Destination highlights

Cebu island is located in the Visayas, archipelago of the Philippines, is one of the main tourist attractions of this region. Its main city is also called Cebu and is in the eastern part of the island, after the city of Manila is the most important national and international, was founded by Spanish explorers in the sixteenth century, establishing itself in this place as a hub of action for the conquest of the rest of the archipelago of the Philippines. At the beginning, the city was called Villa de San Miguel, as a tribute to one of the main Spanish characters of the colonial era, Miguel Lopez of Legazpi.

The Spanish influence of the Philippine culture is quite remarkable and it stands out in Cebu, due to the names of its streets, squares and places of recreation, the city of Cebu is a reference in the Philippines due to its important economy. After Manila is the main economic center of the country, in addition the city has several universities, colleges and hospitals.

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Travel tips

Getting to Cebu is easy by air. The Mactan-Cebu International Airport is very close to the capital and receives both domestic and international flights. There are countless airlines that arrive in Cebu from Asia and Oceania: Air Busan, Air France, Air Niugini, Air Asia, ANA, Asiana Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Cebu Pacific, Dragonair, Eva Air, Jeju Air, Jin Air , KLM, Korean Air, Lufthansa, PAL Express, Philippine Airlines, Philippines AirAsia, SilkAir, Singapore Airlines, Tigerair, Vanilla Air, Xiamen Airlines. Also the Port of Cebu is prepared for the arrival of innumerable boats from various Philippine islands, especially from Manila and Bohol.

There are connections from this airport to the cities of Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia, Busan and Seoul in South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Bangkok and Papua New Guinea. The tourist attractions of Cebu stand out internationally, it is a great city, and as such, the tourist offer is very wide and varied. The best beaches near Cebu are located on Mactan Island. The island of Mactan is located next to the city and the route can be done by bus, smaller coaches or by taxi.

From Cebu to anywhere on Mactan Island the average is half an hour. In Cebu there is one of the most complete zoos in the Philippines, here you can see typical species of the archipelago and some other regions of the world. It emphasizes the great variety of reptiles and birds that inhabit it, although there is also room for many types of mammals from the Philippines and other Asian regions such as the Tarsiers de Bohol, many species of monkeys from the Philippines, even the very famous and renowned tiger of Bengal. Fort San Pedro, in the Philippine city of Cebu, is a military structure built in the sixteenth century by Filipinos and Spaniards under the command of the conqueror Legazpi.

It is located in the Independence Square very close to the pier, and is one of the tourist icons of this important city. Contrary to the violent past that occurred between its walls, today part of the Fort of San Pedro is a museum where many documents, objects, as well as works of art from the Spanish era are kept for the enjoyment of the tourist. You can visit some buildings such as the place of residence of the lieutenants or the guards of the Spanish colonial era and walk through its gardens.

In addition, some of the premises of the fort are used to celebrate all kinds of events, such as weddings, birthdays and other activities. Upon entering the fort of San Pedro, is the well of Our Lady of the Cotta, also called Virgen de los Remedios, an image that was found floating in a well in the Spanish fort when it was under construction in the sixteenth century. It is attributed healing properties. The Cross of Magellan is a copy of the original wooden cross left by the Spanish conquerors, led by Ferdinand Magellan on the shores of Cebu, in 1521. It is said that the authentic is under the replica to preserve it from the people who He took some pieces as a souvenir, it is said that with the aim of obtaining miraculous powers.

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Some people claim that the original cross was destroyed after the death of the Portuguese navigator, so the one that is hidden could be from a later time. The small chapel that the visitors attend dates from 1834, is in the center of the city, in front of the Town Hall, and has become the symbol of the city of Cebu, and this chapel can be seen up to the stamp from the city. The Basilica of the Holy Child of Cebu pays a religious tribute to the first Christian image arrived in the Philippines, which occurred with the arrival of the Spanish, specifically the expedition that gave it to the world, in 1521.

It is a Jesus child of beautiful carving, about 30 cms height, made of wood of different colors. The Child carries in his left hand a golden sphere whose meaning is related to the sphericity of the planet “Earth”, which indicates that the leaders of the crossing possessed the premonition that they would achieve their purpose, as well as a golden crown and several ornaments donated by the faithful. Pope Paul VI blessed the image, in 1965, and by John Paul II in 1981. The important thing of this image is that Magallanes and Elcano gave it to the leaders of the human groups that inhabited the Philippines at the time of baptizing them in the Catholic faith that same year 1521. They were called Humabon and Humamay and were baptized as Carlos and Juana.

Hotel recommendations

In terms of accommodation, the recommended establishments are Quest Hotel Cebu, Mandarin Plaza Hotel, Radisson Blu Cebu, Red Planet Cebu, Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino, Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, Bayfront Hotel Cebu, Crown Regency Hotel & Towers Cebu City and Cebu Parklane International Hotel.

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