Being the oldest city in the Philippines, Cebu City boasts with many different tourist attractions that persuade tourists to return to the city. Aside from the beautiful beaches that surround the island, Cebu City is also rich in history, adding to the charm of this place.
Thanks to the PISO Fare of the local airlines in the Philippines, I was able to get a chance to book a ticket to CEBU before flying to Cagayan De Oro. I immediately phoned my best friend Ulysses Flores who is based in Cebu to ask if I could stay with him during my 2 nights stay in Cebu, luckily he agreed! If you don’t have someone like a friend or family to stay with, you can just rent a room or an apartment in Cebu that is within your budget.
I told my friend Uly, that I wanted to go to places that he thought worth visiting for a day since I only had very limited time and yet I want to maximize the time I had. So here are the 10 different tourist spots that I visited while I was in beautiful city of Cebu.
1. Heritage of Cebu Monument – Magallanes St.
Located in the old Parian district which was home to some prominent families in Cebu during the Spanish era, lies a beautiful monument that exhibits the different historical events that happened in Cebu. Here you will find the different historical structures like churches around Cebu, the Magellan’s Cross, and Spanish Galleon. You will also find scenes from the battle of Magellan and Lapu-Lapu, late President Sergio Osmena, and the Blessed Pedro Calungsod.
2. Magellan Cross Monument – Colon St.
One should never leave Cebu without visiting this iconic landmark. Because of it’s religious significance to Philippine history, this is considered to be the most visited tourist attraction in CEBU. This cross was planted by an explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who discovered the Philippines back in 1521. Once you are inside, you cannot help but look at the beautiful ceiling canvass that portrays the historical events of the cross.
3. Basilica Minore Del Santo Nino – Colon St.
A few steps away from the Magellan Cross, lies one of the oldest and most beautiful church in the Philippines that was built by the Spaniards. This church is also considered as the cradle of Christianity in the east. It experienced many catastrophic events like fires and earthquakes which damaged the bell tower in the recent 7.2 magnitude earthquake. Yet, you still cannot deny the beauty and grandeur of this place. A perfect place to thank God for everything!
4. TOPS – Busay
Get to enjoy the view of Cebu city and the cool breeze from above, and one famous place to see that is at TOPS. You will also like the drive since it was quite scenic from every vantage point. There is an entrance fee of Php100.00 at Tops but the view from there was just magnificent. There are also some cafes, curio and souvenir shops found inside Tops. The best time to visit was in the afternoon and also at night.
5.Temple of Leah – Busay ( Now Open!)
A beautiful and grand structure dedicated to Leah Villa Abino- Adarna; the construction started in 2012 as a sign of undying love and devotion by Teodoro Adarna to his wife. Inspired Roman architecture there is a lot of intricate detail in this huge house. It has already attracted so many visitors even before it was built. Unfortunately, when we visited, it was closed for construction. I can just imagine this place when it’s complete. It will be loved totally!
6. LANTAW NATIVE RESTAURANT – Busay
After a few minutes at the TOPs, we headed down for lunch at Lantaw Native Restaurant. Also located in Busay, aside from the great tasting food, you can also enjoy the view from the restaurant. The food consists of a variety of Filipino dishes from meats, vegetables, and seafood. You can also enjoy the cool breeze in the restaurant as it is very open. A great place to dine and watch the sunset and the city lights at night.
7. Philippine Taoist Temple – Beverly Hills Subdivision
A place of worship for the Taoists in Cebu, but for tourist, it is a popular destination in Cebu City no matter what their religion is. The well-maintained beautiful Chinese structure sticks out on a hill also giving you a nice view of the city. Just be prepared to walk up over a hundred steps up the temple. But once you reach the top and see the temple, you will say, it’s worth every step!
8. Chill at CAFE TALK – Escario St.
Found all over Cebu City, Cafe Talk is the coolest cafe I’ve ever seen so far! I am not sure if we have something this cool in Manila but I am glad I was able to try this place out with friends. As I’ve seen from different pictures on the web, each cafe has their own theme. And in this one, we went to the with a bedroom theme which was so cool! They offer coffees, milkshakes, and pastries. A great hang out place for studying and spending time with your friends.
9. LECHON AT ZUBUCHON- IT Park
The moment I arrived, the first food that I craved for was LECHON. Cebu City is known to have the best LECHON in the country. So when I arrived that evening, Uly took to me to the nearest place which is ZUBUCHON. Found pretty much everywhere around the city, Zubuchon definitely satisfied my craving for a good tasting lechon.
10. Alchology Bar at MANGO SQUARE
Our day tour was so much fun but Cebu city is also very vibrant at night. One place you must go to is Mango Square, located in Camputhaw. Alchology is one of the most famous bars to party in Cebu City. Since I arrived on a Wednesday night , we just chilled outside and I was surprised how busy the place was even on that evening.
I would like to thank my friend Ulysses Flores for taking me around the city. Aside from being a real estate broker, he is also running a Rent-A-Car business that could take you around to the different tourist spots around Cebu at a very affordable price. If you want to get in touch with him, his mobile number is 0917-884-1785 .
I know there are so many places still to visit around Cebu, but as I always say, this gives me more reason to go back and get to explore more about the Queen City of the South!
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