Hello readers and fellow travel bloggers, for our latest travel adventures, we will share our experiences at the Queen City of the South, Cebu.
For our 5-day tour, we explored this beautiful city from the Southern to the Northern part, and we ended our Cebu Island tour at Cebu City, the oldest and the first capital city of the Philippines with a population of 2.5 million people.
But before I share our daily itinerary, let me tell you some facts about Cebu.
Cebu is considered the oldest city in the Philippines. It was the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines in 1521. A Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, arrived in Cebu to claim the archipelago for Spain.
With over 300 years under the Spanish government, you will see a lot of Spanish influence in its religion, gastronomy, and architectural designs of Churches and shrines such as Magellan’s Cross, Colon Street, Fort San Pedro, and the Basílica Minore del Santo Niño.
The pristine and world-class beaches and rich culture of Cebu attracted so many tourists and adventurers that it became the center of trade, commerce, and tourism in the Visayan Region.
DAY 1 MOALBOAL
Our first day of adventure starts at the South-Western
part of Cebu and the ultimate recreational diving spot in Cebu, the Moalboal! From Mactan Airport, it will take around 2 to 4 hours to get there, depending on your mode of transportation.
We decided to get a private airport taxi to reach our accommodation in 2 and a half hours and it cost us Php 2700 or around 50$. But if you are on a budget and not in a hurry, you can take a public taxi and bus
transfer option and it will take you 4 hours to reach Moalboal and cost only Php 580 or 10$ one-way trip.
Moalboal is known for its stunning snorkeling spots, breathtaking waterfalls, and idyllic white sand beaches. Moalboal is the perfect place for sea divers and underwater explorers.
Our Accommodation in Moalboal: ALLBAS HOMESTAY
Allbas Homestay is a guest house providing 1-star accommodation in Moalboal, with the best-facing seafront view.
It features a private beach area, garden, and private parking. This guest house features air-conditioned accommodation with a balcony. They also have guest house family rooms. Each unit is equipped with a wardrobe, a private bathroom, a desk, and a seating area. A minimarket is also available near the guest house.
We picked this guest house because of its proximity to our adventure itineraries for the day, the Sardines and Sea Turtles Diving
Panagsama Beach is only 1.4 km from Allbas, and Kawasan Falls is just 26 km away.
Tourist Attractions & Activities
Snorkeling with sardines and sea turtles viewing.
Lunch at Chili Bar
Canyoneering Kawasan Falls
Trekking and Sunset viewing at Osmena Peak
Panagsama Beach or “Basdiot”
Panagsama Beach is a beach strip about 4 km from the town center.
It is a dedicated beach for the diving community. There is not much sand at this beach, it is rather rocky and covered with corals which makes it not ideal for swimmers and sunbathers, but a prime destination for scuba divers and snorkelers. Perfect for sardines and sea turtles viewing. Panagsama, also called Basdiot means “little sand” in the local dialect.
Along Panagsama’s coast, a string of beach resorts, dive shops, beach bars, restaurants, seafood grills, souvenirs, and retail shops line up. What makes this place unique is the open and relaxed atmosphere.
Chili Bar: Best Resto Bar at Moalboal
After our tiring dive and snorkeling at the Panagsama beach, we strolled along the retail and souvenir shops and headed to one of the best resto bars closest to the beach area, the Chili Bar for our lunch.
Chili Bar is the favorite hang-out area for those who want to chill, and have some drinks while listening to cool music. Others like it for the vibe of dining with a good sea view. Their food is good and fairly priced.
Kawasan Falls: Canyoneering / Light Nature Trekking
From Panagsama we headed 21km further south to Kawasan Falls. We hired a motorbike for faster accessibility to reach our destination.
It took us only around 30 to 45 minutes to get there.
At Kawasan, as we approached the reception area, we paid 2,400 pesos ($43) per person for a canyoneering experience fee. It was already mid-afternoon and the place was already crowded so we decided not to do the canyoneering but opted for the light nature trekking. We followed the guided paths, enjoyed the view, and took pictures and videos of palm trees surrounding the banks of gushing water. After a thirty-minute walk, we soon approached the largest Kawasan Falls.
The Kawasan Falls is a three-tiered cascade of clear turquoise water from mountain springs and is part of the Kawasan River in Badian, Cebu. The water from the falls originates from the Kabukalan Spring and passes through the Kawasan Gorge en route to the Matutinao River and the Tanon Strait. The largest waterfall is about 40 meters high, followed by smaller cascades and turquoise water pools. It is a popular tourist destination known for its tranquil and relaxing environment, and the adventurous can even enjoy a raft ride or a dive off cliffs.[Source Info Text, WikipediA]
Picturesque Sunset: Osmena Peak
Our last stop for the day was the sunset viewing at the mountaintop!
From Kawasan Falls of Badian, we again rode the motorbike known as “habal – habal” heading towards the most famous viewpoint of Cebu, Osmena Peak. It took us about 45 to 60 minutes to get there in Dalaguete. It is nicknamed ” Little Baguio” of Cebu for its cooler climate and abundant cabbage and lettuce farms.
Osmeña Peak is a beginner-level hike. In around 20 minutes you will already have reached the top. Despite being the highest peak, and a little rocky at some trails, it is not that steep and is an easy, beautiful hike.
Osmeña Peak in Dalaguete, Cebu is located 1,013 meters above sea level and is the highest peak on the island.
Starting from the awesome underwater sea adventures and finishing at the highest peak on the island with the majestic sunset view, is indeed an amazing experience and a great blessing from above.
Here’s the video summary for our first-day trip.
Continue reading for succeeding days on my next post…Click here :⏩https://travelunnies.com/2024/11/24/love-cebu-where-the-sun-meets-the-sea-part2/
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