Hotels near Magellan's Cross and Basilica del Santo Nino

These two sit 60 metres apart in downtown Cebu City and are the oldest surviving pieces of colonial history in the Philippines. Magellan's Cross stands inside a small octagonal kiosk on Magallanes Street, planted by Ferdinand Magellan's expedition in April 1521 when Rajah Humabon, his wife and around 800 of their household were baptised. The original wood is encased in tindalo hardwood to stop pilgrims chipping fragments off it. A painted ceiling above shows the baptism scene. Entry is free and ten minutes covers it.

Next door, the Basilica Minore del Santo Nino is the oldest Roman Catholic church in the country, founded in 1565 and rebuilt in coral stone between 1735 and 1739. It houses the Santo Nino de Cebu, the Flemish statuette Magellan presented to Queen Juana, and it anchors the Sinulog festival every January. Mass runs through the day and the courtyard fills with candle vendors performing prayer dances. Entry is free; the small museum charges PHP 30, under EUR 1.

Pro Tip: Come on a weekday before 9am. Fridays draw enormous devotional crowds and the third Sunday of January makes the whole block impassable. Cover shoulders and knees or the guards at the basilica gate will send you back.