Willander Resort

Willander Resort: A Danao Barangay Property Near Alona Beach

Willander Resort sits in Purok 5, Barangay Danao, on Panglao’s south side — a two-minute drive from Alona Beach rather than directly on it, and about seven minutes from Danao Beach itself. Doljo Beach is roughly 4.9 km away and Momo Beach about 5.7 km, both reachable by tricycle or hired transport. On Booking.com the property holds an 8.5/10 “Very Good” rating from 126 reviews (last checked 15 July 2026), a reasonably substantial review base for a mid-range Panglao property.

The Rooms

The resort has 45 air-conditioned rooms, each with a Smart TV and a private balcony or patio — a step up from a plain window-only room, and useful for anyone who wants somewhere to sit outside without walking down to a shared common area. Bathrooms are fitted with rainfall showerheads and bidets, in keeping with the mid-range tier Booking.com places this property in. Wireless internet is complimentary throughout. Guests get a 24-hour front desk, luggage storage, and free self-parking on site — the parking detail matters here since Danao barangay isn’t a walk-everywhere strip like Alona; most guests will want their own scooter or a tricycle on call.

Nightly rates aren’t published live on every channel; based on comparable Panglao properties at a similar Booking.com rating, rates here cluster around PHP 2,730 and up, though the live figure should always be confirmed at booking — this is an estimate built from similar-rated properties, not a quote from Willander itself.

Getting Around from Danao

Because the resort sits outside the Alona strip, reaching the reef, dive shops, and restaurant row means a short ride rather than a walk. Tricycles between Panglao barangays typically run PHP 80–150 for short hops; the fare into Tagbilaran City across the Tagbilaran-Dauis Bridge runs closer to PHP 80–120 shared or PHP 250–350 hired outright, a 15–20 minute crossing. Fast ferries from Cebu to Tagbilaran take about two hours, and Panglao’s own airport — opened in 2018, roughly 7 km from Alona — shortens that connection further for guests flying in directly.

Day trips inland are a common add-on from resorts on this side of Panglao: Chocolate Hills is about 45 minutes away and typically done as a half-day hike or quad-bike outing, and the Philippine Tarsier & Wildlife Sanctuary in Corella sits at a similar distance and pairs naturally with the same trip. Both are bookable through local tour operators rather than through the resort directly, leaving early mornings and evenings free for the beach.

History Beyond the Beach

Guests heading toward Tagbilaran or Panglao’s own town center can detour to the Panglao Watchtower, a five-storey hexagonal coral-stone tower built in 1851 to warn against raiders — its six-sided plan is unusual next to the square or cylindrical watchtowers found elsewhere on Bohol, and it’s recognized as the tallest Spanish colonial-era military watchtower in the country. Declared a National Cultural Treasure in 2011, it was damaged in the 2013 Bohol earthquake and restored, though its interior stairs were never rebuilt, so only the exterior and grounds are open to visitors. Beside it stands St. Augustine Parish Church, built mostly between 1894 and the early 1920s, its nave ceiling painted with murals of the Seven Sacraments, with the stone ruins of an even older 19th-century church standing alongside it.

Staffing at resorts like Willander draws on Panglao’s broader tourism workforce — public hospitality listings for the property show front-desk and service roles filled locally, part of the same shift that’s moved interior barangays like Danao away from purely agricultural work as tourism infrastructure spreads beyond the Alona strip itself.

Local Context

Panglao’s fiesta calendar centers on Hudyaka sa Panglao, held every 28 August for patron St. Augustine of Hippo — “hudyaka” is Cebuano for communal revelry, and the day draws all ten barangays into street parades and food stalls built around local seafood, including kinilaw na tanigue: Spanish mackerel cured in coconut vinegar made on the island, with ginger, chili, and onion. A stay that overlaps late August is worth flagging with front desk staff, since transport and restaurant hours around town shift for the celebration.

The island’s freshwater situation is worth knowing regardless of where a guest stays: Panglao has no rivers, and households and resorts alike draw from a freshwater lens sitting above the saltwater table in the limestone below. Dry-season over-extraction has pushed chloride levels in some wells well past WHO safety limits, so tap water isn’t consumed anywhere on the island — bottled or filtered water is the norm, including at resorts like this one.

Who Should Book Here

This suits travelers who want mid-range comfort — air conditioning, a balcony, an upgraded bathroom — without paying Alona-strip premiums, and who don’t mind a short tricycle ride to reach the beach, dive shops, and restaurants. It’s a poorer fit for anyone who wants to step directly onto Alona Beach from their room, or who’s traveling without any budget for local transport.