Cabilao Island lies off Bohol’s northwest coast, separated from the mainland municipality of Loon by a channel roughly 8 kilometres wide. The island covers about 8 square kilometres, administratively organized into several barangays under Loon, with a population of 8,000–10,000 depending mainly on fishing and small-scale agriculture. Dive tourism is a secondary income stream centred on two to three small resorts along the eastern shore.
The specific draw is the scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini), which aggregates in the channel waters between January and April — sightings aren’t guaranteed, but Cabilao has built a decades-long track record as one of a small number of Philippine sites where seasonal hammerhead encounters remain plausible. Beyond hammerheads, the reef walls carry sea fans, black coral trees, and dense nudibranch populations that draw macro photographers. A modest American-era lighthouse on the island’s western point, likely built in the early 1900s to guide inter-island shipping through the Camotes Sea passage, is reachable by a 30-minute walk through coconut groves from the resort area.
Cabilao came under Spanish administration as part of Loon parish, established in 1753 by Augustinian Recollect missionaries; archaeological shell middens on several northwest Bohol islands point to long-term pre-colonial habitation. European — mostly German and Swiss — dive operators identified the hammerhead aggregations and opened the first small resorts in the 1990s, and the community-managed marine sanctuary protecting a reef section followed in the early 2000s, enforced through barangay-level bantay dagat patrols. The island’s patron, San Isidro Labrador, reflects the interior barangays’ farming character, while the coastal communities maintain a separate fishing identity with their own boat-blessing rituals.
What’s here, briefly
- Hammerhead shark diving (Jan–Apr) — the main draw, with early-morning dives around 06:00 at sites like Cabilao Corner giving the best sighting odds.
- Wall and reef diving — drop-offs to 30–40 metres with large sea fans, black coral trees, and diverse nudibranchs.
- American-era lighthouse — a modest, historically intact structure on the western point.
- Reef snorkelling — a shallow eastern reef flat accessible from the beach without a boat.
Getting there
From Tagbilaran, head northwest to Loon town proper — about 40 kilometres, roughly 1 hour by hired van or 1.5 hours by bus or jeepney from the integrated terminal (PHP 40–60). From Loon pier, pump boat crossings to Cabilao take 30–45 minutes; scheduled trips run irregularly, so a chartered bangka (PHP 500–800 one way) is the reliable option. Some dive resorts arrange direct van-and-boat transfers from Tagbilaran Airport.
Travel tips
Cabilao is a dive destination first — non-divers will find limited structured activity after half a day. Resort capacity is small, perhaps 30–50 beds across the island, so book ahead for the January–April season. Rooms run PHP 1,500–3,500, usually on a meals-and-dives package basis. There is no ATM on the island; bring sufficient cash from Tagbilaran, and a power bank for occasional outages.
Other places to consider
- Loon — the mainland municipality Cabilao is administratively part of.
- Calape — the neighbouring northwestern coastal town facing the same strait.
- Tagbilaran City — the provincial gateway for arranging transfers.
Location and travel detail reflect publicly available information as of 2026-07-16. Confirm boat schedules and resort availability before travel. bohol-philippines.com earns a commission on bookings made through partner links at no cost to you.