Hinagdanan Cave

Hinagdanan is a short cave on Panglao Island whose interest is entirely in the lighting. The roof of the chamber has collapsed in two places, and the holes let daylight fall in columns onto a pool of clear brackish water below - the effect that fills every photograph of the place. The name comes from the Visayan word for laddered, after the steps a farmer is said to have cut down into the hole he found on his land. A staircase now leads into the chamber, walkways run past stalactites and columns, and lights supplement the daylight. Swimming in the pool is allowed for an extra fee, though the water is not especially clean given how many people use it. The whole visit takes half an hour and it sits conveniently on the Panglao loop with the Dauis church and the beaches, which is why nearly every Bohol tour includes it.

What you actually see

• The light shafts - daylight through the collapsed roof.
• The brackish pool - clear water on the chamber floor.
• The formations - stalactites and columns along the walkway.
• The cut stairway - the laddered entrance that names the cave.

When to go

Year-round; midday gives the strongest light shafts. Early morning avoids the tour buses, which arrive in convoys.

Honest expectations

It is small and quickly seen, and it gets crowded and noisy when groups arrive. Steps are wet and slippery. The pool is shared by many swimmers - judge the water for yourself.

Nearby

Alona Beach, the Dauis church and Panglao's other beaches are all within twenty minutes.