Bojo River

Bojo River threads through mangrove stands and low limestone cliffs on its way to the sea in Aloguinsan, a stretch of southwestern Cebu still short on the infrastructure investment that’s reached the coast further north. Boat tours here are run by a local cooperative rather than an outside operator, so fares go directly to the guides and boatmen working the route rather than into a distributor’s cut. The mangroves are doing structural work along the banks, not just providing scenery — root systems hold the shoreline against erosion and give juvenile fish and crustaceans a place to shelter before they move out to open water.

• The boat ride is quiet and low to the water; guides point out which mangrove species are which and what each does for the ecosystem, worth asking about directly if it isn’t covered.
• Where the river meets the sea, freshwater and saltwater mix — a good spot for a swim if the current is calm that day.
• Bring binoculars. The mangrove canopy holds a working population of herons, kingfishers, and other waterbirds that are easier to hear than to see from the boat.

Explore More in Aloguinsan

• Hermits Cove