Cagayan de Oro to Tagbilaran Ferry

The Cagayan de Oro to Tagbilaran crossing is one of the newest long-haul links in the central Philippines, opened by Lite Ferries on 20 March 2026 to connect Northern Mindanao directly with Bohol. It is worked by the RoRo passenger vessel Lite Ferry Five, which sails as an overnight service rather than a fast catamaran hop.

Departures leave the Port of Cagayan de Oro (Macabalan) three nights a week — Monday, Wednesday and Friday — casting off at around 7:00 PM and reaching Tagbilaran's city wharf near daybreak, typically about 5:30 AM the following morning. The full passage across the Bohol Sea runs roughly 10 to 11 hours, so most travellers book a bunk or reclining seat and sleep through the trip. Because the ship is a roll-on/roll-off vessel, it carries private cars, motorcycles, rolling cargo and freight trucks alongside foot passengers, which makes it useful for traders and road-trippers moving between Mindanao and the Visayas without backtracking through Cebu.

Basic accommodation on this route generally falls in the region of ₱1,700 to ₱2,000 for a reclining or economy seat, with cabin and tourist-class berths priced higher; vehicle tariffs are charged separately by size. Lite Ferries is not alone on the water here — Trans-Asia Shipping Lines also runs a Cagayan de Oro–Tagbilaran connection a few times weekly — but the Lite Ferry Five sailing gives Bohol a dedicated, direct night boat to CDO. Arrive at Macabalan at least an hour ahead, bring a valid government ID for boarding, and confirm the current departure night before travelling, as this remains a young route still bedding into its timetable.