Things to Do in Cebu City

Some of the world’s best beaches are found in the Philippines and the Island of Cebu has been blessed with many of the country’s best sandy spots. No wonder that many of the activities both Cebu island and Cebu City have on offer are water- and sea-related.

Choose your beach

While the beaches on Mactan Island are fine for an afternoon of tanning and swimming, they are manmade, they don’t include any coral reefs, and true beach aficionados will want to make their way to the much more impressive beaches in the area.

For instance, Bantayan Island boasts some of the most incredible beaches in the country, which is no small feat. You can either take a chartered plane from the airport or you can take a car and ferry combination from Cebu, which will take you somewhere in the neighbourhood of 4 hours.

Some of the resorts in the city are happy to arrange day trips for their customers, and while the car and ferry option will be reasonably priced, it’s rather expensive to charter your own plane.

Discover the underwater world

If you’re interested in seeing some of the fauna of the Philippines under the water, the nearby island of Olango offers great snorkelling and bird watching as well, because migratory birds use the island on their routes. You may also be lucky enough to spot turtles or dolphins while snorkelling.

If snorkelling doesn’t do it for you and you’re interested in a bit more adventure, scuba diving is also something that Cebu offers. From pristine coral reefs to shipwrecks that have attracted all manners of marine life, Cebu is one of the world’s top scuba destinations. Compared to other parts of the world and even other parts of Southeast Asia, scuba diving is incredibly well-priced. You’ll be able to get your open water diver certificate at around a third of the price it would cost in other countries in the region. If you’re looking to begin scuba diving, Cebu is a great location to start, and if you’re a seasoned veteran, the underwater life in Cebu won’t disappoint.

Birds encounters

The Olango Wildlife Sanctuary has over a hundred different types of birds that can be seen there, so bring a pair of binoculars. Admission costs PHP100. To get there, you can take the local ferry which costs just PHP20. The journey takes about 20 minutes from the Hilton Pier on Mactan Island.

Motorbike tours

As many people will attest, the best way to get around Southeast Asia is by motorbike and Cebu is no exception. There are companies that offer motorbike tours so that you can see parts of the island that are off the beaten path. Travel companies in the area arrange tours ranging from day trips to week-long tours of the area. For a day-long trip, you can expect the price to be around PHP1500, though depending on the quality of the tour, prices may vary.

Anything for adrenaline junkies?

Cebu offers something special for daredevils, which goes by the name of Extreme Rides. On the top of the Crown Regency Cebu hotel, which is close to Robinson’s Mall (a great shopping destination) there’s something of a small amusement park for thrill seekers. You can choose to walk around the top of the building, which provides great views of the city, and a safety net, of course, or you can try your luck on the Extreme Ride. How it works is you sit on a seat, get strapped in quite securely, and a machine tilts you out over the side of the building so that you’re staring straight down at the ground below as you are suspended nearly a kilometre up in the air, totally at the mercy of the machine’s operators.