Cebu Island is a popular tourist destination in the Philippines. People come to Cebu Island to see the beautiful blue waterfalls, relax on pristine beaches, explore the vibrant underwater world, and take some breathtaking hikes. The key to our South Cebu itineraries is to get as far south as you can towards Moalboal.
This is the place where most of the adventure and action is. After visiting Cebu several times, we put together our South Cebu itinerary. This is our complete adventure travel guides designed to help you get the most out of this incredible area.
Cebu is a beautiful part of the world. We’ve been there a few time, but our second trip was when we really started to appreciate it. While the main Cebu attractions such as Kawasan Canyoneering and Diving are excellent, there are many more hidden gems. We booked our accommodation in Moalboal initially for two nights, but kept extending it because there were so many activities to do in South Cebu.
Where to Stay in South Cebu
As we have already mentioned, we recommend that you head south immediately. Cebu City’s Mactan-Cebu International Airport is where most travellers arrive, but we recommend that you don’t spend any time there unless absolutely necessary. We stayed in Cebu City for a couple of days between flights and to extend our Philippines Visas. However, we would recommend going straight through Cebu City before heading south.
Moalboal is our choice for the best place in the southern region to stay. It has all of the amenities you need to have a great trip. It is within easy reach of all the best places in Cebu. There are many great places to eat and strong wifi connections. There are also plenty of other travellers, as well as a wide variety of accommodation options. We recommend a base in Moalboal. However, our South Cebu itineraries could also be used for a Moalboal itineraries. If you choose to stay somewhere else in South Cebu the itinerary will still outline all the best activities for the area.
Here are our top choices for places to stay in Moalboal
Budget: J&C Guesthouse – Our choice for budget accommodation and where we stayed while in Moalboal. A private double room, with air-conditioning, cost 1000PHP (US$19.56) and included breakfast. The beach is only a short distance away and there are many good restaurants nearby.
Mid-range: Moalboal Shaka Traveler’s Place – If you want to stay right on the beach but not break the bank then this is the place for you. They have a private beach and a great rooftop terrace where you can watch the sunset every night. Shaka offers dorms for those who prefer a social atmosphere.
Luxury: The Blue Orchid Resort – A much more luxurious way to enjoy Moalboal. They have a fantastic pool, an on-site diving centre and are located right by the water.
Getting to South Cebu & Moalboal
Cebu City is the first place most people visit. To get to Moalboal, you will need to reach the Cebu South Bus Terminal either from the airport or your accommodation. Grab, the Asian equivalent of Uber, will take you to the bus station.
Ceres Tours operates the Bato via Barili Bus. This bus leaves from the bay 4 of Cebu South Bus Terminal. Buses are running frequently all day and until evening. This means that buses will run until no one is waiting to travel.
We recommend that you travel during the day, as it is unlikely that you will catch a bus in the evening. Our bus arrived at 8:30pm, and it was possibly the last bus for the night. The journey from Manila to Moalboal takes about 2 hours 45 minutes, and costs 156PHP per person ($3.05 USD). Most of these buses are air-conditioned, large coaches that provide a comfortable ride.
You will be dropped at the town center once you reach Moalboal. The main tourist area of Moalboal is not the centre but rather Panagsama Beach. To get to this area, you’ll need to take a habal-habal or trike. This trip will cost 50PHP per person if you arrive in the daytime. However, if you arrive later in the evening, it will be more costly. We paid 180PHP (3.52 USD) at 11.30pm for a trike.
Getting Around Cebu Island
You will need a good way to travel around Cebu, as there are so many things to do. Rent a scooter in Moalboal. It’s so convenient to be able jump on a motorbike and take off whenever the mood strikes. Scooter rentals cost around 300PHP ($5.87USD) per day, and the roads are well maintained in Cebu. The roads are not too crowded, making it easy to drive a scooter.
If you don’t like driving a motorbike, there are other options. You can rent a tricycle, or a habal-habal (motorcycle) with a guide to get you around the island. This will be more expensive than renting an electric scooter. Local buses service the main roads of the island, but they are not able to take you where you want. Once you exit the bus, you will need to take a habal-habal to reach your final destination.
South Cebu Itinerary 5-Days
Five days is our recommendation for the best amount of time to stay in this area. You can experience all the amazing things to do in Moalboal and the best places to visit in South Cebu. We didn’t anticipate how much we would enjoy the area and we kept extending our stay, night by night, until we were almost a week.
Below is the outline of our South Cebu itinerary, which we followed during our stay. Below you will find a guide that explains in detail all of the things to do in Moalboal or South Cebu.
Day 1
Canyoneering in Kawasan Falls
Snorkeling Sardine Bait balls
Swim with the turtles
Day 2
Osmeña Peak
Casino Peak
Cambais Falls
Day 3
Aguinid Falls
Island Hopping on Pescador Island
Hidden Falls (optional)
Day 4
Scuba Diving
White Beach
Lambug Beach
Day 5
Dao Falls
Inambakan Falls
Kabutongan Falls
This itinerary will give you a five-day action-packed experience in South Cebu. Our guide is designed to help you visit as many places in Cebu as possible.
The itinerary above can be easily modified depending on how much time you have available and what you want to accomplish each day. Spread out your activities over a longer period of time to allow you to relax or eliminate some activities to reduce the duration.
