted the lost ones. Riding these roads now, you can see the island’s recovery in the young palms between the old.

Maasin is a small barangay of General Luna. The famous bent palm by the river is said to have grown that way naturally, leaning towards the light over the water, and locals realised its appeal to visitors. Small fees from swimmers and boat rides support the community.

Further up the river, the water passes through mangroves and denser forest, and on quiet days kingfishers and other birds are easy to spot.

Getting there

From General Luna, ride north on the main road towards Dapa and Union, following signs for Maasin. The ride takes roughly twenty to thirty minutes.

If you do not ride a scooter, hire a tricycle with a driver for a half-day loop.

A suggested plan

1. 7:00Leave General Luna early for cool air and soft light on the palms.
2. 7:30Stop at the coconut palm viewpoint for photos.
3. 8:00Arrive at Maasin River; swim and try the rope swing.
4. 9:00Paddleboard or boat ride upriver into the quiet bends.
5. 10:30Ride back to General Luna for lunch.

Where to stay

General Luna is the base; this is an easy morning outing from anywhere on the island.

Good to know

• Go early to avoid crowds at the bent palm.
• Bring a dry bag for your phone and keys.
• Wear sandals that can get wet.
• Fill up the scooter before leaving; petrol is often sold in bottles at roadside stalls.