Taytayan in Visayan means “bridge”. This is in Dauis, Bohol, and it’s not that far from Tagbilaran city, maybe about 10min away. Dauis is the other half that make up Panglao Island, and this is where I grew up. You can see my grandparents’ house in background, and this place is by far one of my favourite places to go swimming. The water is so clear, it’s amazing how flawless it looks, if you stare straight down you can see the bottom. It’s a beautiful spot, and we’re fortunate to have it close to the house.

There are only two bridges that connect the entire Panglao Island to the main land of Bohol, and this is one of them. The other bridge is called the Causeway (not sure about the spelling), while this bridge is dubbed the Jumbo Bridge. I think they call it that because at the time it was built it was the biggest bridge in the province. Both bridges are not that far apart, if you stand at one bridge, you will be able to see the other in the distance. It takes about one hour to jog all the way around. I don’t really see a lot of people swimming at the Causeway, not sure why, but it does look a bit dirtier on that side. On either side, the water from both bridges starts to get less clear when the water levels lower. When it’s low tide, usually all the filth from the shores is being pushed back out at sea. High tide brings in the fresh clear water, while low tide brings out the cloudy water. All of the water passes through both bridges, in and out through a small channel creating a strong current.

Other places have a diving board, or ropes to swing from, but this one has a bridge. It may not seem like a tall bridge, but when you look down, it’s quite a steep fall. There’s a good three seconds of free fall before you touch the water, and most will flap their arms out of fear. Ever since I was young I’ve always wanted to try jumping from there, and I finally got my chance (yay for me). It was scary at first, but I persuaded myself to do it. It was a rush, a feeling of fear, followed by satisfaction. It’s actually a lot of fun, and it won’t hurt, unless you flop when you land, which will just ruin your day. It will take a lot of nerve just to make the first few jumps, but once you do, you’ll definitely enjoy it. The bridge is also used as a pass for boats, so definitely watch out for that tree, avoid those and you’ll have a good time.

Any day is a good day to go, but the absolute best time to go out of the whole year is on June 29th. Mostly everyone swarms that area to celebrate the patron saint of water, not sure exactly what, but San Juan is celebrated on that day. Everyone goes there for a sea side picnic, bringing their own food and drinks, it’s definitely a party. Each time I’ve gone on those days, I always have a lot of fun. On one occasion it rained really hard, and for me, it just made that moment perfect. Swimming while it’s raining just goes so well together, it’s just so refreshing.

If ever you’re in the area, knock next door to see if I’m there, I might join you, haha. I love swimming and would prefer that people go with me, than do it alone.