This is a must stop when you're in this beautiful city of Cebu…read more It is what it says it is: Ferdinand Magellan of Spain planted a cross in Sugbu (now better known as Cebu) on April 1521 marking the beginning of Christianity in the Philippines. (Well... that's the short story version of it.) But keep in mind this is a replica. There's a rumor that the original has been encased to protect it from people chipping away from it believing it has miraculous powers. Others say the original has been completely destroyed. Either way, it's still a historical site to visit. And if you've come this far, might as well make a stop at the Basilica del Santo Nino which is a few feet away. This site is not open 24 hours a day. They do close the gates at 6pm. Parking can also be a challenge. Plan accordingly.

Religious Landmark [CEBU CITY Philippines]…read more A landmark not very big but is a big part of the Philippine history. The cross is housed in a small octagon-shaped pavilion which locals called the "kiosk" and is located across the Cebu City Hall. The cross is actually a replica of the original that was destroyed a long time ago and no longer exist. Brief history: Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese sailor, landed in the Island of Cebu in the Philippines in 1521. He worked for the King of Spain. Upon landing in Cebu he befriended the then chieftain of Cebu and was able to persuade the chief and his wife to accept Christianity. To celebrate this historic occasion of the spreading of the Roman Catholic faith in the Philippines Magellan planted a wooden cross on Cebu's shores and ever since then the cross has been known as Magellan's Cross. It was a quick visit because finding parking in this area is challenging so our driver just circled the block until we were done with our visit. There is no admission fee. Go anytime. Magellan's Cross is open to the public everyday from 8:00a to 6:00p. The cross stood on a pedestal with a mural in the ceiling of the chapel. There were several women vendors in yellow blouse and red skirt selling candles and will randomly approach visitors. The candles were placed on the foot of the pedestal of the cross. Review #3338

The Yap-SanDeigo is one of the oldest houses to survive many natural disasters in the Philippine…read moreIslands. The oldest house to our surprise, the "1930 Jesuit House" is also located in Cebu City. We took the private tour and he did a fantastic job sharing the history of the home. Our guide shared that the Yap family have owned this home since the 1760's during the Spanish era. I am amaze how much history Cebu has. The house still stands today, much remains original including the stairs and the wood planks on the second floor. I suggest you take this tour if you are planning on visiting Cebu City. Truly a landmark for Cebu City. Cheers!

The tour guide is exceptionally helpful and will take a ton of family pics. Fun, educational, and a…read moremust for tourists. Bring some change for the guitarists inside.

Historic Site [CEBU CITY Philippines]…read more Unfortunately, Mom and I weren't able to finish this self-guided tour because of all the walking we already did earlier in the day from the other sightseeing locations but we managed to see a few of the sites. At the entrance were photos documenting the history of the fort. I found this interesting and informative. This was also where we paid a minimal admission charge. Entrance fee is 30 pesos (about $0.50 cents). Fort San Pedro is the oldest military structure in the Philippines. It is also the smallest fort (not as big is Intramuros in Manila) yet it is one of the most famous heritage sites in Cebu. It served as an army base in the early 17th century built by a Spanish conqueror some 50 years after Magellan first landed. The large stone walls and massive canons are impressive and can be found inside. The fort is located in the downtown area of Cebu, inside the popular nature park, Plaza Independencia. Wishes we had more time to visit the entire area. Review #3347

If your a history buff, make sure to visit Fort San Pedro. It's an interesting view of Cebu…read morehistory and this triangular fort. Make sure you come here with a guide as it's more informative when you have a guide. Canons still work it's cleaned and if you can find a small canon that fits. The wood walls were replaced cobble stones and other materials. There seems to be ghosts on the top floor over the entrance as it was a prison. This place I heard can even rent for event or weddings. Interesting place. I would recommend a visit if you are in Cebu. [11/100]

This museum is not that big, but it packs a lot of history. My favorite was during The World War…read moreII. I didn't know that the Filipinos had briefly used Japanese currency. Their new "Rice of Gods" room was amazing. Our tour guide mentioned a private donor from a Filipino philanthropist, donated everything in the room to share the history of Cebu. We were also educated that Museo Gugbo was originally a prison. There were still marks of prisoners name and other carvings during that era. One highlight that was also a favorite of mine was the walk of fame wall where all the past Presidents of the Philippines were hung in portrait paintings. Next to their portraits shares a brief history of their life and accomplishments during their time in office. I highly recommend if you have time during your visit to Cebu City, pay a visit here. You will learn a great deal about Philippine history and the native tribes of Cebu. Cheers!

Located on m.j cuenco ave., if coming from the colon area, it'll be on the right side…read more There is a street right before you see the front entrance to the museum (again coming from colon), make the turn and you'll see a gate to the left. Honk your horn if its closed and security will open the gates to lead you towards the parking area. Parking appeared to be limited maybe good for 5-6 vehicles. I'm not sure if they have other areas to park as there seem to be a narrow alley, ahead of the pebbled parking area, that possibly can accomodate one more vehicle. Parking is free. We went about 3:00 pm-ish and there weren't many people there. You make your way towards the front of the museum to pay the entrance fee (locals paid 30 pesos and I believe it was 75 pesos for foreigners. They also have discounts for senior citizens and students). So you go pass the gazebo structure from the parking lot, then cross the courtyard towards a fountain. Someone at a small desk will point you in the direction to where you make the payment then politely ask you to sign a guest book. Then you make your way around. You may opt for a guide (which we were told was free of charge) but we decided to explore the museum ourselves. There will be 4 areas where there is air conditioning, and ends after the world war 2 exhibit. There are interesting excerpts from history as well as artifacts. I particularly found the world war 2 area most interesting, though I wish there were more artifacts and maybe some interactive activites that can really immerse someone during that time in history. After leaving the world war 2 exhibit you head down a steep stairway, if you are tall be careful of the overhead. I consider myself short and even then I felt as if I was gonna bump my head. So be careful. The courtyard was spacious. There are a couple more exhibits around the courtyard that include maps and blue prints of various structures, cities and different islands in the Philippines. As previously stated, wish there were more artifacts to see and maybe an activity or two. However, what was displayed was informative and left me wanting to learn more about the Philippines and Cebu's history. Thank you for having a musem such as this to introduce us to Cebu's history. (tip: they allow you to take pictures, but without flash)

A popular and historic church located downtown close the the more prominent and famous church santo…read morenino. During christmas it is well decorated.

The underwater views here of all of the fish were absolutely breathtaking. I have never gone…read moresnorkeling before and this is my first experience, but this definitely will not be my last. I had so much fun and discovered so many new things and saw so many things that I have never seen in my life before. it was so surreal to see so many different types of fish and even some turtles and all of the beautiful corals underneath the water. this was one of the most fun things that I did while on my vacation in the Philippines, and I would highly recommend that everybody try it at least once.

Cherry and Matt run the best dive shop in the visayas. Great place to get your PADI open water…read morecertificate.

The giant Santo Niño statue stands on top of the open-air Santo Niño Chapel, which just completed…read moreconstruction. The chapel is part of the Santo Niño Park development replacing the Señor Citizens Park. The famous Sinulog Festival is a celebration in honor of Santo Niño (Child Jesus). The festival is done by a dance ritual, in which it tells the story of the Filipino people The word "Sinulog" means a graceful dance- a rhythmic and beautiful forward and backward motion that represents the "sulog" (or current). The statue overlooks the ocean and Mactan Island and it's a sight to behold

This is one of the 3 major tourist gardens in Cebu located up in the mountain area and in terms of…read moreflowers and landscaping, and the size, I think it's the best one. That are many paths to take a rows upon rows of flowers, terraces and different color leaf vegetation to create patterns of color. You start off my walking a over head bridge with a rainbow colored walkway that goes around the whole garden. It is an OK place and worth the visit it you already plan to do a mountain tour in order to make a a full afternoon of site seeing, There a small snack shop, tables and a outdoor sit down restaurant too if you get hungry from the garden walks.