The Philippines island best known for its Chocolate Hills and tarsiers also runs beach bar nights at Alona Beach, where the dive crowd mixes with backpackers after dark.
Bohol's social scene sits almost entirely at Alona Beach on Panglao Island, connected to the main island by a short bridge. Alona is a 1.2km strip of white sand with a line of beach bars, guesthouses, and dive shops running its length. It is primarily a dive destination — the Balicasag Island reefs, 30 minutes by boat, are among the best in the Visayas — but the evenings belong to anyone who wants them. After the last dive boats return around 4pm, the bars set up their beachfront tables and the night begins at the pace the sea dictates.
The bar setup is simple: San Miguel or Red Horse beer at PHP 70–100 (approximately £1–£1.40) per bottle, rum cocktails at PHP 150–200, and occasional fire shows on the beach that materialise without much notice or schedule. The biggest bar on the strip is Reggae Bar, which has hammocks, a sound system, and the tacit role of being where everyone ends up at some point. Giorgio's at the eastern end of the beach has the best food and a terrace that stays lively until midnight. The crowd is divers, backpackers, and returning Manila weekenders, with a notably international mix for a relatively small beach.
Party hostels within reach of 's main celebrations. Ranked by guest rating.
Day-by-day breakdown
Alona Beach faces west, which makes it a reliable sunset spot. Position yourself with a beer at one of the beachfront tables by 5:30pm. The dive boats return between 4pm and 5pm and the beach shifts from quiet to social quickly. Dumaluan Beach, 10 minutes by tricycle, is longer and less crowded if you want an afternoon swim away from the dive traffic. Tricycles between any two points on Panglao cost PHP 20–50.
The bars along Alona Beach are all visible from each other, which makes crawling between them a matter of moving 30 metres at a time. Reggae Bar is reliable from 9pm, with music loud enough to dance to and hammocks for those who prefer horizontal socialising. Fire shows happen irregularly on the sand — usually a performer working for tips rather than a scheduled event. Everything closes between midnight and 1am on most nights, earlier on Sundays. The beach is not large enough to get lost; everyone ends up at Reggae Bar eventually.
Pre-booked private transfers and shared shuttles for your arrival.
Getting to Bohol Island Hopping Parties from Cebu