Loay: River Mouth Below the Loboc Cruise

Loay sits at the southern mouth of the Loboc River system, about 22 kilometres from Tagbilaran, where the river broadens and meets the Mindanao Sea. It is also the downstream terminus of the Loboc River’s popular floating-restaurant cruise — travellers doing the cruise pass through Loay’s water even if they rarely stop in the town itself. The poblacion sits low between river and sea, with a Spanish-era bridge spanning the river mouth, and the local economy mixes fishing, coconut farming, and a modest service sector serving highway transit traffic between Tagbilaran and the southeastern municipalities.

The parish, dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria, was established by Augustinians in the 17th century; the town’s early importance came from its control of the river mouth, a strategic point for Spanish administration and inter-barangay water transport. The old stone bridge over the Loay River, built during the American colonial period in the early 20th century, remains in use as a functioning heritage landmark, though the 2013 Bohol earthquake (magnitude 7.2) damaged older masonry structures in the poblacion. River-community boat-building traditions — small outrigger bancas for fishing and river transit — are still practised in several barangays, and the fiesta honouring Saint Catherine falls on 25 November.

Given its position at a river mouth, Loay’s cooking leans on river and coastal fish: kinilaw na isda, raw fish cured in cane vinegar and ginger, made with tanigue or mangrove crab, is common along the riverbank, and the small public market sells fresh catch each morning.

What to see and do

• Loay River mouth — the confluence of the Loboc and Loay rivers before the sea; a quieter banca ride alternative to the commercial cruise upstream.
• Old Loay Bridge — an American-period concrete bridge over the river near the poblacion, a good vantage point looking upstream into the coconut-lined corridor.
• Saint Catherine of Alexandria Parish Church — rebuilt after successive earthquakes, most recently 2013, on a 17th-century foundation.
• Coastal fishing barangays — Ubujan and Bonbon have active fishing communities with early-morning landings open to visitors.

Getting there and travel tips

From Tagbilaran, Loay is about 22 kilometres via the southern coastal road, 30–40 minutes by jeepney or private vehicle; jeepneys on the Tagbilaran–Jagna route pass through town. Loay needs no overnight stay — it works as a day stop between Tagbilaran and the southeast, or an add-on to the Loboc River cruise. There is no accommodation in the municipality; base in Tagbilaran. The bridge and river mouth are best seen in early morning before road traffic builds, and mosquito repellent is worth carrying near the mangrove margins at dusk.

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Location and route detail reflect the source research current as of 2026-07-16. Confirm current transport schedules before travel.