Calape: A Small Port Facing Cebu

Calape faces the Bohol Strait on Bohol’s northwestern coast, looking across the water toward Cebu’s southeastern shore, one of a chain of coastal municipalities — Tubigon to the south, Clarin to the north — sharing a maritime character built on fishing, interisland trade, and ferry links to Cebu. The town is compact: a tight poblacion around the church and market, and a small port handling irregular passenger and cargo boats. Population runs around 30,000, split between fishing, coconut farming, and highway commerce.

Calape was among the early parishes Augustinian missionaries established in Bohol during the late 16th century. The Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish Church, built in the 17th century from coral stone and brick, has a bell tower predating most of the current church fabric — dated to around 1680 — though the October 2013 earthquake caused significant damage, closing the church for structural assessment and restoration. Before Spanish colonization, the coastal barangays here were part of the barangay-polity trade network with Cebu-based datus. The patron feast, Saint Thomas Aquinas on 28 January, remains the town’s identity anchor even in the church’s post-earthquake condition, and local fishermen still bless their boats during fiesta week.

Danggit (dried rabbitfish), produced in several coastal barangays and sold to Tagbilaran buyers, and fresh oysters harvested from the tidal flats of Barangay Abucayan, are the notable local seafood products alongside grilled squid served near the port.

What’s here, briefly

• Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish Church — a 17th-century coral-stone church with a bell tower dated to around 1680, under post-earthquake restoration.
• Calape port area — the small port and fish landing area, active in the early morning during fishing season.
• Coastal barangay mangroves — mangrove stands near Abucayan supporting crab and shellfish gathering at low tide.

Getting there

From Tagbilaran, Calape is 30–40 minutes by bus or van via the coastal highway northwest; buses from Dao Terminal bound for Tubigon, Clarin, or Sagbayan pass through. Habal-habal serve inter-barangay travel. The small local port handles irregular crossings to southern Cebu, though Tubigon, 10 minutes south, remains the primary Bohol–Cebu ferry terminal for this stretch of coast.

Travel tips

Calape combines well with a day trip to nearby Tubigon or Clarin from Tagbilaran. The church is the primary reason to stop; the plaza and market are worth a brief walk. Accommodation in Calape itself is minimal — Tagbilaran or Tubigon are the better bases, and the nearest ATM is in Tubigon town centre.

Other places to consider

• Tubigon — the primary Bohol–Cebu ferry terminal, 10 minutes south.
• Clarin — the neighbouring coastal municipality to the north.
• Cabilao Island — the dive island off the same stretch of coast, under Loon further south.

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Location and travel detail reflect publicly available information as of 2026-07-16. Confirm church visiting hours and ferry schedules before travel. bohol-philippines.com earns a commission on bookings made through partner links at no cost to you.