Odlot: The Island Of Cebu Forgot To Mention

Living in a coastal province is everything and full of contentment. Almost all bodies of water or land can be seen here at any given distance; just go to the northwest and falls and fine beaches await you, go to the south and you'll find towering mountains, hills, and landscapes like farms blooming in summer season, and go anywhere you can and you'll find anything you need for a relaxing break or vacation. As a Cebuano who lives in the north of Cebu Island, I can say we have everything here in terms of paradise and tourist spots not yet known internationally or nationally. But as someone who has been living here for 22 years, the north of Cebu is a paradise in silence and a gem by nature.

One of my best to-go places in the north, which homes a long coast with white sand beaches and marine rock formations silently proving how best and healthy nature is when untouched or unknown by people, is the town of Odlot in Bogo City. Odlot is translated or means “tip-most,” the uppermost part, making the place known as the coastal tip of Bogo City or the end point of the town by the sea. Tumoy is the Cebuano translation of its meaning, and often local folks would use the word tumoy when giving directions or referring to Odlot, where it homes the most unbothered and untouched beaches of the town (according to me).

Home of 2,814 people in all walks of life, Odlot contains a very small population, which contributes to the controlled extraction of resources and maintenance of the coast’s healthiness and cleanliness, given the small number of households that reside in the town. As for my experience, the moment I saw the beaches of Odlot, I thought without doubt that this paradise is almost untouched and must remain untouched to preserve its beauty. Although resorts established since the 80s but renovated today sit on the coast, the responsible ones still do their job to maintain the beauty of the beaches or the soul of Odlot, so to speak. E&J, Mirkis, and Hideaway Resort Odlot are some of them that keep the coast alive amidst commercialization.

Local stories say this Odlot town was once called Alegria, which is too far from the present name, as indicated by an old well known as Tabay sa Odlot. However, people in the past preferred and usually called it Odlot, hence conditioning the town to recognize it as Odlot until the present. No other explanation was said because this lore is incomplete. Also, the Odlot town is not that historical for me, amidst many legends and stories about it, because this town gives you another energy that is vibrant, relaxing, and cooling—you can forget the rest of things, whether in the past or present.

Odlot is just a little town with a paradise as big as other popular tourist spots. For many of us who have been loving this place of beautiful beaches, Odlot is a relaxing seaside escape from all stress and burden we have. In fact, I discovered this place when I got to college, when my schoolmates would go to its coast, walk along it until we reached the tip of the coast where water is only the bridge to another island, to release our stress from our major subjects. I remember how often we came here by second year and brought extra clothes so our uniforms wouldn’t get sacrificed as we swam around during long breaks between classes. Breaks in college are horrible—imagine you go there by 7:00 A.M. in the morning and the next class is 5:30 in the dusk. So it is reasonable for us to spend the rest of the day here before going to classes wet and tanned.

A hidden paradise with calm clear waters, cool sea breeze, and a relaxing summer-like atmosphere is how I describe the beaches and the blue horizon of Odlot. It is ideal for tourists who want to be in a vacation with less people and interaction, less pollution, and less crowd. Just to be present, be in the moment, facing a clear and big blue sea with the sun in their eyes and rocky cliffs beside the view—this is what it feels like to be in Odlot. Speaking of rocky cliffs, the rock formations that stand above the water and near the sands are one of my favorite features of Odlot beaches. Big or small, each of them is utilized as a diving spot or secret spot to be alone. I did it once, and I did the two.

If you want to travel to Odlot and your starting point is Cebu City, where most tourists dock or land, then you have a very convenient and easy travel to take. From the city, you can take a bus in the Cebu North Bus Terminal, which is not busy when there are no feasts or special occasions that form crowds and busy streets. The bus you should take should be bound for Bogo City as written in the bus front or Hagnaya, which is a neighboring town of Bogo so you’ll pass Bogo before it. Travel hours are 3–5 hours depending on the route or occasions you might encounter. In the bus stop of Bogo, located near the Jollibee Drive-Thru Bogo, ride a tricycle or habal-habal to Odlot, which could be impossible if it is night time. Be careful riding habal-habal because they might overprice your fare.

Your visit to Odlot will never be a waste of time nor a regret. This place will give you simple, affordable, and meaningful opportunities to experience life near the sea without noise, with relaxed and down-to-earth experiences of its beaches and landscapes that sit in almost all corners of the town. Although vacations in cities are luxurious and more quality when it comes to infrastructures and accommodations, nothing can beat Odlot and other province beaches when it comes to offering you a peaceful stay and one-for-the-books experiences by the seaside. No wonder Odlot is known for its graceful beaches and destinations, with natural and exquisite surroundings from greens to blues, from landscapes to seas. Just looking at the photos again made me remember how restful I was for just swimming without minding anything.

Perfect experiences and modest beaches. This is how Odlot consistently defines itself in the heart of tourists and visitors who experience the place. This is Odlot at its finest and its quiet pride of being a paradise. This is Odlot making a name without trying or pretending to be relaxing. Odlot is simply the paradise without noise and a beauty without effort. A beach, although unknown, is as perfect and grandeur as famous beaches across the globe.