Sail Around the Central Visayas

Bohol Island

If you are arriving Central Visayas from the Surigao Strait then the Bohol Island is the first principal island your will visit. Bohol Island is a tourist focused island with famous attractions, such as:

• the Chocolate Hills

  – around 1500 cone-shaped limestone mounds - covered in grass during the rainy season and turning chocolate brown during the dry season - making the Chocolate Hills look much like Hershey's Kisses;

• the Philippine Tarsier

  – a small mammal with huge eyes compared to body and head size, although not exclusive to Bohol (they are also found on Leyte and Samar) this is where the Philippine Tarsier are most frequently observed; and,

• the Cadapdapan Rice Terraces

  – in the hills above Anda (East Bohol), the Cadapdapan Rice Terraces are not as famous as the Banaue Rice Terraces in Luzon but that just means there are not so many tourists.

The main tourist focus of Bohol is Panglao Island to the West, connected by a road bridge, where white sand beaches, snorkeling, scuba diving and most other water sports are predominant attractions.

Because of Bohol's location near the Western end of the Surigao Strait many migrating ocean species pass through the Philippine islands near Bohol's Southern shores, an area known as the Bohol Sea, especially whales, rays and sharks. Until recently the fisherfolk of Pamilacan Island, just South of Panglao, Bohol, made a living catching these migratory fish and mammals, and selling the meat. About 20 years ago, with the focus on marine preservation, it was ruled illegal to catch these migratory fish and mammals, instead the fisherfolk were successfully retrained to use their knowledge and experience to introduce tourists from Bohol to the marine spectacle of whales and rays jumping, and to provide scuba guides. As a result, even blue whales passing safely through the Bohol Sea have recently been captured in tourist's photographs.

The West coast of Bohol Island has many interesting inlets and adventures ashore and inland from its more rugged coastline, e.g. evening firefly spectacles along the rivers, canyoning, ziplines, river treks and rafting, and especially in the vicinity of Danao.

Around the Northwest coast of Bohol are many islets and sand bars where to anchor, to enjoy the beauty and for relaxation. There are also a string of islands to the Northwest that make and interesting route to Mactan, Cebu.

Cebu Island

If you are arriving Central Visayas from the San Bernardino Strait then Cebu Island is the first principal island your will visit. There is however, one small island that you should perhaps stop at before Cebu Island: the island of Malapascua.

Malapascua Island

Malapascua Island is internationally famous for a Bucket List item as the only place around the World where you can dive with thresher sharks in shallow waters. Off the shoals to the Southwest of Malapascua Island are where thresher sharks arrive every day for a good clean-up by resident electric blue cleaner wrasse and tiny shrimps.

If you are headed for Cebu City you will be sailing down the East side of Cebu Island. The coastline is fairly rugged with the occasional sandy beach, at least until you reach Carmen.

Carmen Bay

Carmen Bay features a sheltered bay that has many sand bars but nothing that would cause serious damage. Within the Bay is a recognized anchorage and a marine repair facility: Zeke's Boatyard. If you need repairs then this is a good place to stop, provided you plan to be the overseer of the work Note: Zeke's Boatyard is about 30Km North of Cebu City by road and, because of the high volumes of traffic, the travel time may be up to two hours to/from the Cebu City or the Mactan Cebu International Airport.

South from Carmen you may consider Porter's Marina. Although frequently close to full, the Porter's Marina is close to Cebu City and therefore more convenient if you have the need.

You will now see that Mactan Island is on port.

Mactan Island

Mactan Island is historically famous as the place where Ferdinand Magellan was killed by indigenous warriors from Cebu and Bohol, in April 1521. Today, Mactan Island is the location of the Mactan Cebu International Airport where your friends can easily fly into the country to join your adventures here.

Mactan Island also embraces a Duty Free Port where a number of international companies do business. Most notable perhaps is that Mactan is the home of a major manufacturing plant for the UK sailmaker: Hyde Sails Ltd.. So, if you need new sails and or repairs then this is a good place to start your exploration.

The Cebu Yacht Club and marina is located on the West coast of Mactan Island. The marina is small and frequently full, so prior contact is essential if you are wishing to berth there.

South & West Cebu Island

Back on Cebu Island and you are within the metropolis of Cebu City fronted by the Port of Cebu. Cebu City is a QIC check-in / out location for visiting yachts to the Philippines. The QIC offices are a little far apart in the city but the staff are accommodating.

Apart from friendly locals and a wide choice of shopping locations, burgeoning development of Cebu City has more recently made it more notorious for traffic congestion.

South of Cebu City the island features many popular beach areas where scuba diving along coral walls (into the void) is featured.

Most of the Western coast of Cebu Island fronts the Tañon Strait that separates it from Negros Island, The Tañon Strait offers abundant clear waters for corals and marine life to flourish. The most famous location, about 30NM North from the Southern tip of Cebu Island, at the Northern arm of Badian Bay, is the municipality of Moalboal.

Moalboal

Moalboal is famous for another Bucket List item for snorkelers and scuba divers: off Panagsama Beach, on the North shore of Moalboal, is where you can swim or snorkel or scuba dive surrounded by millions of sardines. The sardine run occurs every single day of the year along the Strait and they pass just meters off the Panagsama Beach. Jump in . . .

Negros Oriental

Across the Tañon Strait is the province of Negros Oriental; the capital city of Negros Oriental is Dumaguete City. If you are planning to QIC check your yacht in / out of the Philippines then Dumaguete is considered one of the most straightforward for Quarantine and Customs, but Immigration may make you wait an hour or more because the office is classified as a sub-office (with only three staff), there is only one officer authorized to sign the confirmations.

Negros Oriental has a mountainous and mostly forested interior, with rivers and lakes and an abundance of wildlife in the forested hills. There are two highland lake systems to the South that offer an insight into an abundance of the Nature that once dominated, including endemic species found nowhere else on Earth, e.g. deer, wild pig and fruit bats. If you add to these an endemic pigeon, a dove and a hornbill, then you get an idea for the unique exploration opportunities offered in Negros Oriental once you anchor.

The municipality of Mabinay, along the main Negros Oriental to Negros Occidental highway (connecting Dumaguete to Bacolod) is known as the "Cave Capital of the Philippines" because, even though there are only around 50 fully-explored caves there, more than 400 caves have been identified.

Also evident at the Northern tip of Negros Oriental is the Kanlaon Volcano, or "Mount Kanlaon". Mount Kanlaon is classed as an active volcano and spans the boundary between Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental and rises to 2,465 meters above sea level. More on Mount Kanlaon in the Negros Occidental (Western Visayas) section.

Dumaguete City

Dumaguete City is known as "the University City" and is the primary center for marine research and marine conservation in the Philippines. This educational focus is in part due to the wide marine bio-diversity found within the nearby waters.

Dumaguete Cityhas a long waterfront, but it is not recommended to anchor here because: (a) the port is very busy with ferries and cargo vessels; and, (b) holding for anchors is reported to be not so good. What most yachts do is to use Port Bonbonon (a.k.a. Tambobo Bay) on the Southern tip of Negros Oriental.

Port Bonbonon / Tambobo Bay

Port Bonbonon is considered a typhoon shelter and will be home to 20 or more yachts on any given day. Most visiting yachts using Dumaguete as their Philippines check-in / out port will anchor in Port Bonbonon and then travel overland to Dumaguete City to handle QIC formalities - there is a regular bus service to / from Dumaguete City with a journey time of about one hour. Within Port Bonbonon you may find a few moorings occasionally available for yacht - best to dive and check the lines before committing to pay the rental.

Notes: Philippine Coast Guard will almost certainly approach your yacht in Port Bonbonon after anchoring, to check QIC papers, crew identities and contents. Port Bonbonon lies within the municipality of Siaton and the municipality, since 2025, has levied a visiting yacht fee of Php1500 (about US$30) per month for using the anchorage.

When in the vicinity of Negros Oriental one should definitely visit Siquijor Island.

Siquijor Island

The island of Siquijor is renowned for ancient beliefs, especially for focusing the spirits of plants and creatures for healing and for retribution. It also has a surprising number of natural wonders from beaches, to caves and waterfalls.

Siquijor features a 400-year old Balete tree, located at its Southern tip. What makes this Balete tree unique is that it grows above a freshwater spring. The Balete tree is reported to be home to mysterious and mythical creatures, that range in activity from benevolent to mischievous. In need of a foot-spa? This particular Balete has a man-made pool, fed by the spring, where resident fish will cleanse your feet if you let them.

The island of Siquijor has multiple marine sanctuaries around its coastline so, when considering to anchor, one should hail a local fishing boat and ask if anchoring at your inended location is permitted.

Apo Island

For scuba divers and snorkelers Apo Island is a treasure. Apo Island, about 3NM off the coast of Negros Oriental and about half-way between Dumaguete City and Port Bonbonon, is a small volcanic island surrounded by pristine coral reefs. Apo Island's waters became one of the Philippine's first community-managed marine sanctuaries and it boasts at least 400 documented coral species and 650 fish species, either, resident or, persistent migrant visitors. Because of Apo Island's pristine marine environment the correct way to visit Apo Island is by organized guide boat, probably from a beach resort in the area of the coastal town of Dauin.

Note: if you plan to visit and enter the water at Apo Island there are fees per-person of around Php4-500 (US$8-10) per person; and a little more if you forgot to bring your own diving / snorkeling gear and need to rent.