Things to do in and around Cebu: North

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Northern Cebu

Heading up? The North Bus Terminal will be your starting point. Several buses, minivans and v-hires travel to the Northern parts of Cebu and even to Bacolod, Negros Occidental. Most buses have trips every 30 minutes or every hour. Check out some of the places you can go to from the list below, arranged from the closest to the farthest place from the city:

Talamban
Trekking
Budlaan Falls
Danao
Adventure Park
Catmon
Hot Spring
Waterfalls
Camotes Island
Beaches
Caves
Bantayan Island
Beaches
Malapascua Island
Beaches
Diving (Thresher Sharks)

Catmon

Climb through the rocks, swim a little and reach up to a small waterfall; explore a little cave; and take a dip in the hot spring. Esoy Hot Spring is a great place to spend your day.

Photos by: Karsten Kirstätter

How to get there:

Take the bus/minibus from the North Bus Terminal to go to Catmon. Ask the dispatcher/driver to drop you off the corner of Duyan, Catmon which goes up to Esoy. Get a habal-habal to drive you up.

Fare (one-way):

Air-conditioned bus: Php 80
Non-air-conditioned bus: Php 70
Habal-habal: Php 25

Fees/Rentals:

Entrance Fee (Foreiger): Php 300
Entrance Fee (Local): Php 100
Table: Php 500
Life Vest: Php 50 (required)
Aqua shoes: Php 50

Tip:

You don't need to rent the aqua shoes. It's an easy, fun climb!

No reservation, no entry. Call them at (032) 430 9250. They have limited number of tables for guests so make sure you call a day or two ahead.

Photos by: Karsten Kirstätter

Bantayan Island

Discover the white sand beaches of Bantayan Island.

Photo by: Jill Enriquez

How to get there:

Take the the bus or v-hire in the North Bus Terminal going to Hagnaya. Travel time is about 3 hours. From there, take the ferry that will cross to Bantayan (about an hour boat ride). Ferry schedules may be viewed here. When you get there, you can use the tricycle to go around. Motorbike rentals are also available there.

Fare (one-way):

Air-conditioned Bus: Php 150
Non-air-conditioned bus: Php 120
V-Hire: Php 150
Ferry: Php 170

Places to stay:

Tip:

You can also just bring your tent and camp in Sugar Beach (with toilet and shower) to save on accommodation! You pay about Php 100 to pitch a tent.

Photo by: Jill Enriquez

You can stay there for as short as 2 days. If you'd like to visit another island, you can cross to Malapascua Island. Just take the banca from Sta. Fe and you'll get there in about 2 hours or so. It's Php 2000 - Php 3000 for the entire banca so it would be cheaper if you travel in a group.

Malapascua Island

Experience paradise -- the unspoiled beauty of Malapascua Island. And if you're a diver, you'll like it even more since you can find thresher sharks here!

Photo by: Karsten Kirstätter

How to get there:

Take the bus from the North Bus Terminal to Maya, Daanbantayan. It will take you about 4 hours to get there. Then you take the ferry from the Maya wharf, which leaves every hour or two, depending on the number of passengers. They usually wait till there's at least 10 passengers. Be careful, they might try to convince you to take special ferry trips for various exaggerated excuses. Anyway, if you'd like to skip waiting and go ahead, you can hire a boat for yourself for a special trip. You'll get there in 30 minutes.

Fare (one-way):

Air-conditioned bus: Php 170
Non-air-conditioned bus: Php 160
Ferry: Php 80
Special Ferry Trip: Php 800 - Php 1000

Where to stay:

Other Diving Shops:

Photo by: Karsten Kirstätter

Tips:

Travel in a group to get cheaper accommodation.
Last trips are about mid-afternoon (both ways) so it's best to travel in the morning.

If you don't dive, all there is for you is the beach. So, this will be the best place for you if you're looking a few days of solitude.

Talamban

Less than an hour from the city is a opportunity for outdoor enthusiasts to experience chasing waterfalls.

Budlaan Canyoneering

Entry coming soon.