Alona Beach is where most Panglao trips start, but it’s not where the island’s best material actually is. This guide focuses on activities beyond the Alona strip specifically for travelers who already have a resort booked and want a day-by-day shortlist, rather than a rundown of beach bars.

Research-based guide · Sources checked October 2026. Entrance fees and hours below are approximate and change — confirm current figures with the operator or the Bohol Provincial Tourism Office before your trip.

1. Hinagdanan Cave, Dauis

A short drive from Alona Beach, this cave holds an underground lagoon lit by a natural skylight. The Cebuano name comes from “hagdan” (ladder), after a local legend about a farmer who built a ladder down to the water. Whether swimming is currently allowed varies by source and by season — check at the entrance, since conditions have changed over time. Pair it with a stop at nearby Dauis Church on the same short loop.

2. Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary, Corella

The official Tarsier Foundation sanctuary near Corella, on the mainland about 20 minutes from Tagbilaran, is a guided-trail viewing of wild tarsiers with strict rules: no touching, no flash photography, no loud noise, and a minimum viewing distance kept by your guide. This is a separate operation from the roadside tarsier-viewing stalls in Loboc town, which are commercial setups rather than the Foundation’s conservation site — the sanctuary is the better choice for animal welfare, and most day-tour operators can route through it on request.

3. Chocolate Hills, Carmen

Roughly 1.5–2 hours by road from Panglao, over a thousand grass-covered karst hills turn brown in the dry season (around March–May), giving the site its name. Bohol was declared the Philippines’ first UNESCO Global Geopark in 2023, with the Chocolate Hills as its signature feature, as reported by both the DFA and PhilStar; morning light generally gives the clearest photos before afternoon haze sets in.

4. Loboc River Cruise

A floating-restaurant cruise along the Loboc River pairs a buffet lunch with live music and a short cultural performance, usually as part of the same day trip as the Chocolate Hills and Tarsier Sanctuary. It’s a relaxed, low-effort add-on rather than the day’s main event, and operators range from budget to premium tiers, so compare what’s included (entertainment, drinks, pickup) before booking.

5. Balicasag Island Diving and Snorkeling

A boat trip from Panglao’s coast reaches Balicasag’s marine sanctuary, known for coral wall dives at sites like Cathedral and Black Forest, plus reliable sea turtle sightings. Non-divers can snorkel the shallower reef areas on the same day trip; calmer seas generally cluster around March–May. If you want to compare dive scenes elsewhere in the Visayas, our Malapascua diving guide covers a very different thresher-shark site further north.

6. Pamilacan Island Whale and Dolphin Watching

Pamilacan was a whale-hunting village until a national hunting ban in 1997; former hunters were retrained as marine guides under a national ecotourism program, and the island now runs conservation-oriented whale and dolphin tours. Dolphins are seen fairly reliably year-round, while the best window for larger whales is generally March through June, before the southwest monsoon sets in. Early-morning departures tend to have calmer water for spotting, and tour boats typically brief guests on respectful-distance rules before approaching any animals.

7. Dauis and Baclayon Churches

Dauis Church, on Panglao itself, and Baclayon Church, on the mainland near Tagbilaran, are both centuries-old Spanish-colonial churches that make an easy half-day add-on to a Chocolate Hills circuit or a standalone stop on the way back from the airport. Baclayon is among the oldest stone churches in the Philippines and pairs well with its on-site museum of ecclesiastical artifacts.

Which Days to Combine

With four or five nights on Panglao, a workable split is: one full day for the Chocolate Hills / Loboc River / Tarsier Sanctuary circuit together, one half-day or full day for Balicasag diving or snorkeling, one early-morning trip to Pamilacan for whale and dolphin watching (weather and season permitting), and a half-day loop covering Hinagdanan Cave and Dauis Church closer to your resort. That leaves at least one or two unscheduled days for Alona Beach itself, which this list deliberately leaves out.

Budgeting for Entrance Fees and Tours

Most of the activities above charge a small entrance or environmental fee — typically in the tens to low hundreds of pesos per site — plus a separate cost for transport and, where relevant, a guide. Combined day-tour packages covering several stops are usually better value than booking each site separately. Fees and posted hours for sites like the Tarsier Sanctuary and Chocolate Hills have changed in recent years, so confirm current figures with your tour operator or the Bohol Provincial Tourism Office rather than treating any single number as fixed.

What to Skip If You’re Short on Time

With only two or three days, prioritize the Chocolate Hills / Loboc River / Tarsier Sanctuary circuit first, since it’s a single organized day trip covering three stops, then add either Balicasag (if diving or snorkeling matters more to you) or Pamilacan (if whale and dolphin watching matters more, and the season fits). Hinagdanan Cave and the two heritage churches are the easiest to drop if your schedule is tight, since they’re shorter, lower-priority add-ons rather than full-day commitments.

Getting Between These Sites

Nearly everything on this list beyond Hinagdanan Cave is easiest to book as part of an organized tour through your resort or a licensed local operator, since self-driving isn’t the norm in Bohol province and ride-hailing apps aren’t available. A private van for the day is a reasonable option for groups of three or more who want a custom pace rather than a shared tour schedule; compare what’s included before booking; since entrance fees, lunch and guide costs aren’t always bundled into the headline price.

Responsible-Tourism Notes Worth Knowing

Two distinctions on this list are worth remembering specifically because they affect animal welfare: the official Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella is not the same operation as the roadside tarsier-viewing stalls in Loboc town, and Pamilacan’s whale and dolphin tours are run by former whale hunters retrained under a national conservation program rather than by a generic tour operator. Choosing the Foundation sanctuary over the roadside stalls, and a reputable Pamilacan-based operator that keeps a respectful distance from marine animals, supports the conservation model Bohol has built around both species rather than undermining it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I do the Chocolate Hills and Loboc River in one day?

Yes — most day-tour operators combine both, often with the Tarsier Sanctuary and Baclayon Church in the same circuit, typically departing early morning from Alona Beach.

Do I need to book Balicasag diving in advance?

Booking a day ahead through your resort or a dive shop is standard, especially in peak season (December–May), since boat space and dive-guide availability are limited.

Is the Tarsier Sanctuary cruel to the animals?

The official Foundation sanctuary is run as a conservation site with strict no-touch, no-flash rules specifically to protect the tarsiers’ welfare; the separate roadside stalls in Loboc are not part of that program and are generally the ones criticized for animal-welfare concerns.

What is the best month to see whales near Pamilacan?

Roughly March through June is the window most commonly cited for larger whale sightings, before the southwest monsoon arrives; dolphins are seen in most months.

None of these seven require Alona Beach at all, which is the point: a resort booked anywhere on Panglao puts you within reach of caves, wild tarsiers, a UNESCO-recognized geological landmark, world-class wall diving and seasonal whale watching, all inside a roughly 90-minute radius. Treat Alona Beach as your base for eating, sleeping and relaxing, and treat this list as the reason you flew in to begin with.

For the bigger picture on timing all of this, see our Panglao and Bohol season guide, start from the full Panglao travel guide, or check how to get here first.