Bilar Tourist Spots

Bilar boasts of several sites which have attracted more and more tourists through the years for eco-tours and birding activities. Aside from the famed Mahogany Man-made Forest, the Butterfly Sanctuary and the Logarita Spring & Pool, the town also boasts of a beautiful Quezon Plaza, the Bilar Catholic Church, the Valmoria Hill and the Boy Scout and Girl Scout Campsites at Riverside and Karajan, respectively.

Logarita Swimming Pool is located at Bilar town inside the Rajah Sikatuna National Park. The pool is fed by the Logarita Spring which is known for its fresh, clean and cool water. The water at the often moss-covered pool is safe for drinking and far healthier for it is without chemicals. The moss does not make it dirty but instead provides oxygen to the water which is refreshingly cool.

It is situated on a clearing surrounded by tall Mahogany and other hardwood trees. Small native thatched cottages are provided to give shade to the bathers. The place is a favorite nook of the local folks and year after year plays host to foreign visitors who come to the park for eco-tours and birding activities.

photo by lizza22

The Mahogany Man-Made Forest is a two-kilometer stretch of densely planted Mahogany trees located in Bilar town. Before and after this man-made forest are the naturally grown forests of Loboc and Bilar which are thick with a kaleidoscope of green foliage, of different species of trees and giant ferns lining the road.

The man-made forest stands out because of the uniformity in height of the big trees, the spread of its branches, thickness and design of leaves. Seedlings abound around the older trees. Trunks, some thick and others just a few months old, grow resplendently straight up towards the sky which is obscured by the branches and the thick leaves.

The forest is part of the Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape which commuters have to pass thru on their way to Carmen where the famous Chocolate Hills are found. Foreign visitors finds the place so attractive that they, often than not, stop to take pictures of the forest.

Rajah Sikatuna National Park is a haven for nature lovers and a bird-watcher’s paradise. It is the widest remaining forest in Bohol. This forested karst limestone areas were recognized and declared a National Park under Proclamation No. 129 in July 10, 1987.

The park is now known as the Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape (RSPL) as renamed by the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources). The RSPL also covers the forests of the towns Valencia, Carmen, Sierra Bullones, Garcia Hernandez, Dimiao and Batuan.

With a total land area of 9,023 hectares, 4,700 hectares is made up of natural forests, 1,600 hectares of man-made forest, 690 hectares occupied and the rest has cogonal features which are subject to rehabilitation.

Wildlife is undisturbed and roams freely in the park’s interiors. Countless species of birds, butterflies, flora and fauna thrive in the area. It is also home to monkeys, especially to the tarsiers. With a minimal entrance of P20.00, one can traverse the countless trails set up for visitors who want to go on a nature trek or bird watching.

Simply Butterflies Conservation Center is the first butterfly livelihood breeding and conservation program in Bohol. Its main goal is to protect and strengthen the natural environment of the butterflies through plant research, breeding and releasing. The Center boasts of a butterfly garden full of flowering plants, a butterfly enclosure, a nature trail, a visitor center, a restaurant, barbeque sand, pagoda, gift shoppe, comfort rooms and a very spacious car park.

The gift shoppe feature framed butterflies, butterfly key chains and other by-products. The Center also sells live butterflies for wedding releases and to those who are interested to breed them. The Center encourages breeders and has established breeders in Bilar and in neighboring towns.

Valmoria Hill in Bilar was named after a brave commander, Valmoria. The hill is the place where the fort was located where the dug-out and the tunnel leading to the ammunition factory are still visible and is now declared as a historical landmark in the town.

photo by ral_m

Bilar Catholic Church which is dedicated to San Isidro Labrador was constructed in 1870 and is the oldest structure in existence in the town. It is situated along the National Road with the front façade of the church, which is the foot of the cruciform, facing the road and annexed to it is a stone tower. The church is generally made of massive blocks of stone with the upper portions in wood.

Bilarma Camp in Bilar is the provincial Girl Scout Encampment featuring a swimming pool and tall trees. The pool is fed by an inexhaustible source of fresh water even during summer which is a favorite nook of the local bathers and for those who just want a respite from city life and commune with nature.

Magsaysay Camp is inside the premises of the Rajah Sikatuna National Park in Bilar. It is a Boy Scout Encampment in a mountain setting surrounded by tall trees a few kilometers from the Poblacion of Bilar town. The campgrounds are the best in Bohol and to be developed further for tourism pursuits.

Wahig-Pamacsalan Dam is located in Bilar town, 41 kilometers from Tagbilaran City. The dam, with its wide spread of contained water is good for boating and sports fishing. The green rolling scenery that helps to contain the water is a good and refreshing backdrop for these sports. Boating and sports fishing are activities that help one to commune with nature and reinvigorate tired spirits.

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