Seaside Hill & Marine Sanctuary

Overview

The Seaside Hill and Marine Sanctuary in Barangay Linawan, Anda, sits on a coastal rise above a barangay-managed marine sanctuary and its fronting mangrove stand. The site does double duty: a staging and rest point for local fisherfolk working the sanctuary waters, and a hilltop vantage over the same coastal zone for visitors passing through.

Next to it stands Anda Church, one of the older parish structures on this stretch of coast. Built in 1925 using tabique — split bamboo or wood lath plastered with mud or cement, a construction method common in provincial churches before reinforced concrete became standard — the building retains an interior ceiling with mural paintings still legible today.

[TO ENRICH: marine sanctuary size, protected species, whether snorkeling or diving in the sanctuary is permitted, mangrove trail access]

Location

Barangay Linawan, Anda, Bohol. Anda sits on the eastern tip of the Bohol peninsula, approximately 90 km by road from Tagbilaran City via Jagna.

[TO ENRICH: GPS coordinates of sanctuary entrance]

Getting There

From Tagbilaran City, take a bus to Jagna (approximately 1.5 hours), then continue to Anda (an additional 30–40 minutes). From Anda proper, a habal-habal reaches Barangay Linawan.

[TO ENRICH: exact travel time and fare to Linawan from Anda center]

Practical Info

• Marine sanctuary: barangay-managed, fronts the site
• Mangroves: present along the coastal edge
• Church: Anda Church (1925), tabique construction, mural ceiling
• Fishing community presence: site functions as fisherfolks’ staging area
• Entry fee: [TO ENRICH — confirm whether the barangay marine sanctuary charges a visitor or environmental fee]

What to Expect

From the hill, the marine sanctuary and its mangrove belt spread out below, with the fishing community’s boats and gear as the working foreground. Anda Church next door is worth the extra ten minutes — the tabique walls and painted ceiling are a legible example of early-20th-century provincial church construction, from before poured concrete took over.

The sanctuary’s mangroves function as nursery habitat for juvenile fish, a direct economic benefit to the fisherfolk who stage their boats at this site.

Notes

• The marine sanctuary is a community conservation area; respect any access restrictions set by the barangay
• The church mural paintings are a secondary draw worth factoring into a visit to this part of Anda
• Anda has multiple cave, beach, and coastal attractions — Seaside Hill fits naturally into a full-day Anda itinerary