Almira Diving Resort- Panglao

Almira Diving Resort - Panglao: Tangnan’s North Coast, Not Alona

Almira Diving Resort sits in the Tangnan area on Panglao’s north side, well away from the Alona Beach cluster its “Panglao dive resort” positioning might suggest — its coordinates place it several kilometres north of the Alona strip, closer to the interior and coastal barangays that the destination’s own area profile describes as still agricultural, producing coconut and root crops rather than running on tourism. A 6.3 out of 10 on Booking.com from 33 reviews is a middling score worth stating plainly; it points to a small, independently run dive lodge still building consistency rather than a polished resort operation.

Rooms and Setting

The resort runs 7 guestrooms, a genuinely small operation, with a private beach area, sun terrace, garden, and sea views from at least some rooms. Rooms are air-conditioned with private bathrooms, mini-bars, and work desks; the property also runs a restaurant and bar, an open-air bath, and yoga classes. A year-round outdoor pool rounds out the amenities. The name signals its focus: this is built around diving and snorkeling services offered directly through the resort rather than positioned primarily as a beach-lounging property.

Location and What’s Nearby

Local descriptions of the resort mention Tangnan Cliff and the underwater features off this stretch of coast — a different diving profile from the Alona house reef most Panglao visitors default to. Hinagdanan Cave is about 2.5 miles away, Baclayon Church roughly 11 miles, and the Tarsier Conservation Area around 30 miles, putting the tarsier sanctuary firmly in full-day countryside tour territory rather than a quick side trip from here. Bohol–Panglao International Airport is about 2.5 miles off.

Economic Context

Tangnan is one of the interior and northern barangays the destination profile for Panglao specifically calls out as staying agricultural even as the southwest coast built out its tourism economy — coconut and root-crop farming continue here alongside the smaller-scale dive tourism that properties like Almira represent. That’s a different economic footprint from the dense hotel-and-bar corridor around Alona: fewer large resorts, more small family-run operations, and a local economy still meaningfully anchored in farming rather than tourism receipts alone.

Water and the Island’s Limits

Panglao has no river system of its own, so Almira and every other property on the island — north side included — draws domestic water from a freshwater lens, a layer of fresh groundwater sitting above denser saltwater within the porous limestone bedrock. Dry-season overdraw has pushed chloride levels in some wells past the World Health Organization’s 250 mg/L threshold, and tap water isn’t potable anywhere on Panglao as a result. Bottled or filtered water is standard practice here as much as on the busier Alona side.

Day Trips

Chocolate Hills and the Bohol tarsier sanctuaries remain the standard countryside pairing for a Panglao stay, typically arranged as a half-day hike, quad-bike tour, or river cruise through a local operator. From Tangnan’s location on the north side, the drive inland runs comparable to or slightly longer than from Alona, and most guests treat it as a full-day excursion given the added distance back to the resort afterward.

History and Heritage Nearby

Panglao’s most heritage-dense site sits inland at Poblacion: the San Agustin Parish Church complex, which holds the 1851 Panglao Watchtower — a five-storey hexagonal coral-stone tower declared a National Cultural Treasure in 2011 and restored after 2013 earthquake damage — alongside the St. Augustine Parish Church itself, built mainly between 1894 and the 1920s. From a north-side base like Tangnan, Poblacion is a more central reference point for orienting a countryside itinerary than Alona is, since both sit at comparable distances from this side of the island.

A Note on Local Belief

Divers and countryside day-trippers from a base like this one will likely encounter one of Bohol’s tarsier sanctuaries at some point. Older Boholano tradition held — as belief, not documented fact — that disturbing or laughing at a tarsier invited bad luck, a superstition tied to the animal’s wide, nocturnal eyes being read as unsettling after dark. Sanctuary guides today ask visitors to stay quiet and avoid flash photography for the animals’ welfare, regardless of whether the older belief still holds currency.

Who This Suits

Best suited to divers specifically interested in this stretch of Panglao’s north coast rather than the Alona house reef, and to travelers who want a small, quiet, family-run lodge over a resort-scale property. Not a fit for anyone expecting to walk to Alona’s restaurant and bar strip — that requires a genuine drive, not a short tricycle hop.

Getting There & Booking

Expect a longer tricycle or scooter ride than most Panglao listings to reach Alona Beach from Tangnan; the airport, at about 2.5 miles, is more directly accessible. Book on Stay22 or Booking.com, and confirm current transport arrangements directly with the resort given its more remote position.