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In this article, we’re going to share some of the best areas to stay in Cebu in 2025. Many people make a big mistake when it comes to planning their destinations in Cebu. If you’re investing all of this money and time to get to Cebu – it’s well worth taking a little time to read this article and plan your trip carefully.
In this article we will share our best tips and advice to help you make the most of your time on this unique and stunning island. We will share the BEST areas to stay – and give you some tips to help you prioritize your time.
For each of the areas that we recommend, we will share some of the best activities and attractions. We will also help give you an idea of how long you should spend in each place to help you make the most of the activities and attractions.
For each of the areas that we recommend, we will discuss accommodation, shops, restaurants, and facilities in the area. This article is the first step to working out your itinerary in Cebu. So grab a cuppa and enjoy learning more about this remarkable island.
HOW TO GET AROUND – How do you get around in Cebu – Comprehensive Guide
How long should you spend in Cebu?
If you have less than one week to visit Cebu, you will probably need to keep your visit to one area and be realistic about what you hope to achieve. It can take many hours to travel between the main destinations in Cebu (even if you have your own transportation). If you want to see at least some of the amazing attractions that this beautiful island has to offer, you will need to spend at least one week in Cebu. However, if you are hoping to see all of the main highlights in Cebu, then we recommend spending at least 10 days or even better 2 weeks.
Journey times around Cebu
- Cebu City to Oslob – 120km – 5 – 6 hours
- Cebu City to Moalboal – 95km – 4 – 5 hours
- Moalboal to Oslob – 80km – 3 hours
- Cebu City to Carcar City – 40km – 1.5 – 2 hours
- Travel around Cebu city can take as much as 1 – 2 hours in heavy traffic
PLANNING TO DIVE? – Don’t miss our EPIC guide on diving in Cebu
Day trips from Cebu City
Some people take a day trip to Kawasan falls from Cebu city – this is a very long journey! We strongly recommend staying in Moalboal rather than Cebu City if Canyoneering at Kawasan is high on your list!
FIND OUT MORE – Full Guide to Canyoneering at Kawasan Falls
Can you just stay in Cebu city as your main base and do day trips to places of interest? In short, yes – but we wouldn’t recommend this.
Some people choose to stay in Cebu City for the safety, security, and amenities of a large city. From Cebu City, they do day trips around the island to visit various attractions. Is it a good idea to stay in Cebu City and then take day trips around the island?
Although we can see the attraction of staying in a big city. In our opinion, this is not a good idea for several reasons. Firstly, accommodation in Cebu City is relatively expensive. This means that you will end up paying more for your trip (compared to staying in other destinations around Cebu). If you plan to stay in Cebu City, you also need to factor into your budget the cost of traveling back and forth around the island. Some of the journeys are very time-consuming and tiring. For example, if you are hoping to see the whale sharks in Oslob, it will take you several hours to travel there from Cebu City. The whale shark activity is an early morning activity, so you will have to get up extremely early. (And of course, you also have to do the journey back).
In our opinion, Cebu City is a little bit too far from all of the best attractions to plan day trips (even though some people do choose to travel this way). Furthermore, Cebu City is a large and unattractive city. It is not as beautiful as the stunning beach destinations around Cebu Island. It is also worth considering the fact that you can find supermarkets, convenience stores, and amenities in all of the main towns that we recommend in this article (you do not need to rely on cities for this). In other words, most of the things that you can find in Cebu City can also be found in beautiful destinations like Moalboal.
Find out how to travel from Cebu City to Moalboal
1 Cebu City
Cebu City is the largest city on Cebu Island and it is the main hub of the island. It is also home to the Cebu International Airport. Therefore, it is very likely that you will at least be passing through Cebu City in your trip. But is it worth staying in Cebu City?
In our opinion, it is worth spending a night or two in Cebu City (especially if you have a late-night arrival or an early morning departure at the end of your trip). However, we do not recommend spending a lot of time in Cebu City. Cebu Island has so much natural beauty and adventure to offer; we don’t recommend wasting a lot of your time in a big city (but then again, we’re not really city people ourselves!). Accommodation in Cebu City is relatively expensive, and the city can be pretty slow to travel around due to heavy traffic and congestion. If you do plan to stay in Cebu City, you will need to find a good area of the city to stay.
The best areas to stay in Cebu City are Mactan Island (the airport is situated here and there are also some luxurious resorts on the East Coast and some more affordable accommodation in the Lapu Lapu City area).
You can also stay in the IT Park area. This is a great area for studio apartments and there is also a fantastic Filipino food night market here. If you’re looking for a more cosmopolitan area, we recommend the SM City Mall area or Osmena Boulevard.
The main advantage of staying in Cebu City is the number of shops, malls, cafes, and restaurants; this is a great place to get set up for your trip. You can buy a local SIM card. There is also some amazing Filipino food available in Cebu City. If you only have one or two weeks in Cebu, then we don’t recommend spending more than a few days in Cebu City. On the other hand, if you do have a longer trip to Cebu, then you may want to spend a bit more time exploring the city.
FIND OUT MORE – The Best Areas to Stay in Cebu City
2 Moalboal (ideally 3 – 5 days)
Moalboal is one of the most popular diving destinations in Cebu. Find out more about diving in Moalboal. If you love the idea of snorkeling, diving, or freediving, then you will love Moalboal. If possible, we recommend spending a reasonable proportion of your trip in Moalboal. This is both a beautiful area and there are a lot of excellent things to do around Moalboal.
Moalboal has some very stunning coastline with beautiful clear water and plenty of biodiversity. The coral reef in this area is colorful and very healthy, and the visibility is typically 10 to 15 meters. There is also a dramatic coral reef drop-off situated around 50 meters from the coast. This drop-off is around 30 or 40 meters deep, so this is a great location if you are interested in advanced scuba diving or freediving. Diving starts at around 1,200 pesos in the area (roughly £16 or $20).
There are also some very beautiful west-facing beaches in the area. For example, White Beach is a great place to watch the sunset, take an evening swim, and try some local barbecued fish on the beach. If you are looking for adventure, you can easily book a Kawasan Falls Canyoneering trip in Moalboal. Actually Moalboal is the cheapest place to book a Kawasan canyoneering trip – with prices starting at 1,900 pesos including transport, guide, entrance & food (roughly £26 or $30).
Moalboal is a popular destination with a lot to offer in terms of cafes, restaurants, shops, and accommodation. Accommodation in the area is relatively expensive, so you will need to hunt around for a good deal, especially if you’re traveling on a tight budget. However, if you are not traveling on a tight budget, there are lots of fantastic places to choose from, including some very beautiful beachfront resorts with outdoor swimming pools.
WHAT IS THE MAIN HUB IN MOALBOAL? The Panganasama Beach area is the main hub in Moalboal. It has plenty of shops, ATM machines, bars, restaurants coffee shops and cafes. This town has a nice feel, and everything is within walking distance. In the center of Moalboal town, you can also find a 7-Eleven convenience store, a supermarket, a small shopping mall, local fruit markets, and a Jollibee fast food outlet. You really can find everything you need in this area. Alternatively, if you want to stay in the north of Moalboal (in the White Beach area), there is much less to choose from in terms of accommodation.
This area has a nice, peaceful, and tranquil atmosphere. However, it is a lot more quiet and challenging to get around (there are not many taxis or tuk-tuks in this area). If you are staying in this area, we recommend having your own transportation (consider motorbike rental or car rental).
THE MAIN HUB IN MOALBOAL – Everything you need to know about the Panagsama Beach Area
Top tip If you’re planning to travel here in the rainy season (and you are hoping to do snorkeling, scuba diving or freediving) we recommend planning an additional day or two. In some cases a spell of bad weather may mean that you cannot go diving (e.g. bad visibility and or jelly fish). If you have a few additional days in the area this will give you some freedom and flexibility in your schedule.
Time for different activities in the area:
- Scuba dive 2 – 3 hours
- Snorkel 2 hours
- White beach 3 – 4 hours (afternoon or evening)
- Canyoneering 8 hours (full day)
- Island hopping – full morning or afternoon
3 Oslob (ideally 2 – 3 days)
Check out the FULL GUIDE – Whale sharks in Oslob – Everything you need to know
Oslob has to be one of the most underrated destinations in Cebu. Many people only visit Oslob to see the whale sharks. In our opinion, this is a travesty.
It is important to get to grips with the geography of this area. Oslob is a beautiful town situated on the East Coast of Cebu. The whale shark spot is situated around 8 km south of Oslob. (The drive takes around 20 minutes and costs 300 pesos by taxi). It is relatively easy to arrange early morning taxis because many people visit Oslob to see the whale sharks.
If you are planning a trip to Cebu, we recommend spending at least a few days in Oslob to enjoy the general area. Oslob is smaller and less developed than Moalboal. However, it really is a charming and beautiful destination. Situated on the East Coast, Oslob is a fantastic place to enjoy an ocean sunrise.
If you are hoping to see the whale sharks (500 pesos per person – around £8 or $10), we really do recommend spending at least a night or two in Oslob. In order to see the whale sharks, you can either book a slot using The Official Facebook page (at no extra cost). Or you need to arrive extremely early in the morning and queue (we recommend joining the queue by 4 am and you will need to wait until at least 7 am – 8 am to see the whale sharks). You can probably see why we strongly recommend staying close by and even then you will have to take a very early start unless you book a slot.
However, if you can afford another day or two in Oslob, we do recommend exploring the area. There are some beautiful guest houses and hotels in the area. You can also visit the impressive Tumalog Waterfall. Ideally, we do recommend spending at least two or three days in this area (if possible).
Important to take away
So what are the best areas to stay in Cebu? Here is a summary of our advice for planning your time in Cebu: Work out your main activities and priorities. If you’re all about the diving and snorkelling then prioritise Moalboal. If you can afford the extra time, plan a few more days in the areas which are most important to you (this is particularly important if you’re traveling in the rainy season and activities can get canceled due to bad weather). We don’t recommend spending too much time in Cebu City. Instead we would recommend spending more time in some of the unique and beautiful destinations around the island.
