Last updated on at 06:01 am
Panglao Beach Resort, off the coast of Tagbilaran City in the island province of Bohol in the Philippines, is a beautiful beach that you might want to consider when looking for an island vacation destination
Bohol, Philippines
Bohol is a province in the Visayas region in the Philippines, an hour by airplane from the capital city of Manila.
I’ve heard so many praises of Panglao from many fellow travelers I’ve met during my travels, so I decided to go check it out. The island indeed lived up to the hype.
How do you get to Panglao Island?
Bohol is an hour by airplane from Manila. Planes land in the capital city of Tagbilaran. It takes around 40 minutes to reach Panglao Island from there.
Since we were a group, we took one of the vans for hire at the airport which cost P600.
Why is Panglao Beach famous?
Panglao Beach is famous for its pristine white sand beaches, crystal-clear waters ideal for snorkeling and diving, vibrant marine life, and unique natural attractions like Hinagdanan Cave and the Tarsier Sanctuary. It’s a sought-after destination in the Philippines renowned for its tropical beauty and diverse recreational opportunities.
Panglao Beach Resort
Panglao Island is a popular tourist destination renowned for its pristine white sand beaches, crystal-clear waters, and vibrant marine life, making it a haven for snorkelers and scuba divers.
Panglao Beach is like Boracay but without the stifling crowd of tourists. Only a few would mill on the beach, so it’s quite peaceful and you can enjoy your vacation more.
Aside from its beaches, Panglao also has natural attractions such as Hinagdanan Cave and the Alona Beach Tarsier Sanctuary. The former is a limestone cave with a natural pool inside, while the latter is where visitors can see the adorable Philippine Tarsiers, one of the world’s smallest primates.
Alona Beach
We spent most of our beach time on Alona Beach, one of the most famous beaches on the island with a great underwater scene. It is lined with resorts, restaurants, and dive centers. The area is a bit pricey, but since it was the beach nearest to our hotel, it was convenient for us to be there.
Activities
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Food
There are a good number of restaurants and food joints on the beachfront where you can enjoy a glass of shake or beer if you’d prefer to just take in the view.
Diving
For those who love diving or would like to try it, there are some dive shops around to help you do that. Many would say that Panglao’s underwater scene is excellent so diving in this area is really a must-try. We haven’t had time to do that given the limited stay we had, but we’re planning to go back soon and get some diving done.
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Island Hopping on Panglao Island
Island hopping is also very famous in Panglao. For a private island hopping tour for 3, you will pay around P2000.
Night Scene
Panglao’s night scene is milder than Boracay’s; not too crowded and not too noisy.
Dumaluan Beach
Another beach to try is Dumaluan Beach, around 30 minutes by trike from Alona Beach. It has that more “virgin” feel and far fewer crowds than Alona Beach so it was immediately a hit with us. The only issue, though, was that it would cost P400 (Philippine Peso) for a round trip by trike. We paid P300 since we did some serious haggling with the driver.
Hotels in Panglao, Bohol
We stayed at Franzen Residence, a place that’s not beachfront but accessible to the beach by a 5-10 minute walk. That’s only possible during the day, though, since there are no lights in the area at night. It was a good place to stay with lovely, friendly owners. A triple room costs us P2,500 per night.
Where to Eat on Panglao Island
- Alona Hidden Dream
We went crazy over seafood during our trip and our favorite go-to place was Alona Hidden Dream. It was at the back of Alona Beach, just around a 5-minute walk. You can pick out any fresh seafoods you like and have it cooked in the ways available.
- Buzz Cafe
We also love the organic dishes offered by Buzz Cafe, a branch of the Bohol Bee Farm. It was located just along Alona Beach.
Their salads were superb, and we particularly loved the Organic Vegetarian Chips. We made a beeline for their bestselling Malunggay ice cream, which we were skeptical about at first but turned out good. They also sell honey in bottles, pesto spreads in jars, and other organic stuff that you can bring home as gifts.
Is Panglao worth a visit?
Yes, Panglao is worth a visit for its stunning beaches, clear waters, vibrant marine life, and unique natural attractions such as Hinagdanan Cave and the Tarsier Sanctuary. It offers a perfect blend of relaxation and adventure for tourists seeking an unforgettable tropical getaway.
Final Thoughts
In closing, Panglao Beach Resort makes a great destination for those seeking relaxation and adventure amidst stunning tropical scenery.
As for us, it perfectly met our criteria of a beautiful beach with less crowd. If you’re like us and want that, then we’d say you’ll love Panglao!
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Wow it looks beautiful! I am due to go to Philippines in a few months and am currently working hard deciding where to go within the many islands – perhaps I’ll give this a shot!
It’s a beautiful island, not too many tourists around. We love it there. I hope you would too! 🙂
Always great to read about new destinations. Visiting the Philippines is definitely a priority for me and just seem to read about Boracay only. Will definitely have a closer look at this lovely island! 🙂
Please do. It’s beautiful and was worth the trip for us! 🙂
Hi Olivia, I like organic vegetarian and of course it’s grilled fish, salad, organic red rice yummy…
And healthy, too! 🙂 Thanks for dropping by.
we lived there for two years, and to be honest it looks like they have made a big effort to clean up the beach area over the last couple of years as there used to be a huge amount of building on the sand
It’s clean now and looks really beautiful 🙂