Canawa Cold Spring

Overview

Canawa Cold Spring is in Barangay Canawa, Candijay, Bohol. The name comes from the Cebuano word cawa, meaning vat or pan, describing the spring’s basin shape. Local accounts hold that no one has reached the bottom of the spring and that the water source remains unidentified. The spring is used for swimming and is described as having a noticeably cold temperature, particularly sought during the summer months of March to May.

Location

Barangay Canawa, Candijay, Bohol. Candijay is in eastern Bohol, approximately 2 hours from Tagbilaran City.

Getting There

From Tagbilaran City, travel east by bus or van to Candijay town proper (Poblacion). From Poblacion, Candijay, the spring is 10.8 km away, roughly a 15–20 minute ride by motorcycle or car; the road is now paved for most of the way. Habal-habal (motorcycle taxi) rides from Candijay town to the spring are available and commonly used by visitors without their own transport.

Practical Info

• Open for swimming.
• Water temperature is cold — the spring is most appreciated during the March–May summer period.
• Entrance fee: PHP 20 for adults, PHP 10 for children.
• Opening hours: 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM.
• On-site facilities are basic — a small parking area (free) and an entrance booth at the gate; life jacket rental is available for the deep pool. Restroom/changing-room availability could not be confirmed (see Notes).
• Other Candijay attractions — Can-umantad Falls, Cadapdapan Rice Terraces, and the Del Rio Floating Restaurant — can be combined for a full day.

What to Expect

The cold, clear water is a sharp contrast to Bohol’s warm coastal lowlands, and local lore holds that no one has confirmed the bottom. The natural circular pool has been left in its original state; a concrete-lined extension pool, fed by spring overflow, handles most of the general swimming, with concrete stairs and walls at the entrance for non-swimmers and children. Amenities are simple — a few benches, a table, and bamboo huts near the water. Available sources don’t document any fencing around the pool.

Notes

• Lore: local residents report no one has successfully reached the spring’s bottom, and its source is unknown.
• The name cawa (vat/pan) reflects the pool’s physical form.
• Summer (March–May) is peak season for cold-spring visits in Bohol generally.
• Distance, road type, and habal-habal availability confirmed via Candijay LGU official tourism page (10.8 km / 15–20 min from Poblacion, accessed 2026-07-28), The Froggy Adventures (roads paved as of 2024, accessed 2026-07-28), and Meant To Go (habal-habal hire from Candijay town, accessed 2026-07-28).
• Entrance fee (PHP 20 adult / PHP 10 child) confirmed via the Candijay LGU official page above, corroborated by The Lone Rider and Journey Era (both accessed 2026-07-28).
• Opening hours (7:30 AM–5:00 PM) sourced from The Lone Rider (accessed 2026-07-28) — this is the only source found stating explicit hours; not independently corroborated elsewhere, so treat as indicative rather than confirmed current policy.
• Infrastructure details (concrete entrance walls/stairs, natural pool preserved) sourced from Bohol Provincial Tourism — Candijay (accessed 2026-07-28); benches/table/bamboo huts and the concrete extension pool sourced from Journey Era and The Froggy Adventures (both accessed 2026-07-28).
• Unresolved (2026-07-28 research round): restroom/changing-room availability on site. One aggregated visitor-review snippet on airial.travel claims changing rooms are available and parking is free, but this could not be traced to a verifiable primary review and is contradicted by The Froggy Adventures’ 2024 first-hand account, which describes only a parking area and entrance booth with no restroom/changing facilities observed. Checked: Candijay LGU page, Bohol provincial tourism page, The Lone Rider, The Froggy Adventures, Journey Era, Guide to the Philippines, airial.travel; Meant To Go blocked the fetch (403). No CENRO/BPTO record or local Facebook page found addressing this specifically. Left unstated in the body rather than asserted either way — a future pass should try Google Maps reviews/photos or a direct call to Candijay Tourism (candijaytourism@gmail.com / 09489851645) to confirm.