Taloot Mangroves, Argao

About 2 hours from Cebu city is a town called Argao. An area called Taloot is blessed with a huge mangrove area which can be seen from the Taloot Pier.

Access to the mangrove area is through a bamboo walkway that was built by the local fishermen's cooperative. The walkway starts near the highway bridge and folllows the river up to a small viewing hut. The mangroves can be seen by following the walkway or by riding a bangka or kayak. There are absolutely no tourists in this area. We were the first ones to kayak in these mangroves. It is a very easy and interesting ride which flows into the sea and more mangroves can be explored during high tide. What makes for a cultural experience is the fact that we were paddling alongside the busy local fishing boat traffic.

There are some patches of coral life for snorkeling. However,  the great lesson that can be learned from this area is seeing how the fishermen organized themselves in order to protect the area because they understand the role of the mangroves in their livelihood.