A plan for Cebu City

The term "Cebu" is somewhat ambiguous; it can refer to the city itself (the commonest usage), to the whole Metro Cebu urban area, to Cebu Island or to Cebu Province which includes Cebu Island and a few nearby smaller islands.

The Colon district near the port is the oldest part of Cebu; it was the first Spanish city in the country and has tourist sites from that era, listed under #See. It also has much of the low-cost accommodation and a lot of department stores or small malls which, while not as large and modern as those in other areas, are often more affordable.

Osmeña Boulevard is one of the city's main streets, running approximately north from Colon district out to the provincial capitol. About halfway along is Fuente Osmena Circle.

Mango Avenue, officially General Maxilom Avenue, runs east from Osmena Circle. During the day it is a busy area full of shopping centers, restaurants and some hotels. In the evenings, it becomes a major nightlife area.

Outside the center but still in the city is the IT Park. The area has many restaurants, mostly upmarket and with international menus, quite a few expat residents, and some work opportunities for techies.

For climate information, see Metro Cebu.

The city was well established as a trade center and regional capital even before the first Europeans, under Magellan, arrived in the 1520s. When the Spanish returned to colonize in 1565, Cebu became the first Spanish city in the country and (briefly) the capital. Many of today's tourist sites go back to the period of Spanish rule which lasted until the Americans took over in 1898.

Shrines and historical landmarks

1 Basilica of Santo Niño (Basilica del Santo Niño (Basilica of the Holy Child)), Osmeña Boulevard, ☏ +63 32 2556697. A large and venerable church that traces its history to the founding of the convent of the Santo Niño de Cebu in 1565. It contains a statue of the Santo Niño (Holy Child) that is regarded as the oldest religious relic in the Philippines. The statue was presented by Ferdinand Magellan to Queen Juana during the baptism of King Humabon and his wife Queen Juana on 14 April 1521. The natives of Cebu were formally Christianized by Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and Father Andres de Urdaneta on 27 April 1565. However, as they found the natives hostile, the village was set on fire. Later on, in a burnt-out house, a soldier named Juan Camus found the statue untouched. This was proclaimed a miracle. The statue, adorned with gold and precious stones, is in a glass case to the left of the altar. The church sees a constant stream of devotees praying at pews in the sanctuary and in front of statues of saints.

1 Tops Lookout. This sits at the top of the Mt Busay and has an unobstructed view of the entire city at night. A few shops and restaurants stand along the way for a short stop. Taxi drivers may want as much as ₱1000 for a trip to Tops, so the best way to get there is by mountain bike. This is a world class climb and on any given day, Cebu's bikers are humping the 45-minute to 1-hr trek filled with switchbacks and views better than you see actually at the very top. Ask your hotel where you can rent a mountain bike. They may have to ask around a bit, but it's worth it.

Ride a tartanilla - Head to Cebu's old quarters in Carlock St and try riding a horse drawn carriage called a tartanilla. Remember to negotiate with the driver before taking a ride.

See the scenic view of Cebu City's skyline - The Marcelo Fernan Bridge or Second Mactan Bridge offers some interesting views of the city at night, and is even picturesque from below. Arrange for a taxi to take you there.

2 Sky Experience Adventure (Xtreme Rides) (Adjacent Robinson's Mall in the Crown Regency Cebu), ☏ +63 32 418 7777. The tallest building in the city. Adventure seekers may head to the top floor to experience a breathtaking view of this modern city and its environs. You may also opt to join in the Xtreme Rides that puts you on the edge of the city, or you may walk around the edge of the building (don't worry, safety cables are attached) to experience this for a fee.

Abellana Cebu Sports Center & Public Swimming pool, 179 R R Landon Road off Osmmena Blvd, ☏ +63 32-2531091. 9AM-9PM. Full-size Cebu City Council-run outdoor swimming pool 50 m by 25 m. Has ten lanes. There have been reports of people getting ear infections using this pool. (updated Jan 2020)

Sinulog

This festival honouring Santo Niño, the Holy Child, is held annually on the third Sunday of January. It is centered on the Basilica in Cebu City but is celebrated throughout Cebu Province and to some extent even in nearby provinces; it attracts large numbers of both tourists and pilgrims. Festivities last for about a week leading up to the Sunday climax.

Cebu City has a wide range of reasonably good places to eat, from restaurants and buffets to street-food stalls. All-you-can-eat buffets tend to be more expensive than in many other parts of the country. Street food is abundant, with stalls across the city selling a variety of Filipino snacks and local specialties.

Food courts

All the major malls (listed under #Buy) have food courts, and major chains — KFC, Shakey's Pizza, Starbucks, Bo's Coffee and others — have locations in many of them. The downtown area around Colon Street has a large number of restaurants including many budget places and many fast food chains.

1 Robinsons Fuente food court, B Rodriguez Street (Right on Fuente Circle). 10AM-8:30PM. Lower ground floor near the supermarket. Good bakery and coffee shop. (updated Feb 2023)

2 Elizabeth Mall Food Court, 3rd floor, E mall, Natalio B Bacalso Avenue. 9AM-8PM. (updated Feb 2023)

Budget

All these are in the city center:

3 Muvanz Pocherohan And Seafoods, Century Plaza Complex, Juana Osmeña St. (updated Aug 2022)

4 Ned Nanay's Grill, Don Mariano Cui St. (updated Aug 2022)

5 Healthy U, A Tormis St. (updated Aug 2022)

6 Yakski Barbecue, 268 Don Mariano Cui St. (updated Aug 2022)

7 Chik Chow Food House, 18 General Maxilom Ave (at the end of the alleyway that branches southward off of General Maxilom Ave, a.k.a. Mango Ave, just west of where it crosses the Kamputhaw River). (updated Aug 2022)

Mid-range

8 La Vie Parisienne, 371 Gorordo Ave, ☏ +63 32 505 0274. French bakery. (updated Aug 2022)

9 Ipar's Restaurante Y Bar De Tapas, 157 F. Ramos St. (updated Aug 2022)

Splurge

For tourists who want upmarket restaurants, two good areas are Ayala Mall and the IT Park.

10 Cebu IT Park. Offices, rental and condo apartments; the area has many foreign employees and a good selection of western restaurants. Not much shopping.

11 Ayala Terraces (one side of Ayala Mall). Many restaurants including several foreign chains such as Burger King, Army-Navy, Starbucks and TGI Friday's, Filipino chains, and many non-chain places.

Mango Avenue (officially General Maxilom Avenue) and Mango Square is where the bulk of the nightlife is. The typical venues are nightclubs, bars and karaoke boxes.

There are many girlie bars, mostly along Mango Ave. It is fairly common to visit these clubs just to enjoy the show, a lot of scantily-clad dancers who compete to catch customers' eyes. However, the dancers are more-or-less all also available for sexual services. Prostitution is illegal in the Philippines but quite common, and these bars are the most usual front; see the discussion in the Philippines article.

There are also a number of western-style pubs popular with the local expat community; most are listed below.

1 301 Ramos St Sports Bar & Grill, 301 F Ramos street, ☏ +63-32-5132706. 11AM-11PM. A sports bar & grill. A 320ml beer is ₱75. (updated Apr 2021)

The Philly Sports Bar & Restaurant, 53 AJ King Bulg General Maxilom Avenue (near mango sq.), ☏ +63 9171333497, info@thephilly.com. 3PM-11PM. An expat sports bar, serving Western & Filipino food. Excellent choice of imported beers & ciders from Europe in their beer garden. Happy hours beer is from ₱45. Very good English breakfast for 199 pesos. 320ml beer from only 45 pesos. (updated May 2021)

2 Our Place Pub & Restaurant, Pelaez street (down town cebu), ☏ +63 32-4168243, +63 32 888 9523. 7:30AM-11PM every day. Established 1978. Meet other expats from all over the world. Good British & European food at a great prices. Sells beer for only ₱70. meals from ₱149. (updated Apr 2019)

See the Metro Cebu article for a more general discussion of getting around in the large urban conglomerate of which Cebu City forms a part.

By jeepney

Do as the locals do and catch a colorful jeepney. They are available 24 hours and cover most of the nooks and crannies of the city. Ask around for which route to take, or read the signs on the sides of the vehicles showing their routes. Routes within the city are also listed on Google Maps; Google Maps lists certain stops but you don't actually have to get on or off at any particular stop -- you can get on and off anywhere along the jeep's route. Costs start at ₱12 for the first 4 km and increase for longer distances.

Beware of pickpockets and other theft, this is unfortunately very common on jeepneys and even locals fall victim. Hidden pockets, money belts and carrying goods near one's nether regions are common but they are not infallible strategies to avoid theft.

By bus

MyBus have five bus routes around Metro Cebu. Fares are from ₱25-50 (except route 5), and all buses are fully air-conditioned and low-floor.

Route 1 between SM Seaside and Park Mall (in Lapu-Lapu) via SM City Cebu and the North Bus Terminal,

Route 2 between SM Seaside and Talisay

Route 3 between SM City Cebu and Mactan Airport via Park Mall

Route 4 between Park Mall and Talisay via the North Bus Terminal and SM City Cebu

Route 5 between BDO Fuente branch and SM Seaside. Free.

Robinsons Malls offers free shuttle buses between Robinsons Fuente or Robinsons Cybergate and Robinsons Galleria. Services between 30 minutes.

Sugbo Tours transit buses have large air conditioned buses every 45 minutes from 5AM till 9PM from the southern bus terminal going via Mango Square, SM City Mall, Northern Bus Terminal, Pacific Mall, Island Central Mall in Mactan. Fares ₱20-40 (May 2023).

Beeps buses have fully air-conditioned low-floor buses. In the future, they will replace all routes served by jeepneys'. Fares are ₱14.00 for the first 4 km and ₱1.50 for each succeeding km (as of May 2023). Buses depart every 15 minutes. Unlike the other operators, they operate 24/7.

Cebu is a relatively safe city where violent crime is rare. This being said, you should be aware of your surroundings.

Beware of pickpockets. It's common to spot them in downtown Cebu and on jeepneys.

Parts of downtown Cebu are unsafe at night.