The Philippines - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 631

CEBU
he island of Cebu is the ninth largest in
the Philippines and is considered as the
beating heart of the Visayas. Any
island-hopping trip will inevitably take
you through Cebu City , the Philippines'
second city, which despite its clamour is a
great place to get a fix of shopping and
international restaurants before returning
to lazy tropical living. When you've had
your fill of the city head north to the
idyllic island of Malapascua , where the
sand is as fine as Boracay's, or to tranquil
Bantayan off the northwest coast. South
of Cebu City, on the opposite coast, lies
the diving and drinking haven of
Moalboal where the sites around Pescador
Island are rated among the country's best.

catch a ferry. Colon Street is said to be the
oldest mercantile thoroughfare in the
country, though there's nothing in its
appearance to lend it any kind of
historical ambience. About ten minutes'
walk south is Carbon Market (dawn
until late), where the range of goods on
offer - edible, sartorial and unidentifiable
- will leave you reeling.
he city's spiritual heart is a small crypt
opposite the city hall containing the
Cross of Magellan . It's a modern hollow
replica said to hold fragments of the
original crucifix brought by the infamous
conquistador in 1521. he crypt was
closed at the time of writing but the cross
is still visible from outside. Next to the
crypt is the towering, dusty Basilica del
Santo Niño , damaged in the October
2013 Bohol earthquake, and still
undergoing repairs to the belfry at the
time of writing. Built from 1735-37, it
houses probably the most famous
religious icon in the Philippines, a statue
of the Santo Niño (Christ child), said to
have been presented to Queen Juana of
Cebu by Magellan in 1521. he
succeeding conquistador, Miguel Lopez
de Legaspi, arrived in 1565 and built
Fort San Pedro (daily 8am-8pm; P30)
near the port area at the end of Quezon
Boulevard. Its shaded garden is one of
the most tranquil spots in Cebu; bring
a picnic and hide away from the din of
the city.
Two museums are worth a look if you're
interested in Cebuano history and
culture: Casa Gorordo Museum , L. Jaena
Street (Tues-Sun 10am-6pm; P70), is a
former Spanish mansion which offers a
glimpse of Cebu's elegant past, while the
Sugbo Museum on M.J. Cuenco Avenue
(usually Mon-Sat 9am-5.30pm; P75) is
housed in the former provincial jail and
showcases artefacts from different periods
of the city's life, but was damaged by the
October 2013 earthquake and remained
closed at the time of writing.
hose seeking more of an adrenaline
rush can try the Sky Experience
Adventure ( W skyexperienceadventure
.com) at the Fuente Tower on Osmeña
Boulevard, which offers hair-raising
activities such as walking the outer rim of

Cebu City
he “Queen City of the South”, CEBU
CITY isn't half as chaotic as Manila,
thanks in part to a one-way tra c system
around much of the city, but it's still
pretty jammed with the usual snarl of
polluting jeepneys. In its favour, Cebu
has some great restaurants, lively nightlife
and so many malls that it's a wonder
Cebuanos ever see daylight. he big
annual attraction, however, is the Sinulog
Festival , which culminates on the third
Sunday of January with a wild Mardi
Gras-style street parade and an outdoor
concert at Fuente Osmeña. he festival,
in honour of Cebu's patron saint the
Santo Niño, is similar to Kalibo's
Ati-Atihan and hotels are usually full,
particularly for the climax of the
festivities. Check W sinulog.ph for details.

8

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
From a visitor's perspective, Cebu City is
steadily moving northwards, as more
restaurants and amenities appear in the
areas of Lahug and Banilad. hese suburbs
and the area around Fuente Osmeña , the
large tra c roundabout on the main
north-south drag Osmeña Boulevard,
make up “uptown” Cebu city.
he old part of the city (“downtown”)
is, for the most part, a seething cobweb of
sunless avenues and murky streams; half a
day is enough to see the sights - the only
other reason to come downtown is to