Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CEBU CITY ORIENTATION
Cebu City's main north-south artery is
President Osmeña Boulevard
, running from the
Provincial Capitol Building to
Colon Street
. Beyond this is a jumble of streets that in true
Philippine urban tradition appears to have no particular centre. Nostalgics may cite the earthy,
careworn charms of Colon Street and the
port
as the beating heart of Cebu, while others
focus on the hotel and bar hub of
Fuente Osmeña
, 1km north, but these days the best
dining and shopping are to be found in the malls at the
Ayala Center
,
The Terraces
and the
trendy residential and entertainment areas of
Lahug
and
Banilad
in the northern suburbs of
the city. Thirty minutes' drive north of the city proper,
Mandaue
is a light industrial suburb
that functions as one of the city's economic hubs and is also home to government of
ces
and consulates.
6
The October 2013 Bohol quake (see box, p.292) also shook Cebu, and some of the
older buildings in this part of the city were damaged and still under repair at the time
of writing.
Many of Cebu's attractions are associated with Magellan's arrival in 1521 and the
city's status as the birthplace of Catholicism in the Philippines, and are to be found
near the
port
in the old part of the city. West of here a seething cobweb of sunless
streets run between
Carbon Market
and
Colon Street
, the latter said to be the oldest
mercantile thoroughfare in the Philippines. You can explore the area on foot, picking
your way carefully past barrow boys selling pungent limes, hawkers peddling fake
mobile phone accessories and, at night, pimps whispering their proposals from dark
doorways. A vibrant, humming, occasionally malodorous area of poorly maintained
pavements and thick diesel fumes, it's not a mainstream tourist sight but worth some
time for its spirit and vigour.
Further inland the excellent
Casa Gorordo
and
Museo Sugbo
(closed at the time of
writing) give more historical insights. For a break from the serious stuff,
Tops Lookout
is true to its name and offers a great view from the top of Cebu, along with a breath of
fresh air.
Cebu City's main tourist event is the Mardi Gras-style
Sinulog festival
in January
(see opposite).
The Cross of Magellan
Magallanes St • Closed at the time of writing
Cebu City's spiritual heart is an unassuming circular crypt in the middle of busy
Magallanes Street that houses the
Cross of Magellan
. The first of the conquering
Spaniards to set foot in the Philippines, Magellan began a colonial and religious rule
that would last four hundred turbulent years. The crypt's ceiling is beautifully painted
with a scene depicting his landing in Cebu in 1521 and the planting of the original
cross on the shore. It was with this cross that Magellan is said to have baptized the
Cebuana Queen Juana and four hundred of her followers. The cross that stands here
today, however, is a modern, hollow reproduction said to contain fragments of the
conquistador's original. At the time of writing the crypt was undergoing repairs, but it
was still possible to view the cross from outside.
Basilica del Santo Niño
President Osmeña Blvd, next to the Cross of Magellan • Daily 9am-7pm • Free •
W
basilicasantonino.org.ph
Heralded by vendors selling plastic religious icons and amulets offering cures for
everything from poverty to infertility, the
Basilica del Santo Niño
, which was built
between 1735 and 1737, is home to probably the most famous religious icon in
the Philippines, the statue of the
Santo Niño
. The statue, which looks like an
extravagantly dressed children's doll, is said to have been presented to Queen Juana
