Bohol
Operators served
Cokaliong Shipping Lines, Santa Clara Shipping, Medallion Transport, LCT Lady of Smile / Guadalupe / Sacred Heart (verify current status), MBCA Leopards Sea Runner (verify current status)
Facilities
- 496.85-metre causeway (7.5 m wide), total port area 3,726 sq m
- 81-metre berth, 2.5-metre draft
- Four bollards and rubber fenders
- Cargo handling: Ubay Arrastre and Stevedoring Corporation (UBASCOR)
- Bunkering: Pilipinas Shell
Overview
Port of Ubay is Bohol’s easternmost maritime gateway, situated at the end of a 496.85-metre causeway (7.5 m wide) in Ubay municipality’s Poblacion. PPA data: 81-metre berth, 2.5-metre draft, four bollards and rubber fenders. Cargo handling by the Ubay Arrastre and Stevedoring Corporation (UBASCOR); bunkering by Pilipinas Shell.
Important: Port of Ubay (Poblacion) and Tapal Wharf (Barangay Tapal, roughly 7 km east of town) are distinct facilities serving different routes. Ubay’s municipal pier, in the town centre, handles the larger RoRo vessels to Cebu Pier 3 and Santa Clara’s crossing to Hilongos, Leyte. Tapal Wharf is dedicated primarily to the Leyte land-bridge route to Bato, carrying passenger fastcraft/bancas and small RoRo vessels, plus local island traffic. Confirm which one your sailing uses — directions to the wrong port will cost you the boat.
Coordinates: OSM-verified (relation 13981618, Poblacion, Ubay). Source: Bohol Tourism Profile Eco Dev2025.pdf (Table 9, p. 56).
Routes and operators
| Port | Operator | Route | Frequency & crossing | Fare (foot passenger) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ubay Port (Poblacion) | Medallion Transport, J&N Shipping | Ubay ↔ Cebu City, Pier 3 | Daily overnight + daytime RoRo, ~4–5 h | ₱330–₱400 |
| Ubay Port (Poblacion) | Cokaliong Shipping Lines | Ubay ↔ Cebu City, Pier 1 | Commenced March 2023, M/V Filipinas Ubay | ~₱350–₱500 |
| Ubay Port (Poblacion) | Santa Clara Shipping | Ubay ↔ Hilongos, Leyte | Daily, typically 13:00, ~3.5–4 h | ₱400–₱480 |
| Tapal Wharf (Brgy. Tapal) | Mama Mary Sea Transport, Southern Pacific Transport | Tapal ↔ Bato, Leyte | Multiple daily, ~2.5–3 h | ₱300–₱380 |
Ticketing: neither Ubay port relies on online booking aggregators. Tickets are sold almost entirely at the on-site terminal counters or local dispatch booths. Third-party agency listings for Ubay–Cebu have shown fares around US$24 (~₱1,400) — that is markup and OTA pass-through, not a different ticket. Buy at the counter.
Legacy roster (verify current status):
| Operator | Route | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| LCT Lady of Smile / Guadalupe / Sacred Heart | Various (Nov 2024 schedule) | Verify current status |
| MBCA Leopards Sea Runner | Various | Verify current status |
| MV Anthon Raphael | Various | Verify current status |
| MV Sto. Niño Fastboat 4 | Various | Verify current status |
5 operators listed in Bohol Tourism Profile (Nov 2024) across 3 routes: Bato (Leyte), Cebu City, Hilongos (Leyte). Roster has changed since 2022 — verify all operators on 12Go before travel.
Overland/sea corridor: Ubay → Leyte → Luzon
Port of Ubay is a node in the Philippines’ eastern overland-sea corridor. Long-distance buses (Philtranco, Megastar — at least 2 daily; Bolaños) connect Ubay to Manila via the Leyte–Samar–Sorsogon barge route at Matnog. Mindanao-bound buses (Bachelor, Ceres) operate via Southern Leyte and Surigao del Norte.
Verify whether Manila-bound bus services (Philtranco, Megastar) are still operational in 2026 before recommending to travellers — schedules and routes in this corridor have changed.
Getting to Ubay Port
- From Tagbilaran City: ~2.5–3 h by bus (Dao Terminal, interior highway via Carmen or southern coastal highway via Jagna).
- From Anda: ~1.5 h via the eastern coastal road.
- From Talibon: ~45 min south by van.
Practical notes
- Confirm current active operators on 12Go — roster has changed since the Nov 2024 source data.
- Cokaliong’s Cebu–Ubay link (since March 2023) is the most significant recent addition; useful for eastern Bohol travellers avoiding the longer Tagbilaran–Cebu crossing.
- Port facilities basic — bring food and water for long waits.
- No Grab in Bohol — all ground transport by van-for-hire or bus.