Punta Cruz Watchtower

The watchtower at Punta Cruz was built in the 1790s on a point of Maribojoc's shore, one of the coastal lookouts that warned Bohol's towns of raiding parties, and it is unusual in plan - triangular rather than square or round, in coral stone, with a small chamber inside and a platform on top from which Cebu and Siquijor are visible across the water. The 2013 earthquake that wrecked Bohol's churches did something strange here: it lifted this stretch of coastline by a metre or more, so the reef flat in front of the tower that used to be under water at high tide is now permanently exposed, and the shoreline sits noticeably further out than it did. That uplift is visible from the tower and is the most interesting thing about the visit. Mangroves and a small beach lie either side, and the site takes half an hour.

What you actually see

• The triangular tower - the unusual coral-stone plan.
• The uplifted reef - the flat raised out of the sea in 2013.
• The platform view - Cebu and Siquijor across the water.
• The mangrove shore - the coast either side of the point.

When to go

November to May for dry weather. Late afternoon for light and the view across the strait.

Honest expectations

It is small - half an hour covers it. Interpretation is minimal. The tower has been repaired after earthquake damage, and access to the top is not always open.

Nearby

Maribojoc town and its church are close; Tagbilaran and Panglao are about half an hour east.