Bluewater Panglao Beach Resort

Rooms and decor

Picture a resort that isn't jammed into the middle of a tourist strip but sits easy on a wide, shaded plot in Danao on Panglao Island, ringed by coconut palms, big shade trees, and green lawns to wander all evening — that's the first impression of Bluewater Panglao Beach Resort, a 4-star tropical-garden beach resort a lot of people choose for the quiet. What sets it apart from the usual beachfront resort is how open it feels: the roughly 82 rooms and villas are spread across wide grounds rather than packed into towers, so getting around still feels private. The decor is a simple, warm tropical-resort style in natural wood tones with a Filipino touch, leaning toward comfort over flash. Many rooms open onto a garden or a quiet corner where you can sip coffee to birdsong and rustling leaves in the morning. Plenty of reviews agree the most memorable feature is the two lagoon-shaped pools with naturally curved edges and small waterfalls trickling in, until it feels like soaking in the middle of a real forest. Anyone who likes a calm, private, slow-paced stay should warm to the place from the first step.

Food and amenities

If one thing comes up most in reviews here, it's the breakfast buffet — several voices go as far as calling it the best breakfast buffet in the Philippines, for the range of dishes (from local Filipino food and Asian dishes to international options, desserts, and fresh fruit) and the quality and freshness that turn breakfast into the part of the day a lot of guests look forward to. Beyond breakfast, a stay here is about slowing down poolside: the resort has two lagoon-shaped pools with waterfalls to swim in or lounge beside all day, and the Amuma spa offers relaxing massage treatments in a quiet garden setting. Easygoing types can stroll the private beachfront, catch the sunset, or sip a drink under the big trees, while the more active can have the resort arrange diving trips and island tours around Bohol. Something guests praise just as much as the food is the staff — warm, smiling, friendly, and attentive enough to make you feel special, which keeps the whole mood relaxed and easy to like.

Location and getting there

Bluewater Panglao sits in Danao, a quieter, more private zone than the busy Alona Beach. The upside is a genuinely calm resort with a private beach to stroll without fighting for space — yet you're not cut off from the fun, since it's only about a 10-15 minute drive out to Alona Beach and its seafront restaurants, bars, dive shops, and evening buzz. The real charm of a Panglao base is the sea and nature around Bohol: the resort can set up boat trips to dive at Balicasag, known for its coral and sea turtles, or a dolphin-watching run around Pamilacan. For the main island, you can drive out to the oddly shaped Chocolate Hills, cruise the Loboc River with lunch aboard, and stop to see the tiny wide-eyed tarsiers the next day. From Bohol-Panglao Airport (TAG), the resort is only about a 15-20 minute drive — an easy, short trip.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide — the first thing to accept is the beach. The resort's beachfront is fairly rocky with dead coral, not the fine white sand you can step into and swim, so it's better for strolling and photos. If you're coming mainly to swim in the sea, adjust your expectations and use the resort's pools for getting in the water instead. Second is the location: the resort is in Danao, calm and set apart from the food and nightlife of Alona Beach, about a 10-15 minute drive away. Anyone wanting to walk out of the resort straight into shops may find it a bit far, so plan your transport ahead. Last, being a large resort that has been open for a while, some reviews feel certain rooms or spots are starting to show wear, and the walk between rooms and the common areas or beach can be a fair distance on a hot day — if walking is hard for you, ask about room location when you book.

Our take

From reading through plenty of real reviews, Bluewater Panglao Beach Resort delivers on what it sells: a wide, quiet, private tropical-garden setting in Danao, lagoon-shaped pools with pretty waterfalls, and a breakfast buffet reviewers call the best in the Philippines, all backed by warm, friendly staff. If the trip in your head is waking up to a big breakfast spread, walking under tall trees in a wide garden, sinking into a lagoon-shaped pool with a waterfall trickling in, then unwinding slowly away from the noise, this is a very tidy fit. But if you're set on swimming off the sand outside your room, or want a resort where you can walk straight out to restaurants and nightlife, the location and beachfront here may not be the best match. Overall we give it 8.6/10 — best for couples and families who put quiet, private space, and a good breakfast at the heart of a holiday.