Baclayon Church

Baclayon Church tickets: which one to buy

Baclayon Church stands in the town of Baclayon, on the southern coast of the island of Bohol, Philippines, about seven kilometres east of Tagbilaran City, and entry to the church is free, while the museum in the convent charges a small fee. It is one of the oldest stone churches in the Philippines. Most visitors see it on a countryside tour of Bohol, which combines the church with the Chocolate Hills, the Philippine tarsier sanctuary in Corella, the Loboc River cruise, the Man-Made Forest and the Blood Compact Shrine.

Bohol can be reached by ferry from Cebu or by plane to the Panglao airport. The church is active, with masses held regularly, and visitors should dress modestly. The church was damaged by the earthquake of 2013 and restored. Tricycles and hired vans are the usual ways to move between Bohol's countryside sights.

Visiting Baclayon Church: what to see

The Jesuits arrived in Baclayon in 1596, and the town was one of the first Christian settlements in Bohol. The present church, dedicated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, was built by local people using coral stones, which were cut from the sea and joined with a mortar said to contain egg whites, and it was completed in 1727. The church has thick walls, buttresses and a tall bell tower, built to withstand typhoons and attacks by pirates. In October 2013, a strong earthquake damaged the church, destroying the bell tower and part of the facade, and it was restored in the following years, reopening in 2018. Inside, the church has a gilded baroque retablo, or altarpiece, painted ceilings and statues of saints.

The museum, in the old convent, displays religious art, vestments embroidered with gold thread, old books and a collection of antique statues. The church's walls are more than a metre thick, made of coral blocks. The facade's restoration used some of the original stones recovered after the earthquake. The retablo holds statues of the Virgin and saints, carved and painted in the eighteenth century. The church's ceiling is painted with religious scenes. The museum's collection includes a book of music written on animal skin and old liturgical objects. The convent's upper floor offers views of the sea. The bell tower's bells were recovered and rehung after the restoration. The churchyard has old trees and a view of the coast. Local guides explain the history of the Jesuit missions in Bohol.

Baclayon Church opening hours and the best time to go

The church is open daily, and the museum is open from morning until afternoon. Bohol has a tropical climate, with a dry season from December to May, the best time to visit, and a rainy season from June to November, with a risk of typhoons. The Sandugo Festival in July commemorates the Blood Compact between Datu Sikatuna and Miguel López de Legazpi. The feast of the Immaculate Conception on 8 December brings celebrations. Allow about half an hour for the church and museum, and continue to the tarsier sanctuary and the Chocolate Hills. The Blood Compact Shrine, a monument recalling the 1565 treaty of friendship, is a few minutes' drive towards Tagbilaran.