Panay (Capiz)

This article is about the municipality in Capiz. For the island in the Philippines, see Panay

Panay (pronounced pan-ay with a pause in the dash) is a town in Capiz.

Situated at the mouth of the Panay River, the town was the second place in the Philippines to be conquered by the Spanish after Cebu in 1569, only to be overshadowed when the Spanish moved on to Manila in 1571 and made it their capital. Panay gave its name to the wider island in which it stands and became the capital of the province of Capiz until the 18th century, when it was moved west to the neighboring settlement of Capiz (now Roxas City), which had better port facilities. This resulted in a slow economic decline that in the long run enabled it to retain its cultural and natural heritage.

Today, the town sustains itself through agriculture, fishing, tourism and commercial spillover from Roxas City. It is home to about 51,000 people (census, 1 July 2024)

Panay is along the Iloilo East Coast-Capiz Road, part of the circumferential highway network that encircles Panay Island. The nearest airport is in Roxas City, a 20-minute drive away.

Tricycles are the main form of public transportation around town.

• 11.555689122.7940131 Santa Monica Parish Church, Iloilo East Coast-Capiz Road, Poblacion Ilaya (beside the municipal hall), santamonicadepanay@gmail.com. Panay's main Roman Catholic church, built in a Baroque style during the Spanish era in 1884. Its main highlight is the church bell, which at 10 tonnes, is dubbed as the heaviest in Asia. There is also an ecclesiastical museum.  (updated Sep 2026)
• 11.571206122.8536242 Pawa-Buntod Beach. A 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) stretch of black sand along the barangays of Pawa and Buntod.  (updated Sep 2026)
• 11.617033122.8261713 Napti Island. An uninhabited islet surrounded by white sand beaches and coral reefs.  (updated Sep 2026)
• 11.594599122.8313094 Mangrove Forest. The largest mangrove forest in Panay Island, with an area of 371.03 hectares (916.8 acres). It is situated at the mouth of the Panay River and covers the barangays of Lat-asan and Buntod.  (updated Sep 2026)

There is a branch of Banco de Oro (BDO) in downtown Panay.

The town's postal code is 5801.

Kalibo ← Roxas City ←

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→ Pontevedra → Iloilo City