Alona Beach

The Alona beach is a popular public beach located at the south-west tip of Panglao Island, Bohol in the Philippines. The beach is situated less than two miles from the Bohol-Panglao International Airport It is known for its white sand, rocky cliffs, and commercial facilities that line the 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) stretch of beach.[1][2] The beach is located near a coral reef and is a popular scuba-diving and snorkeling spot.

Alona Beach

The beach is named after Filipino actress Alona Alegre who ran naked along the beach in 1973 for the movie “Esteban”, in which she co-starred along with Fernando Poe Jr.[3][4]

Geography

The beach is located at barangay Tawala in Panglao, one of the two municipalities in Panglao Island, Philippines. It is situated around 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the port of Tagbilaran and about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the Bohol-Panglao International Airport. It is accessible by a sealed road, by car, motorbike, airport bus or jeepney. Alona Beach is rather small as it spans less than one kilometre (half-mile) of white powder sand surrounded by low rocky cliffs.

Economics

The dominant economic activity is tourism.[1][5] The beach is usually busy with an estimated one million visitors per day during peak season, according to a 2014 survey.[1] There are a number of restaurants, bars, and resorts located on the left side and the right side of the beach. Many resorts offer a wide range of accommodation options with scuba and snorkeling as the most popular activities.[6] Following the 2018 Boracay closure and redevelopment, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu ordered the demolition of structures situated along the 20 metres (66 ft) easement zone of Panglao beaches including Alona beach.[3] Among those demolished were a two-story building and sea walls.[7][8] Businesses along the beach were severely affected during the COVID-19 pandemic.[9][5]

The beach is connected to the Anos Fonacier Circumferential Road. An airport bus directly connects the beach to the airport and to Tagbilaran.

Marine ecosystem

The underwater ecosystem is protected and the access to the marine reserve is limited every day. From time to time, boat trips are organized as far as Oslob to see whale sharks.[10] Some can be spotted sporadically in the vicinity of the beach. The underwater fauna and the flora are rich ; there are many healthy corals (inc. black coral), schools of fish (e.g. sardines), turtles, barracudas, lobsters and if lucky one may even spot whale sharks or dolphins. The underwater current can be quite strong from time to time, creating a lot of turbidity in the water.

Scuba diving

Alona Beach is a reputed destination for snorkeling and more importantly scuba diving.[11] The nearby Balicasag and Pamilacan islands are of particular interest since both are marine reserves. There is a large number of dive shops in Alona Beach offering a variety of diving certification courses, technical courses and excursions for divers of all levels. Drift diving is a popular activity.

Fishing

Some sport fishing is organised on the beach but the main center for this activity is the seaport of Panglao town. Urchins are picked by locals and sold as a delicacy snack on the beach.

References
  1. Japan International Cooperation Agency (November 2015). "SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION PROJECT FOR PANGLAO IN PHILIPPINES: PROJECT COMPLETION REPORT" (PDF). p. 20-21. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  2. "90% of illegal structures at Alona beach cleared". The Bohol Chronicle. October 13, 2019. Archived from the original on October 18, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  3. Udtohan, Leo (March 20, 2018). "Cimatu gives Panglao resort owners 6 months to demolish illegal structures". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  4. "Former actress and sex symbol Alona Alegre passes away at 70". PEP.ph. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  5. Udtohan, Leo (August 1, 2020). "Bohol beaches empty a month after welcoming local tourists". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  6. All About Alona Beach, from the Unofficial Guide. Unofficialguide.ph. August 2018.
  7. "LGU demolishes 'illegal' building in Alona, Panglao". The Bohol Chronicle. August 8, 2019. Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  8. "Resort owners demolish seawalls in Alona Beach, Panglao". www.boholchronicle.com.ph. April 29, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  9. News, Annie Perez, ABS-CBN (January 31, 2020). "Tourists shun popular Bohol beach over novel coronavirus worries". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved June 23, 2021. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. "Inside the Chaotic World of Whale Shark Tourism". Animals. August 30, 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  11. Heneage Mitchell; Kal Muller (March 2003). Diving Southeast Asia: A Guide to the Best Dive Sites in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. Tuttle Publishing. pp. 209–. ISBN 978-0-7946-0076-1.

9°32′55″N 123°46′15″E

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