With the thousands of islands here in the Philippines, it comes to no surprise for both local and foreign tourists the wondrous destinations here that are definitely worth to visit. One best place with lots of amazing things to see and visit is Bohol. The Chocolate Hills and the Panglao Island are the most famous destinations in the province. Aside from are Blood Compact Shrine, Loboc River, Baclayon Church and a lot more that Bohol can offer for a great visit. However, apart from these known to be on-the-list attractions, there lies a beautiful beach in Bohol that has yet to be discovered by many - the Quinale Beach of Anda.
Bohol always surprises me! After visiting Candijay’s Cadapdapan Rice Terraces and Can-Umantad Falls, my wandering soles brought me to the northeastern part of the province which is less visited by tourists, the Municipality of Anda. It is a 5th class municipality, a more or less 2-hour ride from the capital, Tagbilaran City. Less crowded and no major developments but this humble part of the province is teeming with the gift of nature!
Good Morning Anda!
Beautiful smiles welcomed us as we approached a group of vendors in the public market. It’s around six in the morning – we’re looking for a restaurant where we can have our breakfast. A kind old man directed us to a carinderia stall nearby. Fresh tinolang malasugue at paksiw na bangus plus mainit na 3-in-1 coffee - OA na pero ito ang best breakfast para sa'kin. :)
After having that best breakfast, we had a short walk from the public market going to the longest beachline in the province of Bohol. Yep, just a short walk and it's fronting the town’s catholic church.
Quinale Beach of Anda is not a famous yet compared to more developed and known beaches in Panglao Island but majority of those who visited here compared this to the great beaches in Boracay – and yep, I agree. Why? Because its long stretch of fine white sand resembling to white powder can get you lost in its length. Not to mention its clear waters and visibly plain sand beds which shows no presence of any rocks or seaweeds make it a reason why many argue that Quinale Beach of Anda is actually better than the beaches of Boracay. Since this isn’t a very popular destination yet, there aren’t a lot of people visiting the beach, making it perfect for those who want to really get away from the crowd of the city.
There is a humble bar found near the beach where you and your friends or family can enjoy some refreshing drinks or eat some delicious yet affordable foods. Most foods they have are lightweight snacks though. Nearby this bar is the tourist center of the town.
In the afternoon, a beautiful sight unfolded. Many locals went to the beach, brought some snacks, mats, and picnic baskets with them just to watch and enjoy the waves hitting and splashing in the shore. What makes this a beautiful sight is that you can clearly see how these locals appreciate the beach. They show and extend to tourists how they take care of it. You won’t even have problems when it comes to finding a place to eat. You can opt to eat just under the hut, a tree, or even in an open space while enjoying the sun. If you are with a big group, you can go to the bar and avail some tables and chairs for rent. You even have the choice to make a bonfire if you’d like.
And if you still can’t get enough of the beauty of this beach, you can stay for a camp overnight. Well, just be sure to bring your own tent. Taking showers or going to the loo won’t be a problem too. The bar has toilets, changing rooms, and open showers available for any visitor of the beach.
Just in case you want to chill somewhere else after taking a dip in the beach, there are still lots of resorts around the beach where you can hop for another experience, all of which offer great amenities and services.
So, if you’d been dreaming to swim in the great beaches of Boracay or looking for something even better, the magnificent Quinale Beach of Anda should be your next destination.
Tilapia Chips, The Best Pasalubong from Anda
So, what’s the best pasalubong from Anda? Have you heard about tilapia chips? Yep, Anda is a home of the fame Tilapia Chips of TAFIAS. TAFIAS stands for Talisay Fishermen’s Association, a promising village association in one of the Barangays in Anda headed by Mrs. Ana Mainit who have been known for their tilapia chips and other unique and interesting products with raw materials all sourced from the community’s purely organic resources!
While doing our usual fieldwork, a couple approached us and invited us to pay a visit to TAFIAS office, production and display center. There is a small canteen in the area where you can take and taste their locally-made products such as blue ternate juice and wine; blue ternate or chili flavored ice cream and of course the Tilapia Chips. Eventually, they generously allowed us to go inside of the production area and witness the old style production of Tilapia Chips.
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| TAFIAS' Tilapia Chips |
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| The chips are manually prepared, processed and cooked |
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| The blue ternate flowers sourced from the backyard farm - for juice and wine |
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| In the production area of the world's famous Tilapia Chips |
HOW TO GET THERE
Fly to Bohol. From Tagbilaran City, ride in a bus or van routing Anda. Travel time is more or less 2 hours. Quinale Beach is just a short walk from the town proper while the location of TAFIAS display center in Talisay is more or less a 30-minute motorcycle ride from Anda town proper.
Talisay Fishermen's Association (TAFIAS)
Contact Person : Mrs. Ana Mainit
Address: Anda Coastal Road, Anda, Bohol, Philippines
Contact Number : (63) 927 346 3862
Facebook Page : TAFIAS
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