Best places to grab a bite
Bohol Bee Farm
Tarsier Botanika
Coco Vida
Saffron Restaurant (Amorita)
Giuseppe
Garden Café
L’Elephant Bleu
Buzz Café
Biergarten
Old Heidelberg Restaurant
Hayahay Pizza
JJ Seafood Restaurant
Gerarda’s
What to eat
Chicken Halang Halang—chicken cooked with coconut meat, hot chili, lemongrass and ginger
Lechon
Sutukil, or fish prepared three ways—grilled, in a soup or raw with vine
What to see
The Chocolate Hills have three viewpoints: Sagbayan Peak, the Chocolate Hills Complex in Carmen and the recently built Chocolate Hills Adventure Park, also in Carmen.
The Bilar man-made forest is densely planted to mahogany, stretching 2 kilometers between Loboc and Bilar. Part of the Loboc Watershed Reforestation Project, it was developed through the combined efforts of government employees, laborers, students, scouts and civic volunteers who came in droves from 1968 to the late ’70s to plant seedlings.
Tarsier Foundation in Corella, where you can see the famous Philippine tarsier (Carlito syrichta), measuring between 3.3 and 6.3 inches in height.
Dolphins off Pamilacan Island
Butterfly Farm
Punta Cruz Watchtower
Ancient cave paintings on Lamanoc Island in Anda
Beaches
Alona Beach, 40 minutes from Tagbilaran City, is one of the most developed beaches in Bohol, with shops, stores and restaurants lining the shore. It is like a little Boracay.
Doljo Beach, on the northwest side of Panglao Island, is 15 minutes from Alona beach.
Anda, roughly two hours from Tagbilaran
Balicasag Island, crystal-clear waters and a snow-white beach surround the island.
Virgin Island, 15 minutes by boat from Panglao
Momo Beach, next to Doljo Beach, offers a more rustic and private setting.
Where to shop for ‘pasalubong’
Aproniana
Nova Shell Museum Shop
Bohol Bee Farm
Baclayon church
Nicole’s Souvenirs and Gift Shop
For adventure seekers
Loboc Eco Adventure Park—zip-line/cable car above the Loboc River
Chocolate Hills Adventure Park—adventure trail/bike zip-line
Danao Adventure Park—zip-line/rappelling/wakeboarding/ATVs/horseback-riding/camping
Chocolate Hills ATVs in Carmen
Dive locations
Balicasag Island
Anda
Pamilacan Island
Panglao Island
Cabilao
Churches
Sta. Monica Parish Church, Albuquerque
Immaculate Conception Church, Baclayon
Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Antiquera
Our Lady of Assumption Church, Dauis
Heavily damaged churches
Sta. Cruz Parish Church, Maribojoc
Our Lady of Light Church, Loon
San Pedro Church, Loboc
The Church of Santisima Trinidad, Loay
St. Nicholas of Tolentino Church, Dimiao
St. Michael the Archangel Parish Church, Clarin
Where to stay
Panglao Island
Amorita Resort
South Palms Panglao
Bellevue Resort Bohol
Ananyana Beach Resort
Bohol Beach Club
Panglao Blue Water
Baclayon
Peacock Garden
Astoria Bohol Resort
Anda
Amun Ini Beach Resort
Anda White Beach Resort
Anda de Boracay
Amihan Resort
Fast facts
Bohol, with 47 municipalities and 1,114 barangays, is 630 km from Manila and 72 km from Cebu.
The Chocolate Hills number 1,776— spread over 50 square kilometers covering the towns of Carmen, Sagbayan and Batuan. The hills are actually grass-covered limestone hills varying in size, from 30 to 50 meters in height.
Bohol has 47 major churches, with the ones in Baclayon, Loboc, Loon and Maribojoc declared as National Cultural Treasures. Unfortunately, the Oct. 15, 2013, earthquake damaged all of them, with the Loon and Maribojoc churches reduced to rubble.
The Sta. Monica Parish Church of Albuquerque, or Albur church, was constructed in 1856. The National Historical Institute declared it a National Historical Landmark in 2014.
The Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary Parish Church in Baclayon was first built in 1596, making it the second oldest church in the Philippines after San Agustin in Intramuros. The current structure built of coral stones was completed in 1727. Its portico and bell tower collapsed during the October 2013 earthquake.
