Cebu Travel Guides
Browse and explore the best travel guides in Cebu.
Cebu Travel Facts
Cebu is the Philippines' oldest city and the main hub of the Visayas, the point where Magellan landed in 1521 and where Spanish rule in the archipelago began. Today it combines a busy urban centre with some of the country's most accessible diving and island-hopping.
In the city itself, Magellan's Cross and the Basilica del Santo Niño mark the colonial beginnings, and Fort San Pedro guards the old harbour. Most visitors quickly head out to the island: whale sharks at Oslob, the canyoneering and waterfalls at Kawasan near Badian, the sardine run and thresher sharks off Moalboal and Malapascua, and the white beaches of Bantayan.
Mactan Island, connected by bridge and home to the airport, holds the resort strip. Ferries from Cebu City reach Bohol in two hours, making the two islands an easy pairing on one trip.
Country
Philippines
Region
Central Visayas
Population
~1 million (city), ~3 million metro
Elevation
17 m above sea level
Time Zone
PHT (UTC+8)
Currency
Philippine Peso (PHP)
Language
Cebuano and English; Filipino widely understood
Nearest Airport
CEB (Mactan-Cebu International), 15 km
Airport to City Centre
~30-45 min by taxi or Grab, longer in traffic
Typical Cost Level
Budget
Transport Pass
No transit card — jeepneys, Grab and hired vans
Spring (Mar-May)
25-32°C, driest and hottest
Summer (Jun-Aug)
25-31°C, wet season begins
Autumn (Sep-Nov)
25-31°C, rainiest months
Winter (Dec-Feb)
24-30°C, drying out
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Cebu Destination FAQ
March to May is the driest period and the best for diving and island-hopping. December to February is also good and slightly cooler. The wettest months run from June to November, though Cebu sits outside the main typhoon corridor and rarely takes a direct hit.
Take a Grab or an airport taxi across the bridge to Cebu City, which takes 30-45 minutes depending on traffic. If you are staying in a Mactan resort, the transfer is only 10-15 minutes. Traffic in and out of the city can be very slow at peak hours.
Use Grab within Cebu City and hire a van or join a tour for trips down the island. Jeepneys are the cheap local option but hard to navigate as a visitor. Buses from the South Bus Terminal reach Moalboal and Oslob in three to four hours.
Five to seven days lets you see Cebu properly. The city itself needs only a day; the rest goes to the south coast for canyoneering and diving, and possibly north to Malapascua or across to Bohol. Distances on the island are longer than the map suggests.
It is worth knowing that the Oslob operation is controversial among marine biologists. The sharks there are hand-fed daily, which changes their natural migration and feeding behaviour. Donsol in Sorsogon and Southern Leyte offer encounters with wild, unfed whale sharks if that matters to you.
Cebu is safe for visitors, with petty theft in crowded parts of the city the main concern. The resort areas and dive towns see very little crime. Take water safety seriously on boat transfers and check that operators provide life jackets.
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