Pangangan, Bohol 🌅 Is This Remote Philippines Stopover Worth The Hassle?

Pangangan, Bohol 🌅 Is This Remote Philippines Stopover Worth The Hassle?

Geography can be a deceptive business in the Philippines. Take Pangangan. You look at a map, see a blob surrounded by turquoise water off the west coast of Bohol, and think, “Hello, island getaway.” You picture yourself sipping something out of a coconut while dangling your feet in soft white sand.

But no. Pangangan is fully committed to not quite being an island. It is tethered to the mainland by a four-kilometer mangrove-bordered causeway—apparently the longest in the country—built by locals with shovels and an alarming amount of post-war enthusiasm back in the late 1940s. It’s less of an island and more of a very determined peninsula.

Key Takeaways

• Getting to Pangangan
• The Isla Hayahay Resort
• Exploring Alternatives: Java Resort
• Treasure Island Beach Resort 🏴‍☠️
• All Bohol Accommodation Options
• Our Bohol Ferry Experience
• Ferry Times from Cebu to Bohol
• Secluded Tropical Beaches 🌴🌊
• Checkout Our Philippines Itinerary

 

Getting to Pangangan

We decided to give it a go anyway. Our logic was sound, or so we told ourselves at the time. We needed a strategic stepping stone between the frantic, traffic-choked energy of Cebu and the impending tourist crush of Panglao further south.

Pangangan looked like a convenient, relaxing spot on the map; a place to catch our breath.

So after spending 3 nights in the small T-Breeze Beach coastal resort near Moalboal in Cebu, we headed back to Cebu City, and onward via ferry to Bohol. Our next stop would be a 3-night break in Pangangan. before continuing our journey to Tagbilaran in Panglao.

Getting from Cebu to Bohol

Isla Hayahay Resort 🏠 Nice Digs, Shame About the Beach

We pre-booked ourselves into the Isla Hayahay resort, shelling out 35 euros per night (excl. breakfast). To give credit where it’s due, the accommodation was actually decent, with a large bathroom and shower (including hot running water!).

The bungalow was clean, decorated by someone who clearly had a passionate affair with driftwood, and possessed a TV with enough English channels to keep us mildly sedated in the evenings. It also had a nice little private sit-out area where you could stare at the sea and contemplate your travel choices.

But here is the rub. The “seafront” part of the resort description was doing a lot of heavy lifting. Do not come here expecting powdery white sand that squeaks under your toes. Expect rocks. Sharp, ankle-twisting rocks that seem designed to punish anyone trying to enter the water without industrial safety gear.

They do offer free snorkeling equipment and kayaks to guests, which sounds generous until you actually see the equipment. The snorkeling masks looked like they had survived several major maritime disasters and offered about as much visibility as a brick wall.

The local staff were lovely, genuinely friendly people, but the prices for food, excursions, and transfers were frankly eye-watering for the Philippines. Why? Because they have a captive audience. You are miles from anywhere here. Unless you fancy a sweaty hike in 35-degree heat or paying over the odds for a tricycle, you are stuck eating at the resort.

It’s the classic remote resort trap, and we fell right into it.

Hotel Deals near Pangangan

The Nightlife (or lack thereof) 🔦 Darkness Descends

If you came here expecting full-moon parties and fire dancers, you took a wrong turn about 500 miles back. When the sun goes down, Pangangan does not just sleep; it enters a deep, vegetative coma.

After dark, the resort effectively shuts down. The staff vanish into the ether, and the entire place relies on motion-sensor lights that only seem to work if you perform vigorous interpretive dance in front of them.

It’s great for really early nights, if sleeping is your primary hobby.

We did discover a pizza joint right next door to Isla Hayahay—you can’t miss the massive signpost. We got excited for about thirty seconds. We shouldn’t have. They were clearly serving small, supermarket frozen pizzas at 350 pesos a pop. They also closed incredibly early.

Choosing between an overpriced resort dinner or a cardboard pizza next door is like trying to decide whether to have Rolf Harris or the McCanns babysit your kids.

Exploring Alternatives 🚶The Java Resort Trek

Driven slightly mad by the pricing at Hayahay, the next day we decided to seek out the Java Resort on the other side of the island. This required either a solid 45-minute stomp in the baking heat or shelling out 100 pesos for a trike.

We walked. We immediately regretted it.

The Java Resort is apparently where the local action happens. On weekends and holidays, the air is thick with the sound of competitive Karaoke, performed at volumes that defy the laws of physics by people with more enthusiasm than talent.

They actually have a sand beach on this side, though “sand” might be too generous a term.

It was more a collection of coarse gravel, seaweed, and unidentifiable plastic objects that had washed ashore. Not particularly inviting for a swim, unless you enjoy dodging flotsam.

Rumor has it the snorkeling is also much better on this side of the island, away from the mangroves.

You can rent quite decent rooms at the Java Resort, and at a better price than Isla Hayahay. The food was cheaper here, too, which was a relief.

The catch? You can’t book rooms at the Java Resort online. You just have to turn up with your backpack, sweat pouring down your face, and hope for the best. It’s charmingly retro, or deeply inconvenient, depending on your stress levels at the time.

Treasure Island Beach Resort 🏴‍☠️ (less treasure, more trauma)

Then there was a third option we investigated: the promisingly named Treasure Island Beach Resort. The name conjures images of pirates, gold doubloons, and exotic cocktails. The reality was a place resembling a minimum-security prison camp.

The entrance was bordered by aggressive-looking barbed wire, which is not exactly the welcoming holiday vibe we were hoping for. Upon arrival at the gate, they demanded a 20-peso entrance fee just to look around.

We paid it, like idiots.

Inside, it seemed to cater primarily to local customers wanting a day swim. The swimming area itself was okay, but the rest of the facilities were depressing and run-down.

They had a sign proudly offering “snorkeling gear for rent,” only for the staff to inform us that it was all currently broken. Why keep the sign up?

Needless to say. we left fairly quickly.

Unless you’re a dedicated walker, you’ll need transport to get to the Treasure Island Beach Resort (and, more importantly, to get away…).

Verdict on Pangangan 🧐 Is It Worth The Effort?

So, let’s break this down.

If your fantasy Philippine holiday involves pristine sand, easily accessible swimming right off the beach, and a variety of good eating venues, Pangangan is absolutely not the place for you.

During the week there is zero animation or activity anywhere after dark (6 pm), though this in itself is not necessarily a drawback if you want peace.

The bigger drawback is the complete absence of basic amenities outside the resorts. You can’t just pop out to a 7-Eleven for a bottle of cold water, a beer, or a bag of crisps because there aren’t any shops. You’re entirely dependent on your accommodation for survival.

When dusk falls, the local families disappear from the streets, and walking around the dark, empty roads feels distinctly eerie. You’ll need a serious flashlight and a sturdy disposition.

It actually wasn’t shocking to learn later that back in 2017, ISIS sleeper cells used the seclusion of Pangangan to prepare for attacks just 30 kms away at Inabanga.

Pangangan has that “middle of nowhere where nobody asks questions” vibe.

Moving On 🚌 Next Stop Panglao

We’d survived our three nights of semi-isolation without incident, though our wallets were lighter than expected. We packed our bags with a deep sense of relief and headed south by bus toward Panglao and the celebrated Alona Beach.

We were trading extreme quiet for extreme noise. It promised to be either the absolute highlight of the trip or the moment we finally snapped.

We couldn’t wait to find out which.

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If you enjoyed Pangangan Island, Bohol, check out Central Philippines – Cebu & Bohol. You may also like:

 

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