Things to do in  Bohol

On the island of Bohol, the Chocolate Hills are hailed as one of the most spectacular natural landscapes in the Philippines. The more than 1,260 mounds—which get their name from the rich, brown color they turn during the summer months—are a geological anomaly best seen from an elevated overlook in the town of Carmen.

Completed in 1727, likely on the site of an older bamboo structure, the Baclayon Church was the hub of Spain’s first colonial settlement on Bohol—and 200 slave laborers were forced to build it from coral stone. An earthquake in 2013 badly damaged both the facade and the watchtower, and the marks of the 2018 restoration are visible.

Created by one of the Philippines’ top 20th-century sculptors, Napoleon Abueva, this bronze composition looks out over the ocean just east of Tagbilaran City. It depicts the Sandugo, or Blood Compact, of 1565, when the Spanish soldier Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and local leader Datu Sikatuna sealed their alliance with a blood ritual.

Located on Panglao Island in the tropical region of Bohol, Hinagdanan Cave impresses visitors with its stalagmites and stalactites, and the visual effects created by sunlight filtering through holes in the ceiling. Take in the cave’s surreal beauty while swimming in the underground lagoon.

Tall mahogany trees cast cool shade in Bohol’s Mahogany Forest, formally known as the Bilar Man-Made Forest. Set between two patches of natural tropical forest on the highway from Tagbilaran City to the Chocolate Hills, it’s a popular spot for photos, hiking, mountain biking, and even the odd movie shoot.

Loboc is a tropical municipality on the island Bohol. The area is most famous for the Loboc River, a coffee-colored body of water that’s flanked by palm trees and rock formations reminiscent of Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost Word. Cruise down the Loboc River or visit the 17th-century Loboc Church.

Winding its way through eastern Bohol, the Abatan River was once a major transportation artery. Today, it’s the pristine mangrove forests around its estuary that draw travelers. At night, when conditions are right, the setting comes alive with flickering fireflies, matched by the gleam of bioluminescent life forms in the water.

Variously known as the Tigbao Hanging Bridge, Sipatan Twin Hanging Bridge, and Bamboo Hanging Bridge Sevilla, this pair of bamboo footbridges hang 82 feet (25 meters) above Bohol’s Loboc River. Steel cables have replaced the original rope, but the creaking, swaying, and wobbling as you cross is still unnerving.

Tiny Pandanon Island sits between Cebu and Bohol, with a densely packed village on the western side, and white sands and a sandbar on the eastern side. The eastern side has a private-island feel, with beach cottages to rent, a small chapel, and the remains of a structure whose Roman-style columns are an Instagram rite of passage.

Bohol’s Mag-Aso Falls twin waterfalls tumble 25 feet (8 meters) into turquoise water at the base of a canyon lined with jungle vines and tropical greenery. Apart from stairs and a simple wooden viewing deck, the waterfalls feel entirely untouched by human hand—perfect photo territory when the conditions are right.