Here’s the best things to do in Bohol to make the most of your trip in this beautiful island of the Philippines.
I suggest staying in Bohol for at least four or five days. With more time, you can also discover Siquijor and Caminguin, two islands accessible by ferry from Bohol. You can check out my article on Siquijor here.
Bohol is an island located in the center of The Philippines, in Visayas region.
Below you’ll find all the top things to do in Bohol – from the renowned Chocolate Hills to the Loboc River, including the best coffee and dinner spots.
Two options unfold: you can either take a flight from Manila to Cebu, then a ferry from Cebu Pier to Tubigon Pier (2 hours), or a direct flight to Panglao. The first option is usually cheaper, while the second one is faster. Having done both, I would do again the first option with the ferry, it is a nice journey on the sea with great views, and it allows you to discover the north of the island a bit more easily.
If you decide to arrive from Cebu with the ferry, you can rent a scooter and take the road from Tubigon to Anda.
On the way, you can stop at this location : 9°56’21.1″N 124°05’34.8″E. This is an incredible viewpoint we stumbled into by accident. You have to take the stairs behind the basketball court and once you made it to the top you will be rewarded by this stunning landscape :
The surroundings on the road to Anda are beautiful all along :
If you need a hotel recommendation, I suggest the 1 Peace Resort. This little beachfront hotel has its own private beach, perfectly situated to enjoy the sunset and they serve very good communal dinners.
On the road to get there, we accidentally stopped at the Candijay Cockfight Arena because it was pouring rain and we ended up watching a handful of cock fights. You will find only locals here, coming with their own cock or placing bets.
For a nice beach, you can head to Anda White Long Beach (also called Quinale Beach on Google Maps). With its turquoise water and fine white, it is a little paradise, which remains shielded from tourists.
For stunning rice terraces, head to Cadapdapan Rice Terraces. Countless rice terraces as far as the eye can see, with mountains and the sea in the background. This location truly offers an untouched landscape with almost no one there.
From here, you can walk down all the stairs, this is the shortcut to reach Can-umantad Falls, which I consider to be the best waterfall we saw here in Bohol.
Another nice waterfall is Pangas Falls. Though a bit more crowded because it is easily accessible, it is a nice spot to dip in fresh water ( and jump from the top of the waterfall).
While you are in the north of Bohol, a hike in Alicia Panoramic Park is a must do if you want to see spectacular mountain views. This will easily beat the Chocolate Hills viewpoint.
There are many hikes you can do there, from a 40 minutes hike round trip, to 2-3 hour hike taking you to impressive viewpoints, or even a 7-8 hours hike all the way to a lake. Either way, getting a guide is mandatory. They will show you the way and help you if needed. The fee for the guide for the shortest hike was 750php (or 10 euros for the group).
For another day, I’d recommend taking the route leading to Loboc. First stop along the way will be the Chocolate Hills Complex. This is a bit of a tourist factory with the shuttles and ticketing at the parking but I must admit the viewpoint is really nice.
You get a 360 view of those intriguing conical hills. There are over a 1000 of them, and are actually rare geological formations, resulting from leftover limestone deposits from back when streams and river were above sea level. They turn brown during the dry season (November to May), hence their name.
Close to the Chocolate Hills is the Tarsier Conservatory Center. This sanctuary is dedicated to the preservation and protection of one of the smallest primates in the world, the Philippine tarsier. The center serves as a refuge for this endangered species, giving them a protected environment that replicates their natural habitat.
Tarsiers are nocturnal and carnivorous creatures as small as a tennis ball, with the as eyes as large as their brain. Their eyes are actually so large that they can’t rotate them. Instead, they can rotate their necks 180 degrees.
Do not in any case use the flash or touch them as they really stressed animals and are suicidal under big amount of stress (they will bang their head against a hard surface).
After the Tarsier Center, you will pass through Bilar Man-Made Forest (see picture 2 below). This reforestation program initiated in the 1950s is a 2km long stretch of Mahogany trees.
A great stop after this is the Loboc River. Here you have several options if you want to enjoy the river: You can paddle, take a day cruise along the river or book a tour at night to see thousands of fireflies.
For another day, I’d suggest heading to Panglao, a little island located south of Bohol. This is the most touristy part of Bohol I’d say, but it is the perfect place for beautiful sunsets and sunrises.
The main beach is Alona Beach, this is where you’ll find all the bars and restaurants. I 100% recommend waking up early at least once to see the sunrise on this beach :
Other great beaches in Panglao include : Dumaluan beach, Doljo Beach and Danao sunset viewpoint.
If you have more time, you can consider a boat tour from Panglao. you will go to Balicasag Island and Virgin Island (a sand bank in the middle of the ocean). Usually you get to see dolphins on your way to the first island and many turtles when you stop for snorkelling. Sadly for us, we were in Panglao during the Chinese New Year, and the amount of tourists during this day nuanced the experience a bit for us.
There are a lot of good places to enjoy good breakfast, lunch or even drinks. I’ll list here my favorite ones among the ones we tried during our stay.
For breakfast in the North, I would recommend Kuma Cafe, they have amazing breakfast options and delicious mango shakes. Definitely recommend them for lunch as well. They have a stunning view over the sea and a beautiful setting :
In Panglao, I can suggest Craze Artisan Cafe. They have delicious matcha and crepes (pictures 1 and 3 below). Bonus: they are open really late at night which makes it a perfect dinner option when all the other restaurants are closed.
For lunch or dinner (and cocktails) in Anda, I would recommend Hangover Restobar. Their curry is very good.
For a nice dinner and drinks place in Panglao, you can head to Oasis Restaurant & Beach Club. The cocktails menu is quite diverse and the food is good (I did enjoy the spring rolls and bruschetta here).
Lastly, if you’re looking for a good restaurant on your way from Anda to Panglao, you can stop at BKU Cafe and Resto. They cook traditional Filipino food and have a nice terrace overlooking the street.
That’s it for my Bohol recommendations!
I hope this article gave you a better idea of what to expect from a trip in Bohol, it’s definitely a place worth discovering and staying for a while.
If you plan on coming to Bohol or The Philippines anytime soon you can check out my article regarding what to know before going to The Philippines here.
If you need a custom itinerary, you can fill this form and I’ll make your own personalised itinerary.
