Still mapping out where-to-go-next on your Cebu trip? Get a low-down on what each zipcode has to offer.

by KARA MAE M. NOVEDA

HALF OF THE EASE OF travel comes from knowing the territory you’re about to explore. Half of the fun begins also from not knowing fully what you’re getting yourself into. A first trip to any place is equal parts exciting and unnerving. Leave it to the internet to suck out the marrow of mystery as dotcom searches can make anyone an overnight destination expert.

Much has been said about Cebu. Rather than go blindly with the top searches it’s good to discover the province by your own interests and at your own pace. Whether visiting for a few days or longer, the journey starts with one crucial step: choosing the right place to crash in the right zip code. 

6015: LAPU-LAPU CITY 

Fresh off the plane, Lapu-Lapu is the city that ushers you into Cebu, and its landmark Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) is sure to make a fine first impression. The airport terminal is a sight for the travel-weary who will find it hard not to pause for a moment, stare, and promptly whip out their phones to capture the clever woodwork of its wave-like roofing. Just a year after its inauguration in 2018, MCIA’s new Terminal 2 won the “Completed Buildings-Transport Category” Award in the 2019 World Architecture Festival, besting even the Singapore Jewel Changi Airport.

Mactan, site of the Cebu airport, is more than a land-and-leave dot on your itinerary. It makes a compelling start off point for a quick introduction to Cebu’s beach scene.

A short drive from the airport takes you to seaside resorts mainly clustered along the island’s eastern coast in the areas of Punta Engaño and Maribago. Beach accommodations suiting all visitors are widely available on Mactan from sprawling upscale resorts, mid-ranged family villas and island-style options. International hospitality brands in Punta Engaño include Dusit Thani Mactan Cebu Resort, Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort and Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort. Soon to join the neighborhood are Rockwell’s Aruga Resort and Residences as well as the luxury boutique hotel, Abaca Resort Mactan.

Nearby lies Maribago, one of the earlier areas developed in Mactan. If you were raised in Cebu, chances are your weekends were spent at beach clubs here. Maribago, to this day, remains a favored base for its better-value resorts, a concentration of local and Asian (think Korean and Chinese cuisine) restaurants, and its easy access to island-hopping activities. Private and public wharves are not uncommon in Mactan with the Maribago Pump Boat Wharf as one of the busiest. 

Motorized bancas can be hired to ferry you to nearby islands for a full day of swimming. While out on one of these islets, savor the catch of the day cooked by local boatmen—a rustic seafood meal somehow made more satisfying when eaten with your hands. Aside from offering tropical fun and the usual water activities, Mactan Island produces handcrafted guitars.

What started as a backyard enterprise has grown into an established industry that has been carried on by generations of masterful artisans. History buffs may be interested to know that the epic Battle of Mactan took place on this sandy shore in 1521. The spot is now marked with two monuments to its main protagonists, Ferdinand Magellan and the brave native chieftain, Lapulapu. Fearlessly fighting to resist Spanish colonization, Lapulapu is hailed as the first Filipino hero who led his men in the victorious encounter that brutally ended the life of the foreign invader. The Magellan Shrine is a stone memorial dedicated to the Portuguese explorer. Honoring the legendary local warrior is a 20-meter high bronze statue and the town which bears his name.

Located also in Lapu-Lapu City the Mactan Export Processing Zone (MEPZ) is a registered special industrial zone housing multinational manufacturing firms that have contributed significantly to the city’s economy since it opened in the 1980s while creating jobs for thousands of the local population. Not far across it is Cebu Yacht Club which offers sailing tours and yacht charters. Take a sunset cruise along the Mactan Channel or try the open-air restaurants along the dining strip to fully enjoy the cool sea breeze.

With the steady upswing of (pre-pandemic) passenger traffic to Cebu, it was only a matter of time for development to go Cordova-bound. Separated from Mactan Island by a narrow stream, the small municipality of Cordova can now hold its own with at least a dozen hotels including the 13-hectare Solea Mactan Resort. The recently inaugurated Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX), also the longest bridge in the country, is expected to hugely improve connectivity and further economic opportunities by reducing travel time between Mactan and the Cebu mainland. Motorists are eagerly awaiting the planned extension of the expressway to connect directly to the airport. 

6014: MANDAUE CITY

Tourists usually just drive through this city across the bridge from Mactan. Much has changed since and the city has become the get-off point for your Cebu holiday. The highly urbanized patch of Mandaue, also known as the industrial hub of the province, is where you’ll find bus and van terminals that bustle with day trippers setting out on their adventures. The city actively moves forward with property developments, shopping malls, and a mix of restaurants and hotels. As if to make up for its lack of direct beach access, the city boasts of three waterparks: Cebu Westown Lagoon, Skywaterpark Cebu on the rooftop of J Centre Mall, and the three-hectare complex of WaterWorld Cebu, the biggest in the region. The long stretch of A.S. Fortuna Street connecting Mandaue and Banilad in Cebu City is the perfect setting for a food and pub crawl. Peppered along its almost 3-kilometer length are varied mom-and-pop restaurants that stay open way past standard mall hours. More than a handful of two-to-three-star hotels can be found on the same street for you to settle in after a full day. But if more cushy selections are to your taste, traverse to Ouano Avenue where the 600-plus room Bai Hotel is hard to miss. Being built on the North Reclamation Area of Mandaue City is the expansive Mandani Bay, a waterfront township development facing the Mactan Channel that will be adding premium residential, office, retail and dining spaces to the community.

6000: CEBU CITY

Of the three key cities, Cebu City needs the least introduction because of its storied beginnings. The first Spanish settlement in the Philippines was established here making it the oldest city in the country. Historically significant landmarks around the downtown area are well preserved with its religious sites usually flocked by devout locals and out-of-towners alike.

If a leisurely heritage walk is more your speed while wanting to be close enough to the touristy sites, you’ll likely luck out and find comfortable lodging in what’s known as the uptown district. Particularly on Gen. Maxilom Avenue, Fuente Osmeña, the gentrified Escario Street and the Capitol area are where several affordable hostels and boutique hotels are located. 

The city has seen a heavy facelift in recent years with relentless developments transforming the skyline mainly at Cebu IT Park and the Cebu Business Park, the central business district (CBD). Combining commercial, banking, residential and leisure facilities, the business park is readily accessed from major points in the city. At its heart sits the Ayala Center, a shopping and lifestyle destination that features an extensive selection of retail establishments and dining outlets at The Terraces. Business and leisure travelers will find a host of suitable accommodations within and around the vicinity of the CBD. Connected by a walkway, the conveniently located hotel, Seda Ayala Center Cebu is literally steps from the shopping mall. Construction will soon be underway inside the park complex for Sofitel Cebu City, another addition to the existing international hotel chains already operating nearby, namely Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, Radisson Blu Cebu and the just-opened Holiday Inn Cebu City.

About 1.5 kilometers away, a special economic zone called Cebu IT Park has grown into a vibrant hub not only for IT-related enterprises but also mixed-used developments. With a high concentration of BPO companies and a workforce of several thousands, lining both sides of its streets are sleek and modern office towers and high-rise residential condominiums. It’s hard to beat the attractiveness of an IT Park location, making it one of the most preferred addresses in the city. Integrated into the high-energy community are an abundance of restaurants, coffee shops with free wifi and the shopping center, Ayala Malls Central Bloc. Just adjacent to the mall is Seda Central Bloc Cebu, the second hotel under this brand in the city. Covering some 27 hectares, one side of the park faces the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino along Salinas Drive where a few more hotels in the Lahug district are found. It may do well to check out Airbnb listings, too, if you want to be close to the favorite spots you want to hang out in town.

There’s no shortage of options, only a shortage of vacation time when you’re in Cebu.