That is just how I would describe it. Thanks largely to its beautiful beaches.

Anda is a relatively quiet town in Bohol, about 2 hrs drive by private car from Tagbilaran City (Bohol’s capital).

I have grown up all my 18 years in Bohol and then some but I must admit I have never been to Anda until this year. (I moved to Cebu for university and over the years and several cities later, I still take time to go there mostly to visit family).

If you have been to the Philippines and to Bohol, I’m sure you have heard about Panglao.

My childhood meant going to Panglao with family and friends several times a year to enjoy its beaches, long before all these resorts have established their presence there. Panglao after all was only about 30-45 minutes drive from our house in Tagbilaran.

As for Anda, I have not seen the town nor its beaches. That is until this summer.

Daryl and I together with family spent time at Anda White Beach Resort. We enjoyed the private, more quiet vibe than what Panglao’s beaches usually offer.

But what I found quite amazing was that their public beach, in all its pristine white sand glory is just across the town plaza and municipal hall! You just need to cross the road and that’s it, you’ll have the sea breeze gently blowing the weariness of the day 🙂 How cool is that 🙂

Those who live in Bohol might take it for granted how blessed they are that Panglao is less than an hour drive or that Anda is all but 2 hours travel from Tagbilaran and they can already enjoy beautiful beaches. Easy access to beaches of the quality that Bohol has, including its many world-class resorts now (mostly in Panglao), are what I miss from time to time now that I live in Central Mindanao.

Well, I love it. I love the sea and I think it’s cool that you can walk to their beach anytime you have some transaction at their town hall 🙂

Anyways, back to the private resorts. Most resorts would allow walk in guests for a fee of P800 (about 16 USD). This amount is consumable and would also include pool use (this is true for Anda White Beach, some resorts would only allow pool use for stay-in guests). You can then swim, laze or cavort on the beach to your heart’s content after a delicious meal.

By the way, booking rates for beachfront resorts in Anda are not as costly as those in Panglao. Just a note though. We did notice that the beach waters in Anda are not as still and serene as those in Panglao. Other than that, Anda can rival Panglao’s beaches.

So next time you’re in Bohol and want to explore other beaches outside of Panglao, try going to Anda 🙂