bogo cebu

Bogo – Go North Young Man!

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About three hours by bus north of Cebu lies Bogo City. Bogo has over 50,000 people and a nice little shopping area featuring a Gaisano department store and supermarket, movies, Jollibee and many other shops around about. Not far away is the new market area and jeepney terminal and you can ride a tricycle there for a few pesos.

Nearby there is the port of Bogo, a long wharf that juts out into Bogo Bay where pump boats from other islands like Masbate and Leyte call in, fishing boats drop off their catch and at night, lovers seek solitude and darkness amidst the romantic backdrop of the sea. From the wharf you can look across the bay to Polambato where the vehicular ferry to Leyte pulls in. This is the vessel the bus to Manila uses to continue its 48 hour journey from Cebu City to the National Capital.

Around Bogo there are sugar cane plantations, coconut trees and mango farms. On the road in from Cebu you pass the imposing shrine on the hill. The best place to stay amongst several clean local style hotels is a way out of town at the Nailon Beach Resort. Otherwise head across the tip of the island of Cebu to San Remigio where there are several other resorts and the road south down the west coast to Toledo and MoalBoal. Just north of San Remigio is Hagnaya where you catch the ferry to Bantayan Island enarby.

North of Bogo is a bridge over the Dayhagon Channel. This make Daanbantayan province actually an island itself but few people realise that. The nearest small town, Medellin has a lovely modern marketplace and is very clean and tidy. Daanbantayan itself further to the north is the jumping off spot for Malapascua Island via the port of Maya. This is where the buses stop and start their daily runs to and from Cebu City.

South of Bogo most people go over the mountains to Sogod but you can follow the coast to Borbon and on to Sogod. That used to be the main route but the mountain road was updated some decades ago and since then time has passed by the coastal houses and compounds. Many of these are forever for sale, waiting the day people come flooding back.

Bogo is a great little town to retire to. Enough going on to keep boredom at bay but not so busy it drives you crazy.

PHOTO: Gaisano Mall, Bogo. Photo courtesy of Leylander