Anda: white sand, cave pools and Lamanok island

On Bohol’s far eastern tip, a peninsula of fine white beaches, freshwater pools hidden in limestone caves and a mangrove island with ancient red rock paintings.

Area

Anda & the east

Start from

Tagbilaran

Distance

about 100 km to Anda

Time needed

2–3 days

Best season

All year; calmer and drier December – May

Difficulty

Easy

Transport

Bus, van or hired car; tricycles and boats locally

Tickets & rules

Small entrance fees at cave pools; guide fee for Lamanok

Why go

Anda is where I went when Panglao began to feel like a busy town. It takes a few hours to get there, and the reward is a long curve of fine white sand at Quinale beach, shallow turquoise water at low tide, and evenings so quiet that you can hear coconuts falling in the dark.

The limestone that shapes the Chocolate Hills also runs under Anda, and it has opened into cave pools: holes in the ground where clear fresh water collects under rock ceilings. At Cabagnow you climb down a ladder into a round pool under the open sky, the water so clear that it looks a metre deep when it is much more. Other pools around town lie entirely underground, lit by a single beam of sun.

A boat ride into the mangroves leads to Lamanok island, where faded red paintings on the rocks are some of the oldest human traces in the region.

The story

Anda is a small municipality on a peninsula, and for a long time it was mostly farmland and fishing villages, far from Tagbilaran. Its isolation kept it quiet, and it remains one of the less developed parts of Bohol’s coast, though small resorts have grown along the beaches in recent years.

Lamanok is a low limestone island in the mangroves near Badiang. On its rock faces are red ochre paintings, including handprints and simple figures, which archaeologists believe are prehistoric. There are also old burial sites, and coffins and jars have been found in caves on the island.

Local guides tell stories of shamans who used the island for rituals, and of spirits guarding its caves. Some guides perform a short ceremony before entering, asking permission from the spirits. Whether you believe or not, it is a respectful way to begin.

The cave pools, meanwhile, were for generations simply the village water source. Families came to bathe and wash clothes; children learned to swim in them. Their use as attractions is recent, and many are still managed by local barangays.

Getting there

Anda is roughly three hours by road from Tagbilaran, via the coastal highway through Jagna and Guindulman. Buses run from the Dao terminal; vans and hired cars are faster.

Locally, tricycles and habal-habal take you between beaches and cave pools. Boats to Lamanok leave from Badiang with a guide.

A suggested plan

1. Day 1Travel from Tagbilaran along the south coast; arrive in Anda and swim at Quinale beach.
2. Day 2 morningVisit Cabagnow cave pool and one of the underground pools before groups arrive.
3. Day 2 afternoonBoat through the mangroves to Lamanok island with a guide.
4. Day 3Snorkel off the beach, then head back or continue to Candijay’s waterfalls.

Where to stay

Anda has a growing range of beach resorts and guesthouses, from simple cottages to small boutique places. Many are spread along the coast, so pick one near the beach you like best.

Good to know

• Swim at the cave pools in the morning when the light falls directly into them.
• Bring cash; ATMs are limited in Anda.
• Low tide can expose a lot of reef flat; plan swims around high tide.