Candijay: Waterfalls and Rice Terraces on Bohol's East Coast

Candijay sits on Bohol’s eastern side, facing the Bohol Sea and bordered by Guindulman to the west and Anda to the east — less visited than the western Bohol circuit, but home to two specific draws worth the trip across the island: Can-umantad Falls and the Cadapdapan Rice Terraces. The poblacion is a typical mid-sized Bohol town centre with market, church, and municipal hall; the wider municipality of about 25,000 residents spans coastal barangays fronting the sea and upland barangays holding the terraces, running on agriculture, fishing, and modest ecotourism employment.

Terrain shifts from flat coastal land in the south to steeper hills and small valleys inland and north, with the Can-umantad River draining a significant catchment through the upland barangays before reaching the coast. The rice terraces, in Barangay Cadapdapan, sit on sloped terrain at higher elevation than the poblacion — a pre-colonial agricultural tradition maintained across generations, small-scale and community-managed rather than formally heritage-designated, unlike the Cordillera terraces they’re sometimes compared to. Candijay’s parish, dedicated to Nuestra Señora del Carmen, dates to 18th-century Augustinian mission expansion into eastern Bohol’s interior; the 16 July fiesta draws a strong Carmelite devotional following from surrounding towns. Upland communities still organize planting and harvest around cooperative work arrangements (abot-abota).

Freshwater fish from the Can-umantad River — tilapia and mudfish — appear as sinigang or simply grilled, and upland barangays grow heirloom rice varieties, though not at commercial scale.

What’s here, briefly

• Can-umantad Falls — a wide, multi-tiered waterfall with an estimated 20–25 metre drop, swimmable at the base pool in dry season.
• Cadapdapan Rice Terraces — hillside paddies in Barangay Cadapdapan, most scenic during the June–July planting and November–December harvest seasons.
• Bohol Sea coastline — quiet, undeveloped beach stretches accessible from coastal barangays.
• Saint Mary Parish Church — the town church, notable for its post-earthquake rehabilitation and surviving Spanish-era stone perimeter wall.

Getting there

From Tagbilaran, Candijay is 2 to 2.5 hours by bus via the coastal road through Loay, Jagna, and Guindulman; buses from Dao Terminal bound for Anda or Guindulman serve the Candijay market stop. From the poblacion, habal-habal covers the last stretch to Can-umantad Falls (20–25 minutes inland) or the Cadapdapan terraces (about 30 minutes north).

Travel tips

Can-umantad Falls is the main reason most travellers stop here — a morning departure from Tagbilaran allows a comfortable round trip. The trail down to the falls takes 15–20 minutes on a stone path; wear footwear with grip. Visit the terraces from February to April (dry season, paddies planted) or November to December (harvest). There’s no ATM in the poblacion; carry cash from Jagna or Tagbilaran.

Other places to consider

• Anda — the beach peninsula immediately east.
• Guindulman — the neighbouring coastal town to the west, on the same road from Tagbilaran.
• Jagna — the port town further along the coastal road toward Tagbilaran.

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