Sign In

My Timeline

GuRoute

Discover Your World

Share your Experiences

Record your Life

beta

Discover Your World

  1
   

Top Attractions in Central Visayas

Cebu City

Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu , is the capital city of the province of Cebu and is the "second city" of the Philippines, being the center of Metro Cebu, the second most populous metropolitan area in the Philippines after Metro Manila. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 866,171 making it the fifth most populated city in the country. Cebu City is a significant center of commerce, trade and education in the Visayas region. The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu island. It is the first Spanish settlement and the oldest city in the Philippines. Cebu is the Philippines' main domestic shipping port and is home to about 80% of the country's domestic shipping companies. It is the center of a metropolitan area called Metro Cebu, which includes the cities of Carcar, Danao, Lapu-lapu, Mandaue, Naga, Talisay and the municipalities of Compostela, Consolacion, Cordova, Liloan, Minglanilla and San Fernando . Metro Cebu has a total population of about 2.55 million people . Cebu City is bordered to the northeast by Mandaue City and the town of Consolacion, to the west are Toledo City, and the towns of Balamban and Asturias, to the south are Talisay City and the town of Minglanilla. Across Mactan Strait to the east is Mactan Island.

Mandaue City

Mandaue, officially the City of Mandaue and often referred to as Mandaue City, is a city in the province of Cebu Province in the Philippines. It is one of three highly urbanized cities on the island and forms a part of the Cebu Metropolitan area. Mandaue City is located on the central-eastern coastal region of Cebu, bordering its west side are Mactan Island where Lapu-Lapu City is located. Mandaue is connected to Mactan Island via two bridges: the Mactan-Mandaue Bridge and Marcelo Fernan Bridge, and is bounded south and the west by the provincial capital, Cebu City, and north by Consolacion, to which it is linked by the Cansaga Bay Bridge. The city has an area of 2,518 hectares . According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 331,320. In the 2013 election, it had 186,244 registered voters. Mandaue City is part of the Sixth District of Cebu joined with the municipalities of Consolacion and Cordova. Although qualified for a lone district since 1991, this was neglected by lawmakers. Mandaue is a highly urbanized city but is administered with the supervision of the provincial government.

Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral

The Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, also as The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of St. Vitales, or The Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Vitales is the ecclesiastical seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cebu in Cebu, Philippines. Cebu was established as a diocese on August 14, 1595. It was elevated as a metropolitan archdiocese on April 28, 1934 with the dioceses of Dumaguete, Maasin, Tagbilaran, and Talibon as suffragans. Before being raised as a primatial church in Cebu, the temple was the first church in the Philippines dedicated to St. Vitales and built near the fort in April of 1565 by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and Fray Andrés de Urdaneta. Construction of the cathedral took many years due to frequent interruptions, brought about by lack of funds and other unexpected events. At one time, funds meant for the building of the cathedral were diverted to the Moro wars. The death of an incumbent bishop who spearheaded the construction/reconstruction and vacancies in the office were also factors. The architecture of the church is typical of Spanish colonial churches in the country, namely, squat and with thick walls to withstand typhoons and other natural calamities. The facade features a trefoil-shaped pediment, which is decorated with carved relieves of floral motifs, an IHS inscription and a pair of griffins. The Spanish Royal Coat of Arms is emblazoned in low relief above the main entrance, reflecting perhaps the contribution of the Spanish monarch to its construction. During World War II, much of the cathedral was destroyed by Allied bombings of the city. Only the belfry, the façade, and the walls remained. It was quickly rebuilt in the 1950s under the supervision of architect Jose Ma. Zaragosa, during the incumbency of Archbishop Gabriel Reyes. In 1982, a mausoleum was built at the back of the sacristy at the initiation of Archbishop Julio Cardinal Rosales. It serves as a final resting place for the remains of Cebus bishops and clergy. Cardinal Rosales, who died three months after inauguration of the mausoleum, is interred there along with Archbishop Manuel Salvador, a coadjutor archbishop of Cebu, and Archbishop Mariano Gaviola, the archbishop of Lipa . The remains of Bishop Juan Bautista Gorordo, the first Filipino and Cebuano bishop of Cebu, are also interred there. The cathedral was renovated for the 75th anniversary celebration on April 28, 2009 of the elevation of Cebu into an archdiocese. An application is pending at the Vatican for the cathedrals elevation into a minor basilica in honor of St. Vitalis, an early Christian martyr. His feast day coincides with the day the image of the Sto. Niño de Cebu was found almost 450 years ago, as well as the anniversary of the elevation of Cebu into an archdiocese. Since early of 2014, the present rector and parish priest of the cathedral is Reverend Monsignor Ruben Labajo, PC

Baclayon Church

La Purisima Concepcion de la Virgen Maria Parish Church commonly known as Baclayon Church, is a Roman Catholic Church in the municipality of Baclayon, Bohol, Philippines within the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tagbilaran. Baclayon was founded by the Jesuit priest Juan de Torres and Gabriel Sánchez in 1596, and became the oldest Christian settlement in Bohol. It was elevated as a parish in 1717 and the present coral stone church was completed in 1727. The Augustinian Recollects succeeded the Jesuits in 1768 and heavily renovated the church since then. The church was declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines and a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Together with the churches of Maragondon, Loboc and Guiuan, the Baclayon Church was formerly included for the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List of the Philippines since 1993 under the collective group of Jesuit Churches of the Philippines. When a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Bohol and other parts of Central Visayas in 2013, the church building sustained major damage.

Loboc Church

The San Pedro Apostol Parish Church commonly known as Loboc Church, is a Roman Catholic church in the municipality of Loboc, Bohol, Philippines, within the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tagbilaran. After the Jesuits established the Christian community in Baclayon, they moved to Loboc and established a second Christian settlement in Bohol. The parish was established in 1602, and the present coral stone church was completed in 1734. Because of its strategic location, it became the center of the Jesuit mission in the Bohol area. In 1768, upon the expulsion of the Jesuits, the town was transferred to the Augustinian Recollects. The church is classified as a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines. It was considered for the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Philippines as a member of two categories, the Baroque Churches of the Philippines and the Jesuit Churches of the Philippines. It was severely damaged when a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Bohol and other parts of Central Visayas on October 15, 2013.

Edsa Shangri-La

Edsa Shangri-La, Manila is a 5-star luxury hotel located at Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong, Philippines and one of the three hotels managed by Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts located in Metro Manila, Philippines. It opened on August 28, 1992. The hotel has 632 rooms and suites, four international restaurants, two lounges, a cafe, and a bakeshop, across two wings, and is considered a city resort. The hotel is designed in a beach resort-style within the downtown area of the city and is located on the Shang Palace estate, which covers 8.6 hectares, and includes the hotel, Shangri-La Plaza, the residential St. Francis Shangri-La Place and a new Shangri-La Plaza East Wing opened in 2013. The hotel is considered one of the landmark buildings in Manila due to it being the first of its kind in the city, and its clientele consists 85 per cent of locals rather than foreign tourists.

Tagbilaran City

Tagbilaran is a third income class component city in the island province of Bohol, Philippines, serving as its capital. Its income classification has an annual income of ₱240-320 million. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 105,051. In the 2016 election, it had 59,949 registered voters. Tagbilaran lies in the southwestern part of the province, and has a total land area of 32.7 km2 , with a coastline of 13 km . The city shares its boundaries with the towns of Cortes, Corella, and Baclayon. It is 630 km southeast of the national capital of Manila and 72 km south of the regional capital, Cebu City. It is the principal gateway to Bohol and is known as the "City of Warmest Friendship". Tagbilaran is considered by the Institute for Solidarity in Asia as one of the eight Philippine Dream Cities.

SM City Cebu

SM City Cebu is a large shopping mall located in Cebu City, Philippines. It is the 4th shopping mall owned and developed by SM Prime Holdings, the countrys largest shopping mall owner and developer. It is the companys first shopping mall outside of Metro Manila and the 4th largest shopping mall in the Philippines. It has a land area of 11.8 hectares and a gross floor area of 268,611 m2, becoming part of the worlds 15 largest shopping malls and making it the 11th largest shopping mall in the world in 2009. But it is now the 27th largest shopping mall in the world as of June of 2015. On an average day, more than 100,000 people visit SM City Cebu, with the figure increasing to 140,000 to 150,000 on weekends. Due to Cebu Citys position as a transshipment point for the Visayas and Mindanao, and SM City Cebus location close to the citys port area, the mall attracts a significant number of transient shoppers.

Guadalupe Mabugnao Mainit Hot Spring National Park

Guadalupe Mabugnao Mainit Hot Spring National Park is a protected area of the Philippines located in Barangay Guadalupe in Carcar, Cebu, some 50 kilometers from the provincial capital Cebu City. The park covers an area of 57.50 hectares occupying an important watershed forest reserve in the central Mantalongon mountain range. It was declared a national park in 1972 by virtue of Republic Act No. 6429. The park is frequented by daily visitors for its hot springs where cottages and pools have been developed. Life-size statues of saints and Christ including that of Santo Niño de Cebú have also added to its tourist attractions. A trail up a hill leads to at least three caves, the most explored being Cave Lorett and Cave Moymoy. Near Cave Lorett is another spring and four rivers. The park also contains a dam that supplies Carcars water.

Camotes Islands

The Camotes Islands are an archipelago in the Camotes Sea, Philippines. The island group is located east of Cebu Island, southwest of Leyte Island, and north of Bohol Island. It is 34 nautical miles from Cebu City and is part of the province of Cebu. Total population according to the 2010 census is 92,278. Population has grown 20.3% since 1990, equivalent to an annual growth rate of 0.93%. Nearest landfall, from north end of Ponson island to southern Leyte, is about 7.2 kilometres . From Consuelo port to Danao is 32 kilometres as the crow flies. From south of Pacijan to Bohol is about 47 kilometres . Sometimes known as the "Lost Horizon of the south", within recent years Camotes has seen increased visitors and tourism and a growing expatriate community. Apart from natural attractions on land, there is also a score of dive sites around the islands.

Malapascua Island

Malapascua Island is a Philippine island situated in the Visayan Sea, 6.8 kilometres across a shallow strait from the northernmost tip of Cebu Island. Administratively, it is part of the insular barangay of Logon, Daanbantayan, Cebu. Malapascua is a small island, only about 2.5 by 1 kilometre, and has eight hamlets. Malapascua became famous fairly recently, only in the early 1990s as a dive destination. Prior to this, the island was known for its wide white sand beach, known as Bounty Beach; it has also become known for its beautiful coral gardens and excellent local dive spots, as well as further-out sites including Gato Island, Monad Shoal, and Kemod Shoal. Monad Shoal is an underwater plateau where thresher sharks and manta rays can regularly be sighted. Most of the islanders derive their livelihood from tourism, while some still rely on subsistence fishing and farming. Religiously, Malapascua Island or barangay Logon is believed to be the place where the Virgin de los Desamparados made a miracle sometime in 1890 when the island had only nine households of the Monteclar, Deogrades, Rosales, Gulfan, Rubio, Bohol and Bruces families. It was said to be a piece of wood that had never burnt. In 1907 the parish priest of Kandaya, now Daanbantayan town, Rev. Fr. Inocentes Maga, baptized it of its name upon the request of the local residents. The size of the image is not the original size and it is said to be growing until present. Devotees from different parts of the country and even abroad come during the feast days on May 11 and 12. The chapel was originally made of coconut palm and leaves but now it is made of steel and cement. Similar to other islands, natives were dependent on fishing as a source of livelihood. Agricultural products such as corn and rice were supplied from neighboring islands, such as Cebu and Leyte. With the population increasing and fish stocks dwindling, tourism came to the rescue. Nowadays, the majority of islanders either directly or indirectly make a living out of tourism, which is developing rapidly. The growth of tourism has also increased local immigration to the island, thus the demand for housing. The lack of a pier for bigger boats due to financial constraints is keeping a brake on construction growth.

Lake Balanan

Lake Balanan is a lake situated Siaton, Negros Oriental, Philippines. It is a freshwater lake in the forested mountains of the southern portion of the island of Negros, with a shape resembling a figure of eight, the narrowest point between the two main portions of the lake being only 90 metres wide. The lake is surrounded by mountain ranges, and is fed by three tributaries, all located in the northern end. These are the Lamarao Creek at the northeastern corner with two waterfalls, the Balanan Creek at the middle of the northern end with another waterfall, and the Nasig-id Creek at the northwestern end. The lake has a humid tropical climate with two pronounced seasons, a dry season from November to April and a wet season for the rest of the year. The lake was formed by a tectonic earthquake with the magnitude of a 6.8 on the Richter scale that hit the southern portion of the island of Negros, and caused landslides in the southern ends of both the Balanan and Nasig-id ranges in Siaton. The fallen rocks and soil dammed the Balanan River that flowed between these mountain ranges forming a 25-hectare "humerus" bone-formed lake oriented along the Northwest-Southeast line. The lake and surrounding forests are currently being managed as a Watershed Area by the Bureau of Forest Development. A proposal has been made to designate the area as a Game Refuge and Wildlife Sanctuary to protect the large population of bats and other wildlife. This proposal was endorsed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Region 7, in January 1987.

University of San Carlos

The University of San Carlos is a private Catholic university in Cebu City which is administered and managed by the Society of the Divine Word since 1935. It offers a Montessori preparatory academy, Basic Education, 80 Undergraduate, and 85 Graduate programs, with a broad spectrum of academic disciplines through its 8 Schools and 27 Academic Departments. USC has been considered as the de facto premier university in Cebu. It is ranked top five nationwide and top one in the Visayas and Mindanao with the most number of Centers of Excellence and Centers of Development awarded and recognized by the Commission on Higher Education as of December 2015.[7] USC is also one of the top 10 leading universities in the country ranked by the International/World Quacquarelli Symonds rating among the top 300 universities in Asia as of 2014 (USC is the lone Cebu based university and one of the 2 universities in the Visayas regions that were cited as among internationally recognized and world class universities in the Philippines).[9] USC's claims as the "oldest educational institution or school in Asia" has been a long time subject of disputes from the University of Sto. Tomas who on the other hand claims to be the "oldest university in Asia".
♥

This attraction is located in

This is a private property. Please enjoy respectfully and do not disturb the occupants.

Edit Categories
Add Tours

This attraction is not part of any tours

Add Collections

This attraction is not part of any collections

 

Some of the attractions we imported from Wikipedia are not perfect. Send us an email detailing what's wrong and we'll look into fixing it.

GuRoute is all about Gurus sharing their local knowledge. If you feel up to fixing this problem yourself, why not adopt it. You will become the owner and can fix whatever problems you see.

We've copied a link to this attraction into your clipboard so that ou can paste it into an email or text message...

More Info... ✔
You can add your friends to the visit yourself, or, send them a link and let them add themselves...

The visit will appear on both your timelines and on your Shared Timeline.

Click below and we'll email you a link that you can send on to friends or post on your group's Facebook page.

If your friends aren't members of GuRoute yet, this is a great way to get them started.
Recent
Recently used Collections will appear here...
Recent
Recently used tours will appear here...

Where is this?

GuRoute likes to place attractions inside other attractions. So, maybe it's in a city, or maybe it's inside a particular park in that city. Maybe your attraction is a huge park that spans half the county, or multiple counties.

Determining where this attraction is gives it context - if it's in a park, you'll be able to see it alongside all the other attractions in that park. And that helps define the park.

GuRoute will automatically calculate a parent region for this attraction. You can change it if there is something more appropriate.

This attraction is currently located in .

Change

This attraction does not yet have any reviews

Please login to write a review...

Reviewed by
Record new Visit

Add this location to your timneline?

  • If there's an existing attraction open it and add it to your timeline...
  • If not, enter a title and we'll create a new attraction for your memories...
Create new Attraction

Create a new attraction at this location?

  • We rely on Gurus like you to share your local knowledge...
(Give a name for this location)

+
Add this to your timeline instead...

Imagine having a record of all the cool things you've done in your life!


Using our timeline you can keep track of everywhere you visit in your lifetime...

But, you'll need to sign in first...

Add contacts so that you can share your travels and record places that you visit together...

Family
Favorites
Family
Favorites

Profile TimeLine Our Visits Edit Accept Decline Invite

If you have any more friends that visited this place with you, feel free to add them to the visit. We'll write it to their timeline and once they confirm it, they too will have this memory for a lifetime.

If they're not already registered, you just need their name and email address and you can add them and we'll send them an invite on your behlaf.

Add a tour comment

Add some extra information for when this attraction is viewed as part of your tour...

Next Stop Instructions

Add some instructions for what to see/do on the way to the next stop...

Next Stop Instructions

Add some instructions for what to see/do on the way to the next stop...

If you're visiting an existing attraction, open it and add it to your timeline. If there is no attraction for the place you are visiting...

  • Click 'Add My Location' below
  • Or right-click on the map to mark a different location
  • Or long-press if you have a touch screen
You can even add locations while you're offline....
  • Load up the map when you're online and we'll keep track of your locaiton
  • You can add locations to your timeline
  • When you are online again we'll sync them with the cloud

We can't connect to the internet right now. The following attractions are saved locally and can be uploaded when you're online...

GuRoute would like to access your current location so that we can pin you on the map and show you nearby attractions

Add friends so that you can share your experiences with each other...

Add tour to What's Next?

Go...

Either for yourself or someone else...

  1. Do your trip research in GuRoute
    Add all the places that you think might be worthy of a visit into a trip-plan
  2. Add your trip-plan to your "What's Next" timeline
    (or a friend's "What's Next" timeline)
  3. When you're on vacation you'll have all your research at your fingertips
  4. Share your timline with your friends
    They can enjoy your vacation with you, seeing not only where you've been, but where you're going next...
  5. Add/remove attractions if things change

It also makes a great souvenir of your trip

Collections

Go...

Create a home page for a collection of attractions

  • Add an image and description to display on the homepage
  • Start adding content
    Add existing attractions to your collection or create new attractions of your own
  • Collections can be:
    • Public (Anyone can add attractions to your collection)
    • Shared (Only yourself and Gurus you nominate can add content)
    • Private (The collection will only be visible to yourself)

Uses

  • Local business or hotel
    Showcase local attractions that you endorse
  • Clubs
    Showcase attractions that members have created (eg. local historical society)
  • Special Interest
    If GuRoute does not have a category for your special interest you add your attractions to your own collection instead

Examples

Walking/Driving Tours

Go...

A guided tour where GuRoute will direct you from stop to stop and narrate a description of each attraction you arrive at

  • GuRoute uses your phone's GPS to guide you from stop to stop
  • GuRoute automatically detects when you arrive at the next tour-stop and narrates the description of the attraction (Chrome Only)
  • It then sends you on to the next stop

Tours are great to attract people to your town. Even places with no significant points of interest can be lots of fun when part of a tour


Cater tours to your Audience

  • Kid-friendly Tours
    • Focus on what will keep kids interested
    • Instead of parents having to drag their kids around they'll be struggling to keep up
    • Let the kids navigate and they'll get more fun out of finding that historical plaque than they ever would from reading it
  • Accessible tours
  • Short and long tours of the same location

What you need to do...

  1. Click 'Go...'
    Enter a title, description and location for the tour
  2. Add existing attractions OR create new ones and add them to the tour
  3. For existing attractions you can add more information specific to the theme of the tour
  4. You can also add instructions on what to do or see en-route to the next tour-stop
  5. Try out your tour and see how it works...

Mystery Tour

Go...

Create a Mystery Tour

Create a series of clues to show people around a city, neighborhood or whatever place you like...

  • GuRoute will show people clues to get them from attraction to attraction
  • When they reach each stop GuRoute will tell them about the place and give them the next clue
  • Take as long or as you like and explore each location at your leisure

Scavenger Hunt

Go...

Create a Scavenger Hunt

Create a series of questions that people have to answer. The answers can all be discovered by walking aroung the area, looking for clues.

  • How many beers are on tap at Michael Collin's Irish Bar?
  • What's the name of the oldest building on main streeet?
  • Show a picture of some public art and ask them what it is called
  • Clues can have numeric or multiple choice answers