Mactan Island is a coral island known for its deluxe beach resorts and diving spots. It is also called the "diving mecca of the south". It is one of the most popular dive destinations in the Philippines, where its colourful and diverse marine life and sanctuaries keeps divers coming back for more.
It is a part of Cebu Province which lies few kilometers to the southeast of Cebu Island connected by two bridges; the old bridge (Mandaue-Mactan Bridge) and the new bridge (Marcelo Fernan Bridge). It is divided into Lapu-Lapu City and the municipality of Cordova. It is ideal for holiday destination since one of the busiest airport in the Philippines, Mactan-Cebu International Airport, is located in its island.
Mactan Island is very accessible since you can go there by land, sea, and air. Those from outside Cebu Province can go there through airplane, while those from Cebu City can go there through riding a cab, PUJ, or riding on a ferry. If your from Cebu, you can go there through riding a PUJ with either tamiya, opon, soong sign boards in it.
What to do in Mactan Island...
Being one of the top tourist attraction in Cebu, it offers diverse destination, being one of them is the place featuring its famous history. Mactan Shrine, located in Punta Engano, Lapu-Lapu City is dedicated inhonor of Lapu-Lapu, Ferdinand Magellan, and the Battle of Mactan, which was recorded as the first resistance of Filipinos to foreign invaders. It is reenacted during its anniversary. At the shrine, you can find the Magellan Marker, Magellan Shrine / Magellan Monument, and the famous Lapu-Lapu Shrine.
The Magellan Shrine (also called "Magellan's Monument), is an obelisk built by the Spaniards in 1866 in honor of Ferdinand Magellan. It is the first thing you will see when you enter the shrine.
The Magellan Marker, which is housed by a covered structure, is a small stone marker that has two plaques, the front which gives a short description of Lapu-Lapu and the back which gives a short description of Magellan's death.
Right at the back of the marker is a mural painting depicting the battle of Mactan.
Lapu-Lapu Shrine is a 20m (65.5 ft) high, bronze statue of Lapu-Lapu, a native chieftain of Mactan Island who stood up against the Spanish Invaders during the battle in 1521 and killed their leader, the navigator, Ferdinand Magellan.
After seeing the shrines, you can take a walk along the dock in front of Lapu-Lapu Shrine overviewing the shallow sea where the battle takes place. It also has several boats at the sea mirroring that of the past. It is good to visit if you want to breath fresh air because the park is built near the coast of Mactan. There are also mangrooves, wooden statues, wooden shed and you can walk around sightseeing with its landscape.
You can also dine in at their very own SUTUKIL restaurant (sugba/grilled, tuwa, kilaw) featuring an array of native seafoods, where you'll be the one to cook your own food. Before you go, don't you want to get some souvenirs?. There are a line of souvenir shops inside the shrine to choose from.
You can go there from the airport by hailing a taxi or PUJ/Filipino cab. Tourists from the airport should take a stop at the Marina Mall in order to get a linking trip to Mactan Shrine. When riding a PUJ/Filipino cab, make sure to choose the one going to Punta Engano.
Showcasing the beautiful and abundant marine life of Mactan!
Mactan Island Acquarium Museum, located at barangay Maribago, on the main highway around the island is first of its kind in Visayas and the only public aquarium outside of Luzon of all the 7,107 islands in the Philippines. The aquarium museum opened since October 2008 and has over 30 exhibits showcasing Cebu's aquatic life from snakes to sharks.
At the tour, you can expect to see different creatures such as deadly octopus, beautiful angelfish, cowfish (with horns) and you'll also have an opportunity to learn how to pick up a crab without getting hurt, or to touch starfish and other creatures with the help of the guides.
It is open 7 days a week, from 10 a.m. untill 6 p.m. The regular admission fees are Php250 for adults and Php200 for children 4.5 ft or below. To encourage more educational visits, discounted rates are available to local residents.
The surrounding waters of the island are full of dive sites that ranges from easy to advances including prime underwater spots...Let's now explore more of the marine life and jump deeper into its major diving sites...
Kontiki House Reef
Kontiki, located in Lapu-lapu City, Mactan Cebu, is one of the best dive sites on Mactan Island and can be dive either by boat or from shore.The reef slopes gently to about 10m/30f and drops to about 50m/100f, where steep slopes and drop-offs continue to fall to depth over 100m/300f. The shallow part of the reef offers coral mounds set into sea grass beds and an artificial reef artifact. This dive site is good for all levels of divers.
Marigondon Cavern
Marigondon Cavern is located on Lapu-Lapu, on the east side just in front of Plantation Bay Resort. It is the easiest to get to by boat or shore and it is one of the most famous dive spots of Cebu. It is for advanced divers since its very deep. The Cavern goes in for about 60m wit han average depth in side the cavern around 25m. Usually, you drop off the dive boat well before the cave and drift towards it with the usual current of 30m / 90m. Its entry stretches from 27 to 37 / 90 to 130ft. There will be lionfishes at the entrance, deeper inside a school of strange flashlight fish blinking inthe dark and some giant crabs.
The reef slopes gently about 30m / 90f with several drop-offs to about 50m / 150f. The bottom composition is mostly sand and sea grass beds with coral formations and lots of soft corals, even the big ones like the elephant ear coral, with a large amount of smaller reef fish and huge varuety of invertebrates. Since the establishments of the marine sanctuary, the dive spot is also home of barracudas, parrofish, lionfish, a beautiful school of jacks, and a huge school of silver batfish.
Tambuli Reef & Plane Wreck
A drift dive with a wreck of a small airplane around 20m. Marine life includes catfishes, snake, eel, anemone fishes, angelfishes etc. The top pf the reef, about 8m / 25f deep, is home to nice seagrass beds and coral mounds. It slopes to about 30m / 90f where it hits the sandy bottom. At a depth off 22m lies the fuselage of an airplane, placed there as an artificial reef. It is cute because there are lots of smaller reef fishes here that'll approach you and asked to be fed since this used to be a fish feeding station.
Olango Island Group
Aside from diving and snorkeling, you can do Island Hopping and explore the beauty of the other islands. Being a coral island itself, Mactan has many relatively close islands some of which are amazingly considered as sanctuaries. These following islands are part of the Olango Island Group which is under the jurisdiction of Lapu-Lapu City and the municipality of Cordova.
Caohagan Island
Olango Island
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Olango Island or called Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary is located 5 kilometers east of Mactan island. It supports the largest concentration of migratory birds found so far in the country. The island serves as the refueling station for these birds. There are 97 species of birds in Olango, 48 of which are migratory species, while the rest are resident birds of the island. Migration starts from the breeding places of birds in Siberia, Northern China and Japan.
You can get there from Cebu City through a jeepney bound for Lapu-Lapu City. Upon arrival in the city, go for the tricycle bound for Dapdap or Angasil. Disembark at the Mar Y Cielo Beach Resort. Take a pumpboat for Santa Rosa and from there, the sanctuary can be reached by tricycle or foot. Best time to arrive is with high tide and you can walk far into the area if you prefer to go during low tide.
Hilutungan Island
Pandanon Island
Pandanon island is a beautiful island which is famous for its long winding sandbar that changes with tides. It is perfect for relaxing. From there, one can see the mainland of Bohol on a clear day. Pandanon can be reached by an hour pumpboat ride from Mactan, Cebu. It is ideal and is one of the destinations for the populat Cebu island hopping tours. Since it is farther away, it is less popular compared to the other islands, but it is perfect for some who wants to experience being in a secluded place with peacefulness. Local outrigger and motorized boats from any point in Mactan and beach resorts such as Marigondon, Agus or Maribago, and the port near Hilton Hotel can reach the island.
Nalusuan Island
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| Nalusuan Island (The smaller and the nearer one); Hilutungan Island (The farther and the larger one) |
Sulpa Island
The Island is one of the most visited Island in Cebu Philippines. This is a small island with no residents but has seashells, shallow and rough coral sands and other seafoods. The island is privately owned and entrance fees are collected in the sandy part of the island but island hoppers who just stay and enjoy swimming far from the sandy area are free from fees. The ideal place for swimming but not as good for snorkeling. With a class B diving rate, the western part of the island can be a place for diving since it has a drop-off up to 50m. From this island you can have a view of the other islands.
Accommodations in Mactan ranges from affordable inns to luxurious resorts and hotel. Some of the popular resorts are Shangri-la Mactan Resort & Spa, Plantation Bay, Maribago Bluewaters, Crimson Resort & Spa, Hilton Hotel, Moevenpick Hotel, Jpark Island Resort and Waterpark and etc.
Don't leave without dining at Mactan's restaurants with foods ranging from local to international cuisines. Some of the best restaurants are Lantaw Floating Restaurant, Shangri-la's diverse restaurants, Abaca restaurant, Restaurants in hotels and resort, and Sutukil restaurant which is purely local and cultural.
Wanna be a Mermaid?
Mactan is really a perfect place to enjoy swimming but have you ever wanted to do it like Ariel? After watching that Little Mermaid movie, I know a lot of us wants to be also part of that "mermaid world". It's possible! There are mermaid swimming lessons conducted in Mactan to bring out the mermaid out of you!
Ocean Gems Academy
Ocean Gems Academy, located in Basak, Lapu-Lapu City offers mermaid swimming lessons regardless of the gender, age, and race as long as you can swim. Mermaid swimming is much harder than anyone else thinks. To those who doesn't know how to swim can first take swimming lessons at the same academy. But, if you really can't swim then the academy can let you rent for mermaid tail and can let you wear it for photo shoot like a mermaid! |
| A hybrid of a ukelele and a 6-stringed guitar |
The trip wouldn't be completed without visiting the native crafts of the place...Here in Mactan island, you can have a face to face encounter of real life Guitar Heroes and Legends. Mactan guitars are known worldwide for its unique sound and masterful craftsmanship. The tradition of making world class guitars lives on barangay Abuno, Lapu-Lapu City, where most guitar factories are located.
"There are a lot more to what is written here, so come and explore Mactan yourself."
"Here on my island the sea says hello"
Treasures await any road that you take
Here on the island the days are a dream
Here on my island the fun never ends...
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