Cebu

Located midway down the eastern coast of Cebu Island, this city of the same name sprawls out over the shoreline in a web of colonial architecture, curiously European churches, shimmering high-rises, and typically Filipino shanty towns, all strung together by bustling traffic lanes and shrouded by the looming peak of Mt Busay to the west. Welcome to the touristic gateway to the greater Visayas, and one of the country’s most happening metropolitan centres; ever growing, never sleeping. Whether you come in search of adventure or relaxation you can rest assured that Cebu has something in store for you, from sunbathing on the beaches of Mactan or Bohol, to late-night partying on the strips of Osmena Boulevard and General Mexilom Avenue. Then there’s the wealth of intriguing sites that pepper the downtown here, from the Santo Nino Cathedral, to the monumental Magellan's Cross, which continues to herald the Christian conversion of Cebu city at the hands of Spanish colonials in the 16th century. If you fancy exploring the greater province a little more, then don’t hesitate to ask your Cebu tourist guide for tips on the tropical islands all around; spots like Malapascua—with its white-sanded beachfronts—or Bantayan in the north, with its cool bars and fantastic diving spots.