A bite into Bohol's gastronomic delights is a great way to sample the harvest of nature's bounty that stuffs this island-province year-round.
Seafood, harvested from Bohol's waters, is served fresh and scrumptious, cooked to the particular taste of guests, be it native Boholano, Asian fusion, or Mediterranean. The best resorts and restaurants in the island whip up their own recipes of the best-tasting dishes that will surely satisfy the food lover in you.
The Boholano bibingka, suman, biko, puto, native rice-based delicacies are also a delight to savor. Local sweet treats such as the calamay, peanut "kisses," and ladyfinger cookies we call "broas" are great to bring back home.
Bohol is a haven for leisurely pleasures.
Tropical island resorts in Panglao pamper guests with a most relaxing respite from the urban bustle. Bask on the island's many white sand beaches. Or take the relaxation a notch higher by availing of the several massage and spa services offered by resorts right off the beachfront.
Simple joys also await visitors to the island resorts of Pamilacan, Balicasag, Cabilao, Pangangan, and Pandanon, to name a few. Towards the interior of the province and upstream, be soothed by the still, emerald green waters of Loboc River and the lush forest it traverses. Let the songs of birds lull you to that precious slumber in the breezy huts of the mountain resorts in the area.
Equally beguiling cruises can be had in the Abatan, Wahig, and Inabanga rivers.
SPAs TO PAMPER YOURSELF IN
ANANYANA BEACH RESORT & SPA
Take pleasure in the wide range of spa treatments from massage to body therapy, from healing to body wraps and facials, provided at the Ananyana in Doljo, Panglao.
HOW TO GET THERE. About 17 kms. from the city, the resort is accessible via public utility jeepneys, taxi, motorcycle, or rented vans.
BOHOL BEE FARM
Experience invigorating organic spa services with a Boholano twist at the Bohol Bee Farm in Dao, Dauis, Panglao Island.
HOW TO GET THERE. About 7 kms. from the city, the resort is accessible via public utility jeepneys, taxi, motorcycle, or rented vans.
MIT-HI at the PINR
Delight in the rejuvinating and relaxing spa services at the Mithi Spa of Panglao Island Nature Resort.
HOW TO GET THERE. About 79 kms. from the city, the resort is accessible via public utility jeepneys, taxi, motorcycle, or rented vans.
DALINDA SPA at ESKAYA RESORT & SPA
Enjoy the skillful rendition of Filipino and Asian spa treatments with music and touch therapy at the Dalinda Spa of the Eskaya Resort in Panglao.
HOW TO GET THERE. About 12 kms. from the city, the resort is accessible via public utility jeepneys, taxi, motorcycle, or rented vans.
Bohol offers numerous ways to fill every thrill-seeker's passion for adventure: diversions that take the daring under and above water, below and on high ground, or both.
Pedal 'round our purple yam-shaped island on your trusty mountain bike. Plunge deep into the waters of Panglao Island and the nearby islands which are home to some of the world's most diverse marine life, as surveyed by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. Balicasag, a small island southwest of Panglao, and Cabilao Island of Loon town offer the avid diver and underwater photographer stunning otherworldly vistas of amazing coral canyons, ridges and overhangs, crevices, and a myriad of sea creatures. Chase a flotilla of playful dolphins in Pamilacan Island and be amazed by their aerial acrobatics and stunts. Or stand in awe of the somberness of whale sharks.
The forests and mountains of Bohol are likewise fit for the most exciting adventure forays. Scale the mountains of Anda, the seat of Bohol's early civilization. Explore the caves of Sierra Bullones, whose cavernous vaults are bejeweled with the most dazzling stalagmite and stalactite formations shaped by nature's masterful hand. Rappel down a waterfall in Antequera. Paddle through a vast nipa grove in the Abatan River. Immerse in Danao's eco-adventure tourism attractions that include white-water tubing, trail hiking, and river trekking. Bohol's great outdoors burst with adventure that will surely delight.
ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES TO EXPERIENCE
DIVING IN BALICASAG
Descend into the rich waters surrounding the tiny island of Balicasag, southwest off Panglao town in Panglao Island and explore one of the country's most popular dive sites.
HOW TO GET THERE. Balicasag Island can be reached via a 35-minute boat ride from Poblacion, Panglao.
ECO-ADVENTURE IN DANAO
Experience eco-adventure tourism in the interior town of Danao where thrill-seekers and nature lovers alike can go trekking, rappeling, caving, biking, swimming and kayaking.
HOW TO GET THERE. About 98 kms. from the city, Danao is accessible via public utility jeepneys, taxi, motorcycle, or rented vans.
EXTREME SPORTS IN ANTEQUERA
Feel the rush of extreme sports in the rivers, caves and peaks of Antequera organized by the Bohol Extreme, a local group of extreme sports enthusiasts.
HOW TO GET THERE. About 18.5 kms. from the city, Antequera is accessible via public utility jeepneys, taxi, motorcycle, or rented vans.
The culturati will find in Bohol a perfect combination of preserved culture and arts that, at the same time, is thriving and throbbing with life.
Travel down the historical path and cross the threshold of any of the island's centuries-old churches and conventos that house elaborate interiors, colorful frescoes, grand retablos, and museums brimming over with priceless ecclesiastical relics and artifacts.
Heritage houses are living testaments to the Boholano lifestyle in the olden days and are a must-see in the heritage route: there's Casa Rocha-Suarez in Sitio Ubos of Tagbilaran City, the Baclayon heritage homes, the Clarin Ancestral House in Loay, and the old houses in the Loboc poblacion.
The cultural treasures of Bohol are made more vivid by its renowned home-grown cultural groups: the world-famous Loboc Children's Choir, Dimiao Children's Rondalla, Alicia Bamboo Ensemble, and the Teatro Bol-anon.
HERITAGE DESTINATIONS TO FEEL AWED BY
LOBOC CHILDREN'S CHOIR
Listen to the heavenly voices of the world-renowned Loboc Children's Choir in their regular afternoon rehearsals at the Loboc Church in the town of Loboc.
HOW TO GET THERE. About 21 kms. from the city, Loboc is accessible via public utility jeepneys, taxi, motorcycle, or rented vans.
BACLAYON CHURCH & MUSEUM
Acquaint with historic Bohol inside the oldest stone church in the island province and be enriched with its remarkable collection of priceless 16th century ecclesiastical relics and artifacts.
HOW TO GET THERE. About 8 kms. from the city, Baclayon is accessible via public utility jeepneys, taxi, motorcycle, or rented vans.
CLARIN ANCESTRAL HOUSE
Enjoy Boholano dining at the Cafe Olegario located at the ground floor of the Clarin Ancestral House, a National Historical Institute declared heritage house. The 2nd floor of the house, which contains precious antique furnitures and furnishings of the prominent Clarin family, is open for public viewing at a minimum fee.
HOW TO GET THERE. About 20 kms. from the city, Loay is accessible via public utility jeepneys, taxi, motorcycle, or rented vans.
Bohol is made more vibrant and alluring by a people proud of their history and culture.
A people whose charm and warm hospitality spring from the bloodlines of heroes, foremost of whom is Datu Sikatuna, who, in a blood compact with Spanish General Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, sealed a treaty of friendship that is now commemorated every July in the colorful and spirited month-long Sandugo Festival.
The Blood Compact Commemorative Shrine in Bool of the capital city of Tagbilaran is a popular destination. Another remarkable Boholano is Francisco "Dagohoy" Sendrijas, who led the Boholano people in the country's longest revolt against Spanish rule. In the town of Danao, the daring can still trace the movement of the revolt by descending into the complex cave systems that once sheltered Dagohoy's forces.
The contemporary Boholano is family-oriented and hard-working but also artistic and knows how to enjoy life. Community-based ecotours give transient guests a glimpse into a simple, yet challenging, communal way of life.
FAMOUS BOHOLANOS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY
DATU SIKATUNA
Datu Sikatuna is the revered Boholano chieftain who forged a blood compact or "sandugo" with with the Spanish Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in what was to considered the first international treaty of friendship in March 16, 1565.
FRANCISCO DAGOHOY
Francisco Dagohoy led the Boholanos in the longest revolt in Philippine history against the Spanish colonical government form 1744 to 1829.
PRES. CARLOS P. GARCIA
President Carlos P. Garcia, born in 1896 in the town of Talibon, is the 8th President of the Republic of the Philippines, and is know for his "Filipino First" policy. The life and works of the late president is celebrated and commemorated by the Boholanos every November 4th, his birthdate.
Bohol is home to a unique and charming wildlife.
An intimate encounter with the cute and cuddly tarsier is always a delightful experience. A mere 15-minute ride from the City of Tagbilaran brings visitors to the tarsier's natural habitat at the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella.
The Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape, a national park encompassing over 10,000 hectares of wilderness still abundant with some of the most diverse fauna and flora in the country, is notable for the endemic and endangered bird species that still take shelter in its forest cover. Offering a faithful microcosm of the national park is the Magsaysay Park in Bilar town, where visitors can observe and even mingle with a pack of free-ranging monkeys. Other popular denizens of the area are the always enchanting butterflies and the flying lemurs that can be seen gleefully gliding from tree to tree late in the afternoon.
Brief and meaningful acquaintances with some of nature's most fascinating creatures highlight every visit into the wilds of Bohol.
WILDLIFE DESTINATIONS TO EXPLORE
PHILIPPINE TARSIER SANCTUARY
See the tarsiers live and roam freely in their natural habitat. The Tarsier Trail starts at the Tarsier Research and Development Center set up by the Philippine Tarsier Foundation in Canapnapan, Corella.
HOW TO GET THERE. About 10 kms. from the city, the Tarsier Sanctuary is accessible via public utility jeepneys, taxi, motorcycle, or rented vans.
DOLPHIN AND WHALE WATCHING
Frolic with sprightly spinner dolphins and captivating baby sperm whales in dolphin and whale watching expedition in the waters surrounding Pamilacan Island in the town of Baclayon.
HOW TO GET THERE. The Pamilacan Island is about an hour away from mainland Baclayon via motorized boat.
RAJAH SIKATUNA NATIONAL PARK
Commune with Mother Nature and explore this unique, and exciting wilderness in the heart of Bohol. The RSNP begins in the Magsaysay Park in the town of Bilar.
HOW TO GET THERE. About 41 kms. from the city, Bilar is accessible via public utility jeepneys, taxi, motorcycle, or rented vans.
ALONA BEACH
LOBOC RIVER
CANDIJAY MANGROVE