Cebu

Overview

Cebu stretches across much of the central Visayas and combines a historic city with a long, varied coast. Cebu City is one of the country's oldest cities, with a colonial core of churches, a fort, and old streets, while nearby Mactan holds the airport and resort beaches. To the southwest, Moalboal and Badian draw divers and canyoneers, and the southern coast around Oslob is known for whale sharks and waterfalls. Whether the trip leans city, south, or north shapes the whole visit.

Standout experiences

• 01 Cebu City heritage

  A historic old quarter of churches, a stone fort, and colonial streets that is easy to walk.

• 02 Moalboal and Badian

  Reefs, the seasonal sardine run, and canyoneering in the southwest, popular with divers and adventurers.

• 03 Oslob whale sharks and waterfalls

  Southern coastal stops known for whale-shark watching and nearby falls.

• 04 Mactan and the resort coast

  The airport island, with beach resorts, dive shops, and easy connections to the rest of Cebu.

• 05 Highland and island day trips

  Mountain viewpoints above the city and smaller islands such as Bantayan and Malapascua offshore.

Getting there

Mactan-Cebu International Airport (CEB) is the main gateway to Cebu and the Central Visayas, on Mactan Island in Lapu-Lapu City. It is the second busiest airport in the Philippines, a hub for Philippine Airlines and an operating base for Cebu Pacific, Philippines AirAsia, and Sunlight Air. Taxis cross the Mactan bridges to Cebu City in 30 to 50 minutes.

When to go

The dry season from December to May suits diving, island hopping, and canyoneering. Sinulog, the Santo Nino festival, unfolds over nine days and peaks every third Sunday of January, when a fluvial procession and a grand street parade take over Cebu City. Peak summer crowds ease after Holy Week. Typhoon season runs roughly June to November.