For our final leg in the Philippines, we decided to visit the island of Cebu (more accurately, Mactan) and get in a little beach vacation. Cebu is a short hour-long flight from Manila, and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Philippines. Notably upon arrival, everyone actually stayed seated so that folks could truly deplane by row – this was baffling to see!

Of course, there is something to see on every island, and Cebu in particular has an interesting history. It’s recognized as the city first colonized by the Spanish when Ferdinand Magellan landed here in the mid-1500s. According to local lore, he brought with him Spanish Christianity (Catholicism) and as a result, “saved” the locals from paganism and ushered in modernity. Problematic colonial narratives aside, Magellan also happened to annoy the wrong local leader, leading to his death here as well. As a result, the island blends Spanish and Filipino traditions throughout the religion and food culture.

I decided to head into Cebu City for a morning of adventuring. Our hotel is located on Mactan, which is a small island just to the east of Cebu. Mactan is definitely less developed than Cebu proper, and has much more of a relaxed island vibe. Interestingly, Jeepneys still exist here, but are more of a minivan style ride. In classic island style, there is basically a “ring road” in the sense that it’s one road and one bridge in and out; as a result, what could have been a short “direct” ride took about an hour and fifteen minutes one way for a 10-mile journey. That being said, I took in some of the local sites along the way.

Once you cross into Cebu, things become a bit more developed – and, unfortunately, you get hit with the big city traffic as well. I wanted to hit a number of the “major sites” which are all conveniently located in the same corner of Cebu City, just south of the central area. I was also amused by some of the food delivery setups and signage.

First up was Casa Gorordo, which is similar to Casa Manila in that is is a colonial-style home with well preserved artifacts and architecture. Amusingly, there were only a couple people in the museum, and for each of us, a docent was assigned to “answer questions” (and, apparently, awkwardly follow us around each floor). I decided to finally ask my docent a question to feel like I was deriving value from their time, but sadly got a one-word answer. That being said, the museum did showcase some interesting artifacts from the Gorordo family (the patriarch was the first bishop in Cebu, so this was a notable family!). Things I found intriguing included:

• The religious iconography, especially the patron saint carvings; the description suggested that individuals would carve their own icons, and if they were poorly done or too “weird” the bishop might not bless them – despite this, the collection includes several, each with a description of the items the saint “patronizes”
• An overview of religious festivals that the family would have participated in, as well as many of the items they would have used during those festivals, such as an eight-sided carriage
• An explanation of specialized agricultural tooling – apparently the “sleigh” shape is common with carts in this area due to the swampy nature of the fields
• Because Gorordo was a bishop, he included a small chapel in his house

Overall, a beautiful museum and worth a stop.

Up next, I made my way around the corner to the Yap-San Diego Ancestral Home, billed as an indigenous home from the mid-1650s.

While the property itself is that old, it’s been transformed quite a bit since then. The property was purchased by a Chinese trader who married a local (according to a tour I overheard), and unfortunately most of the original elements have been lost to time. While most of the outside of the property is super touristy (like… tourist posters for people to take pictures with) and the inside decor veers towards big-box-store-prepping-for-a-Hallmark-holiday, there were a couple pieces of the original-ish decor I found interesting. These included the beautiful wooden beams of the original structure, thatched shrines, woven ceiling / wall coverings, and terra-cotta tiles as the roof. I found the woven walls especially interesting, as the weaving seemed to vary by where it was located within the property, and whether or not it was used for decor or functional purposes.

After that, I wandered a few hundred feet to the Cebu historical marker, which is a nice statue depicting the greatest hits of “who’s who” in Cebu history (of course Magellan is featured).

From there, my driver and I proceeded to the highlight of the day’s stop: the Cebu Cathedral and the Minor Basilica of the Holy Child of Cebu (Basilica Del Sto. Niño). The Cathedral was beautiful – the building also dates back to early Spanish colonial times (although its been restored a couple times!). The interior has some amazing icons, which you can tell have been lovingly touched over the decades, as evidenced by the paint removal.

It turns out that today is the last day of the Sinulog Festival, a huge religious and cultural festival that takes place throughout the island. The “minor” Basilica is the site of the main festivities, and the basilica itself is an incredible sight, with a beautiful chapel as well as a city-block’s worth of stadium seating for parishioners in an open air setting. There must have been almost a thousand people located inside the basilica complex; since I arrived just as mass was starting, I didn’t stay too long out of respect, but appreciated how incredibly complex this festival was!

I wish I could have captured the basilica in more photos, as it was absolutely stunning, but I made my way through the crowd to the next site: Magellan’s Cross. As Magellan is credited with bringing Christianity to Cebu (and the broader Philippines), the cross he brought is now memorialized in the basilica complex (and there was also a festival-related health clinic and municipal fair happening as well). The cross is beautiful and was surrounded by a variety of candles and other donations.

After the basilica complex, I headed for the final stop: Fort San Pedro, which is small but picturesque (as evidenced by the many instagram influencers milling about taking photos).

Unfortunately, my final two stops – the Chinese Heritage Museum and the National Museum of the Philippines – were closed for lunch, so I decided to call it a day. After another hour’s worth of traffic, I made my way back to the resort, which is also a highlight of our time here in Mactan. After all, the beach and the water are highlights for most visitors, and they definitely do not disappoint!

Of course, the food has been a treat too! Cebu is known for a special mix of Spanish and Filipino cuisine, especially lechon, the famous pork roast (made for festivals and special occasions throughout the Philippines, but much more commonly here!).

We’ve tried a number of treats here (especially Cebuano-inspired Spanish food at Enye by Chele Gonzalez), including:

• Lumpia gulay (veggie lumpia), served with a sweet chili and vinegar sauce
• Pancit palabok, which combines pork and a rich seafood sauce with thick glass noodles
• Pancit bihon, which in Cebu includes chorizo (a traditionally spanish sausage) as well as veggies and a fried egg
• Amazing fresh fish, including locally fished grouper (known here as Lapu-Lapu, which is coincidentally the name of the city closest to us on Mactan); the version we tried was in a Spanish style with delicious garlic confit in olive oil
• A “fusion” taco that includes the famous Cebuano lechon with the (similarly famous) mango, all within a delicious bite
• Lambanog, a traditional coconut liquor
• Incredible Spanish-inspired desserts, including Basque cheesecake and torrijas, which is basically a Spanish french toast made from brioche soaked in a delicious cream / cheese mixture, bruleed, and served with anise ice cream
• We also tried halo-halo (unpictured), which was a delicious mix of icy treats, including fruit jellies, carabao (local water buffalo) ice cream, and fresh fruits

Overall an incredible start to our remaining time in the Philippines! For the next couple days we’re planning to enjoy some of the sun and surf before heading back to the chilly US winter.