Cebu is the largest island in the Visayan archipelago and is home to a diverse ecosystem, including volcanic formations, beaches, lakes, waterfalls, and other natural wonders.
The city of Cebu offers plenty of tourist attractions you can explore while backpacking on this beautiful island.
Cebu Tourist Spots:
1. Kawasan Falls
The most popular place to visit in Badian is Kawasan Falls, a three-tiered waterfall with turquoise water.
It is also one of the Philippines’ most famous waterfalls.
The falls can be seen in two ways. One way is to take one of the canyoneering tours from Alegria to Badian, which takes three to six hours.
The other way is to take a short hike to the waterfalls with the Kawasan Falls tours.
2. Bantayan Island
Bantayan Island is a small island near the northern coast of the island of Cebu.
But don’t let this quiet fishing village fool you.
The beaches on this small island are just as beautiful and charming as those on the famous Boracay Island.
The best thing about Bantayan Island is that it is not as crowded and commercialized as Boracay.
Bantayan Island is a great place to go if you want to relax on the beach and see one of the most beautiful sunsets.
Bantayan Island has a lot of long beaches with white sand and calm blue water.
Most of the beaches on Bantayan Island are part of resorts or are privately owned, but anyone can pay a small fee to use them.
3. Temple of Leah
The Temple of Leah is one of the most well-known places in Cebu. It has been called the Taj Mahal of Cebu.
This beautiful building is a popular place for people in Cebu to take photos that look good on Instagram.
The Temple of Leah is a great place to start if you want to tour the Cebu hills.
Temple of Leah is a tall, seven-story building in the hills of Busay in Cebu City.
It was built in the style of ancient Roman architecture.
This grand building is said to have cost over PHP 80 Million.
It has granite floors, Doric columns, a marble fountain, and several statues in the style of ancient Greece.
4. Sumilon Island
Sumilon Island is, without a doubt, one of the most visited places in Cebu.
The best thing about Sumilon Island is its beautiful sandbar, which changes shape with the seasons.
The water around the island is also beautiful. The different shades of blue and their clarity will make you want to jump right in.
This 24-hectare island is at the southernmost point of the main island of Cebu.
It is owned privately by a resort, but anyone can pay a small fee to go there.
Sumilon Island is also a marine protected area, and it is home to diving spots in the Philippines where you can see blacktip sharks, colorful fish, and huge coral gardens.
You can play around on the sandbar or go snorkeling to see the beautiful underwater world of Sumilon.
5. Camotes Island
Adventure-seekers can do many different things outside Camotes Island, in the northern part of Cebu.
The Holy Crystal Cave on Camotes Island is one of the most popular places for spelunking.
The Holy Crystal Cave is different because the natural shape of its chambers is to go down.
People can reach the chambers through a small opening above ground and then down eight levels.
Inside the cave, some stalactites and stalagmites are still in good shape.
Lake Danao, also called the Lover’s Lake by the people who live there, is another unique thing about Camotes. Interestingly, the lake looks like the number 8.
6. Malapascua
Malapascua Island is a small island near Daanbantayan, in the north of Cebu.
There are a lot of great places to dive in Cebu, and they are all known for their colorful coral walls and large sea creatures.
Malapascua Island is well-known in the Philippines and worldwide, especially among divers.
This is the only place where you can dive with thresher sharks daily.
7. Sirao Garden
Sirao Garden is another great place to take photos for Instagram on a hillside in Cebu.
This beautiful flower farm is in the highlands of Busay.
It is called “Little Amsterdam” of Cebu.
During your Cebu sightseeing trip, you will want to pull out your camera and take a million pictures of the colorful flowers at Sirao Garden.
The Sirao Garden has rows of sunflowers, hyacinths, chrysanthemums, daisies, and asters.
The brightly colored celosia flowers, on the other hand, are the main draw.
8. Magellan’s Cross
Magellan’s Cross is a great place to start if you want to see some of Cebu’s historic sites.
The province of Cebu has a long and interesting history and has seen many important events.
For example, when Magellan planted a cross on the island, he marked the beginning of Catholicism in the Philippines.
People say that the Portuguese explorer Magellan brought Catholicism to the Philippine Archipelago.
In 1521, Magellan went to the island of Cebu, where he planted a crucifix and converted the native people to Christianity.
This is the story that is told in history books. Soon, the city of Cebu grew up around that old place.
9. Osmeña Peak
The highest point in Cebu is Osmea Peak, which is 1,013 meters above sea level.
The peak is part of the Mantalongon Mountain Range in Dalaguete, comprised of several spire-like peaks.
Dalaguete is known as the “Vegetable Basket of Cebu” because it supplies crops to the whole province from its small town.
So, when you hike to the top of Osmea Peak, you will pass by several vegetable farms and see animals grazing on the land.
10. Simala Shrine
The Monastery of the Holy Eucharist is in Simala, Sibonga, in Cebu.
It is also known as the Simala Shrine and Cebu’s Castle Church.
As its name suggests, the large religious building looks like a castle on a hill.
People first heard about Simala Shrine when word got out about the miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary it holds.
Many Catholics and people who worship the Virgin Mary went to Simala to pay their respects and pray for miracles and the Virgin’s help.
As the church’s popularity grew, a series of renovations started turning their small chapel into a grand shrine that looked like a castle.
11. Cebu Taoist Temple
One of the most well-known places in Cebu City is the Cebu Taoist Temple.
The Chinese people of Cebu built the Taoist Temple in 1972. It is a colorful, multi-level complex in the Beverly Hills Subdivision.
The temple stands 110 feet above sea level and has a front that looks like the Great Wall of China.
The Cebu Taoist Temple is where people who believe in the ancient ideas of the Chinese philosopher Lao Zi go to worship.
12. Sardine Run in Moalboal
Moalboal is a popular place for tourists to visit on the southwestern coast of the province.
It is best known for the Sardine Run.
Imagine swimming in clear water with millions of sardines all around you. If you’re lucky, you might even be able to snorkel with turtles.
Travelers who have seen this underwater wonder have said it was amazing and almost unreal.
The fact that the sardines don’t leave the shallows of Moalboal makes this show even more magical.
Moalboal island hopping tours let you see them all year long, and all you need is a pair of swimming goggles.
13. Carnaza Island
Malapascua isn’t the only thing in Daanbantayan that’s worth seeing. Carnaza Island is one of the newest places to visit in Cebu.
It is a beautiful place to visit, two hours away from Malapascua.
This turtle-shaped island is 173 hectares big and has many things to see.
In the middle of the Visayan Sea, Carnaza Island has mangrove swamps, lagoons, rolling hills, and forests.
The island’s beautiful beaches with white sand and clear water will make you want to jump in.
You can also explore caves and get a bird’s-eye view of the island from a cliff.
14. Fort San Pedro
Cebu is full of history. We’re lucky that buildings that show us what life was like in the past are still standing.
Fort San Pedro is one such building. During Spain’s rule of Cebu, this stone fort was used as a military defense structure.
The first fort was made of wood, but Muslim raiders forced it to be replaced with stone in the 17th century.
The stone building dates back to 1738 and is thought to be the Philippines’ oldest triangular bastion fort.
15. Museo Sugbo
Go to the Museo Sugbo if you want to learn more about the history and culture of the province of Cebu.
The history of the museum building itself is very interesting.
In the old coral-stone building that is now the Museo Sugbo, criminals from Cebu were once locked up.
In fact, from 1870 to 2004, the galleries of the Museo Sugbo were the Carcel de Cebu or the provincial jail of Cebu.
Today, the chambers of Museo Sugbo are full of well-kept artifacts that show Cebu’s history.
Each room is themed around a different time in Cebu’s history.
16. Mactan
Don’t leave Cebu until you’ve seen some of the best islands in the Philippines, on the small islands close to it.
The beautiful islets of Talima, Caohagan, Cabulan, Nalusuan, Sulpa, and Hilutungan are easy to reach from the nearby island of Mactan.
Before you go…
Cebu is a beautiful province, and there are many places to visit. We hope this list helped you choose which one suits your needs best!
Check out my next article: “Why is It More Fun in the Philippines?“
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