Located in the Central Visayas region, Bohol is considered by many as the quintessential Philippine island province. Rural and bucolic. Heavy industry is virtually non-existent Commercial trade is largely confined to Tagbilaran City, the capital, and a handful of other big municipalities.
That a good many towns will bear Iberian names and presence of numerous massive “earthquake baroque†churches and colonial homes remind us that the earliest recorded friendly encounter between native Malays and Spanish conquistadors—the blood compact between Rajah Sikatuna and Miguel Lopez de Legazpi of 1565—took place there.
The Boholanos are famous for being deeply religious (Catholic) and thrifty and having strong family and community roots. They are renowned seafarers, doubtless owing to the fact that most settlements are coastal and a majority of the population depends on the sea for livelihood.
For being relatively unpolluted, the surrounding waters remain bountiful and the sun shines brightly nearly all year round. Pristine white beaches and extensive coral reefs ring Bohol and its outlying islands particularly Panglao where many resorts are concentrated, making them ideal for swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving, as well as sailing and windsurfing. Moreover, possibly the best area for whale watching is the strait between Bohol and Cebu. Inland, on the other hand, are wide and placid navigable rivers, waterfalls, swaths of forest, and mountain ranges suitable for adventure tourism.