Alona sits on the south-western tip of Panglao Island, in Barangay Tawala. The municipal tourism office describes powdery white sand and calm water, and calls Alona Panglao's main hub for diving. Part of the resort strip is registered in neighboring Danao, which is why some hotels that say “Alona” have Danao addresses in the province's accreditation list.

Its appeal is convenience. You can book a dive, join an island-hopping boat, eat on the sand and walk back to your room without another ride. The trade-off is that Alona is the island's busiest shore, with boats, bars and other visitors all sharing a narrow strip.

01

Alona at a glance

The essentials, checked on 28 September 2026.

Where
Barangay Tawala, Panglao, Bohol; part of the strip extends into Danao
Length
Roughly one kilometer, with low limestone cliffs at each end
From the airport
About 3 km, 15–20 minutes; official tricycle fare ₱30 per person (Municipality of Panglao)
From Tagbilaran port
About 18–20 km by road, around 30–40 minutes
Entry
Public beach; we found no entrance fee for the beach itself
Main landmark
Rona's Corner, at the top of the beach road
Dry season
December to May nationally; Bohol can get rain in any month

02

What has changed since 2025

Alona's shoreline is being rebuilt. The national tourism infrastructure agency, TIEZA, put its Alona Shoreline Rehabilitation and Coastal Slope Protection project out to tender in 2024. When the governor and TIEZA inspected it on 18 August 2026, the work, which includes a seawall along the beach, was still under way, as was a floating dock for dive and island-hopping boats. Officials also planned ropes or barriers along the seawall so people do not fall (SunStar).

The dock is meant to stop boats running up to the sand to load passengers, which officials say is how boarding worked before. Not everyone is happy with how Alona has developed: a February 2026 Manila Times opinion column called it overdeveloped and said the beach itself is disappearing. Photos from before 2025 may not match what you find, and parts of the shore may be narrower. Take care along the seawall edge until the barriers are in.

Beach rules also tightened in 2024, when a provincial Task Force Alona cleared the shoreline (The Bohol Times):

  • vendor tables and chairs moved off the shoreline easement
  • island-hopping boats no longer moored off the beachfront
  • fire dancing and fireworks on the shoreline banned
  • no pets, and no picnic food brought onto the beach
  • massage only in designated areas

How strictly these rules are enforced today is unclear, so follow any signs posted on the beach.

03

Getting to Alona, and what to pay

From Bohol–Panglao International Airport, Alona is about 3 km away and the ride takes 15 to 20 minutes. The Municipality of Panglao sets tricycle fares per person: ₱20 for the first kilometer plus ₱5 for each additional kilometer. Its published fare table (posted 26 September 2025) lists the airport to Rona's Corner at Alona as 3.0 km for ₱30, or ₱25 for seniors, students and people with disabilities (checked 28 September 2026).

In practice, drivers often quote a price for the whole tricycle: travel guides updated in 2026 report about ₱100 to ₱150 per vehicle from the airport (LakbayPinas, Nasha Planeta). The fare table does not say whether hiring a whole tricycle for yourself costs more, but the municipality's own notice warns about overpricing and refused rides. If a quote seems far above the table, the municipality lists two numbers to call: its complaint desk (0998 334 8469) and its transportation office (0950 436 8769).

Grab launched in Panglao in December 2024 (Bohol Island News), and many resorts arrange airport pickups. Southern Star buses run between the airport and Tagbilaran; the operator posted a ₱85 fare in December 2025, and fares can change. Arriving by ferry, you land at Tagbilaran port, about 18 to 20 km away; tricycles, Grab cars and Southern Star buses run from the city. Our airport guide and Cebu–Tagbilaran route guide cover both arrivals in detail.

04

Swimming, snorkeling and diving

Alona is a sheltered, shallow beach, and the water is usually calm outside bad weather. Travel guides report that the shallows turn to seagrass and rock at low tide, so swimming is easiest around mid to high tide, and reef shoes help. Boats come and go from the beach, busiest in the morning and late afternoon, so stay well clear of their lanes. The tourism office's own rules are simple: swim only in safe areas, follow local advisories, and leave shells and coral where they are.

Divers are well served. The municipal dive-site list includes the Alona house reef, a beginner-friendly shore dive right in front of the beach, plus Kalipayan and the Garden Eel site just to the west. Balicasag's walls are about 30 to 40 minutes away by boat. Dive centers line the shore; Alona Divers, for example, says it has run a PADI center here since 1996. If this is your first dive, read our first scuba dive guide before you book.

One gap to know about: TIEZA has built a hyperbaric chamber center in Panglao for diving injuries, but in August 2026 officials were still urging that it start operating (SunStar).

05

Island hopping from Alona

Alona is the usual departure point for Panglao's classic boat trip. Boats leave early in the morning, look for dolphins, stop at Balicasag for snorkeling and finish at the Virgin Island sandbar, which shows at low tide (Panglao tourism office). Travel guides updated in 2025 and 2026 put shared tours at roughly ₱800 to ₱2,000 per person, and a private boat at ₱3,000 to ₱5,000 (checked 28 September 2026; JourneyEra, LakbayPinas).

Environmental fees are charged at Balicasag and Virgin Island, and published amounts vary. Ask for a price that includes every fee, the boat, the guide and the equipment. Virgin Island reopened on 3 February 2026 under stricter rules, including a ban on selling goods on the sandbar (Province of Bohol, Bohol Tribune).

Bohol's dolphin-watching guidelines are worth knowing before you board: no swimming with, touching or feeding the dolphins, and a recommended maximum of 20 minutes' viewing. Our Balicasag guide covers the snorkeling stop.

06

Where to stay at Alona

Almost every price level is on or within a few minutes' walk of the sand. The list below draws on owners' websites where they exist, listing sites and the Department of Tourism accreditation list for May 2026. Price levels are a rough guide; check current rates before booking.

Upscale

Mid-range, on the beach

  • Alona Vida Beach ResortBeachfront since 2005, in the middle of the strip; its Cocovida bar has a live band every night. DOT-accredited.
  • Oasis ResortBungalows and a pool, open since 1990 according to the resort, and home to one of the beach's best-known restaurants. DOT-accredited.
  • Lost Horizon Beach ResortBeachfront resort near the center of the strip. DOT-accredited.
  • Alona Tropical Beach ResortSmall beachfront resort with rooms, cottages, a pool and the Baybayon restaurant.
  • Isis BungalowsBungalows on the beach, home to the Isis Thai restaurant. DOT-accredited.

Budget, or a short walk away

  • Hayahay ResortResort with a beach address, at the lower end of mid-range. DOT-accredited.
  • Trudi's PlaceGuesthouse and restaurant at the quieter end of the beach.
  • Citadel Alona InnOn the main road, about a five-minute walk from the sand. DOT-accredited.
  • Positano Alona BeachBoutique place with about ten rooms and a pool, roughly 300 meters from the beach. DOT-accredited.
  • Alona Beach Side InnAir-conditioned rooms on Alona Beach Road, a few steps from the sand.
  • Alona Royal Palm ResortResort and restaurant about 800 meters from the beach. DOT-accredited.

Before paying, check whether your room faces the sea or a garden, and whether “near Alona” means a walk or a ride. For other areas of the island, see our guide to where to stay in Panglao.

07

Where to eat and drink

Alona has the island's densest choice of restaurants, from beach grills to tapas bars, and it stays busy after dark, with beach bars, cocktail bars and live music (Panglao tourism office, Lonely Planet). The places below are the ones food writers and the operators themselves mention most often. Opening hours change, so check before you go.

On the beach

  • Oasis Restaurant & Beach ClubInternational menu with seafood and steaks, right on the sand; open 7am to 11pm daily according to the resort.
  • CocovidaAlona Vida's bar and restaurant, with a live band every night.
  • Isis ThaiThai cooking at Isis Bungalows, facing the water.
  • Trudi's PlaceBudget Filipino and international dishes at the quieter end of the beach.

A short walk inland

  • Giuseppe Pizzeria & Sicilian RoastWood-fired pizza on the main road, under a kilometer from the beach.
  • MosaContemporary international cooking on the main road near Alona.
  • BougainvilleaSpanish tapas and wine, near the Alona parking area.
  • BARWOOKorean-fusion bistro on Circumferential Road.
  • ShakaSmoothie-bowl café with vegan options on Circumferential Road.

For coffee, Khae Santiago's Panglao food guide recommends Overgrown Café on Ester A. Lim Drive, Glebe Coffee on the main street and, a little farther from the beach, Common Crew Coffee Roasters on Tawala Road. The big resorts also have their own restaurants, including Henann's Coral Café and its Sea Breeze Café & Beach Club.

08

Money, health and safety

Travel guides and directories place bank ATMs, including a BPI machine, near the top of the beach road; carry a cash reserve in case they run empty. In an emergency, call 911. For everyday care, Panglao's public primary care facility is in Poblacion and the main hospitals are in Tagbilaran; our medical care guide explains how to choose.

Water quality is a real issue at Alona. Panglao had a two-day swimming ban in November 2018, and Alona was closed to swimming for two weeks in July 2021 after high coliform readings (BusinessMirror). In September 2024 the provincial environment office said coliform levels near Alona were high at every tide (Bohol Tribune). We found no official advisory since then; check for posted notices, and ask your resort, before swimming.

09

When to go

The Philippines' dry season runs from December to May (PAGASA), but Bohol has no truly dry months, so a shower is possible at any time of year. Alona is busiest from December to April, over Holy Week and Christmas to New Year, and at weekends. For quieter water and easier room choice, aim for a weekday outside those peaks. Our when-to-visit guide goes season by season.

10

Common questions

Is there an entrance fee for Alona Beach?

No. Alona is a public beach, and we found no fee for using it. Boat trips to Balicasag and Virgin Island charge separate environmental fees.

How far is Alona Beach from the airport?

About 3 km, or 15 to 20 minutes by road. The municipality's official tricycle fare is ₱30 per person; Grab and resort transfers are the alternatives.

Which barangay is Alona Beach in?

Tawala, in Panglao municipality. Part of the resort strip is registered in neighboring Danao, so check the full address of your hotel. Our barangay guide explains the difference.

Is Alona Beach good for swimming?

Usually, in calm weather and at mid to high tide, away from the boat lanes. It gets shallow at low tide, and the provincial environment office reported high coliform levels near Alona in 2024, so check for posted notices before you swim.

Is Alona Beach too crowded?

It is Panglao's busiest beach, especially from December to April and at weekends. If you want more space, compare Dumaluan and Doljo in our Panglao beaches guide.

Alona works best when you want everything within walking distance. Book the right room, know the official fare before you ride, and check the water before you swim.