Panglao Island

Overview

Panglao Island lies just off Tagbilaran City, connected to the Bohol mainland by two concrete bridges — the Dao Bridge linking to Tagbilaran, and the Maribojoc Bridge to the northwest. The island covers approximately 68 square kilometres and is shared between two municipalities: Panglao in the south and Dauis in the north. The municipality of Panglao contains the island’s best-known beach zone, Alona Beach, along with the island’s colonial-era town centre.

The island holds the province’s longest accessible runs of white sand and a reef system that ranks among the better dive destinations in the Visayas. The Bohol-Panglao International Airport, which opened in 2018 on reclaimed land between Panglao Island and the Bohol mainland, reduced travel time significantly for international and inter-island arrivals and brought increased tourist numbers to the island. The Chocolate Hills, tarsier sanctuaries, and Loboc River are inland Bohol’s primary attractions — Panglao functions as the beach and dive counterpart to that inland circuit.

The commercial core of tourism is concentrated on and around Alona Beach in Barangay Tawala: dive shops, guesthouses, restaurants, and bars occupy the beachfront lane. The broader island holds other beach areas, dive sites, the Panglao town heritage complex (church and watchtower), and smaller communities with less tourist infrastructure.

Location

Panglao Island, municipality of Panglao and Dauis, Bohol province, Central Visayas. The island is approximately 12 km from Tagbilaran City centre to Alona Beach by road. The Bohol-Panglao International Airport is on the island’s northeast corner, approximately 22 km from Alona Beach.

Getting There

From Tagbilaran City: van or multicab jeepney from the Dao terminal to Panglao (approximately 30 minutes). Taxis and ride-hail (Grab) operate the Tagbilaran–Panglao route. From the airport, drive or take a vehicle around the island’s perimeter road — approximately 20–25 minutes to Alona Beach. Regular boat connections from Cebu City and Tagbilaran serve arrivals who prefer sea routes.

Practical Info

No island-wide entrance fee. Individual attractions may charge separately (dive sites, some beaches). Peak season December–April brings full capacity at accommodation — book ahead. The rainy season (June–October) sees reduced visitors, lower rates, and some rougher sea conditions that can affect boat trips and diving.

What to Expect

A moderate-sized island where tourism density is high around Alona Beach and decreases significantly outside that zone. White-sand beaches, coral reef diving and snorkelling, a colonial-era church and watchtower in the town centre, and boat trips to nearby Balicasag Island and Pamilacan Island. The island is fully road-connected — a full circuit is driveable in under an hour.

Notes

Source: panglao-island.md (staging); PDOTL_CebuBohol_Web.pdf (Philippine DOT Cebu/Bohol guide). Coordinates are for the approximate geographic centre of Panglao Island.