Overview

Steal yourself away from the beach for a day and you’ll find Bohol has plenty of other activities to offer. With years of colonial history behind it, the island is not short of interesting monuments and old structures that provide excellent material for keen photographers and visitors wanting to get interesting snaps for their holiday albums. The Church of San Pedro and the Baclayon Church with its museum are among the must-sees, while the Punta Cruz Watch Tower is a good choice for anyone wanting views of the island from a height.

Church of San Pedro

This is one of oldest churches on the island and in its original incarnation it dates back to the early 17th century, although the first structure met its demise through fire less than 40 years after being built. What stands now is a reconstruction of the original. Some of the church’s outstanding features include the splendid ceiling artworks, the Spanish coat of arms found on the front wall and the impressive bell tower.

Rizal Park

For culture enthusiasts, Rizal Park, or Plaza Principe as it is otherwise known, is Tagbilaran City’s epicentre. The plaza is home to a number of famous landmarks, including St Joseph's Cathedral and the provincial capital building, the two of which face each other on opposing sides of the square. There’s also a library in the square that features a variety of material chronicling the political history of the province since it achieved independence.

Baclayon Museum

The splendid 16th century Baclayon Church provides the setting for this unique museum in which a wide selection of religious artefacts are on display. Included in the collection is a large volume of liturgical manuscripts plus some historic hide canvasses featuring ecclesiastic musical pieces written in Latin, performances of which can be heard during services held at the church. Period clothing and artworks are also on display.

Loon Church

The island’s biggest church was constructed by Augustinian Recollects and saw completion around the middle of the 18th century. The structure has a number of notable features including two eight-sided bell towers and a magnificent neoclassical altar. The bulk of its exterior is constructed in Corinthian and Ionic architectural styles.

Blood Compact Monument

Built as a tribute to the partnership forged by Spanish explorer Legaspi and local tribal chief Sakatuna, this monument is a popular landmark on the island and a firm reminder of the early days of Filipino-Spanish relations. The two characters depicted were known to have sealed their alliance by the drawing, mixing and drinking of each other’s blood, hence the title of the monument.

Dauis Church

For visitors with an interest in Spanish-colonial architecture, the small town of Dauis, located a short distance from Tagbilaran, is the place to head. The town’s local church is among its finest architectural treasures and has an interesting history. Legend has it that long ago the townsfolk sought a lengthy refuge in the church from pirates and were saved from death by a holy well that sprung forth from the foot of the altar. This well and altar can still be seen in the church today.

Punta Cruz Watch Tower

The ancient tower situated in the town of Maribojoc was formerly used as a lookout point to warn the island’s residents of approaches by pirates and similar enemies during the 18th and 19th centuries. Local legend tells that the tower’s wooden cross is endowed with magical powers and able to protect the coastline that it overlooks from attacks by aggressors. The tower can be ascended and from the top visitors can enjoy fantastic views of the archipelago, with the islands of Cebu and Mindanao viewable in the distance.

Scuba diving is unquestionably the most popular outdoor pursuit available on Bohol and has long attracted serious enthusiasts of the sport as well as complete novices keen to make their first underwater experience a memorable one. As well as diving, the island’s beaches present opportunities for a variety of water sports such as surfing, waterskiing, jet-skiing and sailing, while the varied terrain inland is ideally suited to a host of other activities.

Fishing

For angling enthusiasts, Bohol is something of a dream destination, with the waters surrounding the island teeming with marine life. Over 2,400 different kinds of fish can be found, among them big games species such as giant tuna, swordfish, barracuda and marlin. Fishing excursions can be booked with tour agencies on the island and no previous angling experience is necessary. December to August is the main fishing season. 

Diving

Great diving areas can be found across the archipelago and Bohol is no exception to the rule, offering crystal clear ocean waters and gorgeous sandy beaches from which to begin a scuba excursion. Balicasag Island, located off the coast of Bohol, has a reputation among those in the know for offering some of the best underwater action in the region, while the waters around Pamilacan Island are also considered ideal for viewing a wide variety of sea life, including surgeonfish and snapper.

Beach Fun

Bohol’s beaches are idyllic locations, presenting views that epitomise the very concept of tropical paradise. Families will find them perfect for both relaxing on and participating in a variety of sea and sand based activities. Kids can enjoy kite-flying or a game of Frisbee or volleyball while parents sit back and read a good book or simply soak up the rays.

Hiking

Visitors able to drag themselves away from the beaches will find that Bohol has a number of inland areas that are well suited to hiking and trekking. The island’s landscape is undulating across its length, offering great opportunities for outdoor activity. Batuan, Carmen and Sierra Bullones are known as some of the better destinations for enjoying mountain walks, with a mixture of flat tracks and challenging inclines to be found. Mountain biking can also be enjoyed along the same routes.

Daytrips

There are various destinations that can be reached by boat on daytrips from Bohol and visitors will find that excursions can be booked easily from most hotels as well as travel agents across the island. Balicasag Island is one of the best known destinations, with much of its popularity attributable to the excellent scuba diving opportunities that it offers. From Alona Beach, the boat journey to Balicasag takes just 45 minutes.

Dining & Shopping

The cuisine on Bohol is similar to that found on other islands in the archipelago, with the ocean and tropical produce determining what the most popular dishes are comprised of. Locals eat three meals a day, with the first known as almusál, the second known as tanghalían and the third known as hapúnan. Afternoon snacks known as meriénda or minandál are also enjoyed by many residents.

Staple ingredients of local cuisine include fresh fish such as marlin, mackerel, grouper and milkfish as well as pastes and sauces made from fish. Pork, beef and chicken are the most popular meats used in cooking here, while vegetables include those commonly associated with tropical climates such as eggplant, capsicum, sweet potato and various greens. Bananas and the banana plant are common ingredients in many culinary creations, as are coconuts and their derivatives.

The island has numerous dining establishments, with seafood establishments dominating the scene. Most big hotels and resorts have their own restaurants and you needn’t be a guest in order to take advantage of the high standards of cuisines they offer. 

Tagbilaran City, being the island’s capital, is where you’ll find the greatest concentration of restaurants and those with the best reputations. Be sure to indulge in the braised pork dish known as adobo or the sausage known as longanisa if you want to be sure to have sampled some of the island’s best known creations during your stay. 

For shopping, Bohol is not especially renowned but it does not have its fair share of retail establishments where shopaholics will find ways to indulge their passions. In Tagbilaran City there are several large shopping centres at which visitors will find everything from department stores to exclusive boutiques. The Island City Mall is the newest covered shopping centre in the city, while Bohol Quality Mall and Plaza Marcela are older but still home to good selection of stores.

Though the island does not have a large local handicraft industry, products of this nature can still be found with a little effort. Popular buys among visitors include hand woven wicker baskets and mats, handmade trinkets and jewellery and various styles of footwear fashioned from locally available materials. Prices are known to be higher here than on some of the larger and more commercially developed islands in the archipelago.

Bohol Island might initially seem like a tricky destination to reach on account of the fact that it has no international airport and there are no possibilities for reaching it by road. The domestic airport, however, combined with an efficient ferry service make it accessible for all visitors irrespective of their point of origin.

Airports

The chief gateway into Bohol Province is the airport located in the city of Tagbilaran. It’s a domestic airport so international visitors are obliged to fly into either Manila or Cebu City and take connecting flights. Since the island can also be reached by boat, the airport is not particularly busy.

There are daily flights between Manila and and Cebu and Bohol operated by Asian Spirit, while Philippine Airlines also operates flights along the Manila route and South East Asian Airlines along the Cebu route. The airport is small, operates a single terminal and is equipped with basic facilities only. To reach Tagbilaran City from the terminal, visitors can take taxis. Most taxi drivers speak English.

Public transportation

Boats provide the most common form of transportation between Bohol and neighbouring islands, with the pier at the northern edge of Tagbilaran handling around 4,000 passengers per day. There are regular boats running to and from Cebu and also to Manila, Mindanao, Cagayan de Oro, Dipolog and Dumaguete.

To get between destinations on the island, buses and minibuses are the primary forms of transportation available. Tagbilaran City is home to the largest bus terminal but there are smaller terminals located in all major cities on the island. Using the buses is an uncomplicated affair, with information available in English and English spoken by the majority drivers.

The alternative to buses is the local form of transport known as jeepneys. These vehicles drive around picking up and dropping off passengers across the province and can be hailed by simply sticking out your hand. Provided where you want to go is in the general direction that the driver is headed, you can get in. Jeepneys are cheap and more prevalent than taxis, which can sometimes be hard to find if you venture anywhere away from the main areas of the cities.