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Asia-Pacific · Bohol - Pamilacan · Baclayon

Pamilacan Island

also known as Pamilican Island

advanced onlylow crowds

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

On this page

Wind
- Month by month
Forecast
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
- Rescue
Hazards
Rules & access
Schools
Tips
Getting there
FAQ

Pamilacan Island has no other spot on this map within 40 km of it. straight-line distance

SeasonJan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Nov, Decthe months riders and schools name How windyno knot figure publishedmixed Launchlargeaccess rules on record, below Watermixed29°C in summer · 10 things riders flag LevelIntermediate to advancedwith a caveat, in the Level section

Schoolsnone named here

From the airportin words under Getting thereInternational Airport (TAG)

When it fills in

No onset time is published for this spot.

Pamilacan Island is a small coral island and a barangay of Baclayon, out in the Bohol Sea and reached by boat from Baclayon or Panglao. It is a real kite option and a thinly documented one: a dedicated Pamilacan spot note went up in 2025, and the short version is that the island works when the wind is easterly.

The kite area is the eastern shore, a long sandy coastline with a protected flatwater lagoon inside and waves on the outer reef, which suits freeride and exploring. Watch the tide, because that lagoon goes very shallow at the bottom of the tide. Nothing here is serviced: no lifeguards, and the boat and motorcycle rides cost what you negotiate.

The hazard list runs jellyfish, shallow rocks, sea urchins and boats. Pamilacan also sits inside the Bohol Marine Triangle with a municipal marine sanctuary on the northwest side, so keeping off the reef and away from the wildlife boats is part of riding here. Start looking from November, with the Bohol Amihan running through May.

The wind

locals call it Amihan / Habagat

Direction

Character

mixed

It works when the wind comes from the east. No long-term wind statistics for the island itself are published.

November is when Panglao and Pamilacan start to work. Many Bohol spots run on the Amihan from November through May, while Pamilacan specifically needs easterly wind. The 2025-2026 Amihan onset was declared on 27 October 2025.

Strength

No knot figure is published for this spot.

Dominant direction

E is the direction that makes it work; the wider Bohol and Panglao seasons are Amihan NE and Habagat SW.

Forecast

Month by month

Jan, riders' month32
Feb, riders' month24
Mar, riders' month14
Apr, riders' month10
May, riders' month8
Jun7
Jul33
Aug30
Sep34
Oct23
Nov, riders' month2
Dec, riders' month10

per cent of the month at force 4 or more

Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Nov, Dec.

10Jan28°
10Feb28°
9Mar28°
8Apr29°
8May30°
7Jun30°
10Jul30°
9Aug30°
10Sep30°
9Oct31°
8Nov30°
9Dec29°

avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted

Month	Force 4+	Knots	From	Air	Water
Jan	32%	9.6 kt	NE	26.5°C	28.4°C
Feb	24%	9.6 kt	NE	26.6°C	27.9°C
Mar	14%	8.6 kt	NE	27°C	28.2°C
Apr	10%	8 kt	ENE	27.8°C	29.1°C
May	8%	7.6 kt	ENE	28.4°C	30.1°C
Jun	7%	7.4 kt	SSW	27.9°C	30.4°C
Jul	33%	9.9 kt	SW	27.7°C	30.1°C
Aug	30%	9.4 kt	SW	28.2°C	30.1°C
Sep	34%	10.3 kt	SW	28.3°C	30.1°C
Oct	23%	8.5 kt	SW	27.8°C	30.6°C
Nov	2%	7.5 kt	NE	27.7°C	30.2°C
Dec	10%	8.6 kt	NE	27.1°C	29.2°C

modelled

A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.

Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid (2022-2024), not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.

ERA5 reanalysis grid point (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical weather API — ECMWF ERA5/ERA5-Land reanalysis, not a ground station · 2022-2024

The water

Type

mixed

Standing depth

A protected flatwater lagoon on the eastern shore that can go very shallow at low tide; the depth range is unconfirmed.

Tides

Tide affected. Watch it, because the spot gets quite shallow at low tide.

Temperature

29°C summer · 27°C winter

Wetsuit

Boardshorts/rash vest conditions; Bohol sea-temperature sources show warm water all year.

Currents

The strongest current around Pamilacan runs along the southern coast, in the dolphin play area. What the current does at the east-shore lagoon is unconfirmed for kiting.

28–31°C water

The eastern shore has a sandy beach, a protected flatwater lagoon and waves on the outer reefs. Pamilacan is a coral island ringed by fringing reef, with seagrass and starfish among the marine life. The north-side beaches are shallower and weedier, with snorkeling on the reef edges.

Your level

not for beginners hereintermediateadvanced

Panglao and Pamilacan are rated beginner to intermediate with plenty of space, but boat access, limited facilities, low-tide shallows and exploratory conditions cut against that. This record treats independent beginners as unsuitable unless a local school or guide comes along.

The scene

What riders come here for

beginnerintermediatefreerideexploratory freerideflat water at suitable tidesmall reef wavesboat-access day tripswildlife side trips

A small fishing-community island and wildlife-tour stop rather than a kite beach. Few restaurants, calm, very little tourism.

Launch and rules

three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you

With a school or a boat

No school names this spot

Nobody has been recorded teaching or running a boat here.

On your own

Room to launch: large

access rules on record

Somewhere else

No neighbour on record

No other spot in the atlas sits within reach of this one.

Rescue

No lifeguards; no kite rescue boat on record.

Launch

The kite area is the eastern shore: a long sandy coastline, a flatwater lagoon and waves on the outer reef. In strong wind the boats land on the back side of the island, so you take a local motorcycle across to the windy side.

Space

large

Rules & access

No parking, no lifeguards, and you pay for the boat and for the motorbike ride (2025). Pamilacan is part of the Bohol Marine Triangle, with a marine sanctuary on the northwest side. No 2026 kitesurf-specific rule, launch permit or exclusion zone was found.

Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.

Rider tips

Go through a Panglao school: the Bohol operators run trips out here for advanced riders.
Ask the operator whether the east-shore lagoon is rideable before you pay for the boat.
Time the trip on the tide; the lagoon gets too shallow to ride at the low end.
Have a local negotiate the boat and the motorbike, because there are no fixed prices.
Bring booties, sun cover, water, repair basics and a self-rescue plan.
Keep off the reef and clear of the sanctuary, the dolphin and whale boats and the snorkeling groups.

Getting there

Airport

Bohol-Panglao International Airport (TAG)

Route

From Panglao or Tagbilaran and Baclayon, arrange a boat. The easiest kite access is chartering a small boat at Baclayon pier, where there is no formal terminal and no fixed price, then a local motorcycle transfer if the boat lands on the lee side.

Transfer

30-60 minutes by boat from Baclayon depending on sea conditions and engine; Alona/Panglao day-trip boats can take roughly 90-120 minutes.

Cost level

medium

Staying

Simple island stays and resort/guesthouse meals are available; food is mostly through accommodations rather than a restaurant strip.

No-wind days

Dolphin and whale watching, snorkeling the coral garden/marine sanctuary with official guides, diving, visiting the Spanish-era watchtower, walking the island, and Bohol/Panglao sightseeing.

FAQ

When is the best time to kitesurf at Pamilacan Island?

The season runs roughly November through May under Bohol's Amihan pattern, though the spot specifically needs an easterly wind direction to work.

Is Pamilacan Island suitable for beginners?

Independent beginners are not recommended; the eastern lagoon is tide-sensitive and there are no lifeguards, so this record treats it as intermediate-to-advanced unless accompanied by a local school or guide.

How do you get to Pamilacan Island?

Riders charter a small boat from Baclayon pier near Panglao or Tagbilaran, with no fixed terminal or price, then sometimes take a local motorcycle transfer if the boat lands on the lee side.

What hazards should riders know about at Pamilacan Island?

Hazards include shallow rocks and reef, sea urchins, jellyfish, boat traffic from whale and dolphin tours, and a marine sanctuary on the island's northwest side.

Last updated: August 2026