Carcar, officially the City of Carcar, (Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Carcar), or simply known as Carcar City, is a 5th class city in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 119,664 people. Carcar is considered one of the oldest towns in Cebu, with its Spanish influence lasted more than 300 years ago.

These are the Galleries of Carcar that are greatly highlighted:

• Rizal Monument at Town Plaza

• Carcar City Museum (formerly, Carcar Dispensary)

• Carcar Church Interior

• Carcar Town Complex

• Carcar Church Main Altar

Tourist spots to visit in Carcar:

• As a Heritage City of Cebu, Carcar contains various Spanish and American period structures. The Carcar plaza alone hosts several heritage structures, the Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria dominates the area. Within the complex various structures stand, including quaint houses and their distinctive architectural details.
• Surrounding the Rotunda and in the public market one will find the famous Carcar chicharon, lechon, ampao, bucarillo, gorgorias and puso – just some of the local delicacies.
• Guadalupe Mabugnao Mainit Hot Spring National Park
• Heritage Houses such as the Mercado Mansion
• Tuyom Beach – Beach Houses

Carcar is also famous for its very own delicacies which are the “Ampao” and “Chicharon”, where it has a very delicious taste that has been proud of by many Carcar people. There are more places to visit in Carcar and you can enjoy and experience new things by going to Carcar.

HOW TO GO TO CARCAR

• There are a lot of buses from Cebu South Terminal to Carcar City and the minimum fare of an unairconditioned bus is Php40 only.
• And for the airconditioned bus the minimum fee is Php50

It’s very easy to go to Carcar. So what are you waiting for? Let’s visit now the CARCAR CITY!

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Naga, officially the City of Naga (Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Naga) or simply known as Naga City, is a 5th class city in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 115,750 people.

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The Naga City Boardwalk is probably the city’s iconic makeover in recent years. It has become a major tourist attraction for many locals who come from Metro Cebu.

The boardwalk offers a panoramic view of the bay as well as the mountains of Naga. It’s wide open space gives a relaxing ambience. It’s clean and well-maintained.

There are several food stalls around as well as vendors all over to cater the people visiting there. Good thing there are no loud noises or music around. It’s just a place to stroll, hangout and enjoy the views. We can see people smiling all over, pets are allowed only at a certain portion.. 

It is best to visit here late in the afternoon past 4:00pm perhaps where the sun’s light is no longer that hot anymore. Sunset at the bay is just awesome. It’s also a good place to jog and exercise early morning. 

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Naga City is 45min to 1hr away down south from Cebu City. But may take up to 1.5 to 2 hours trip during rush hours. So if you plan to get there at night, might as well bring with you your extra patience and some food.

For commuters, you have two options:

• From Colon Street, ride a jeepney with routes 09C/F, or 10F/H and drop off at Jollibee Bulacao or Pardo Church (P8 fare). From there, take another jeepney with route 44 to reach to Naga Plaza (P15 fare). There are also some 44 jeepneys from/near CIT University in N. Bacalso.
• From South Bus Terminal, ride a bus bound for Bato-Oslob or Carcar. Tell the conductor that you will be hopping off at the Naga Church, which is right along the National Highway.

If you’re bring your own car, just navigate via Waze or Google Maps and search for “Naga Plaza”. Naga City is in between Minglanilla (from Cebu City) and San Fernando (from Southern Cebu).

BISITA NA SA NAGA!

Bamboo Paradise Beach Resort is a nice but small resort facility in Argao Town of Cebu Province located close to the national highway road. It is about 68 kilometers south of Cebu City, the province’s capital.

The resort offers a number of rooms for your longer stay and has a courtyard with tropical plants and basic facilities.

Although located close to the sea, you might have to head for Mahayahay Beach for a fantastic beach experience.

For this budget resort facility, you can still enjoy your break or vacation with its basic amenities and services available.

FUN & RELAXING ACTIVITIES
In this resort you can relax and unwind stress resulting from your regular hectic lifestyle. With simple facilities and environment, you can do the following…

• Sunbathing
  Sunbathing lounges and chairs are available just right outside your room with a nice view of the sea. Of course, you can certainly enjoy strolling the beach area and breathe freely the refreshing Argao breeze!
• Relaxing Yard
  You can read your favorite books, novels or magazines in the courtyard provided with tables and chairs while enjoying your cup of tea/coffee or any.
• Palm Trees & Sea Breeze
  Although not so wide, the courtyard of Bamboo Paradise Resort has some varieties of tropical flowers, plants and trees, including coconut trees. (By the way, watch out for mature (usually brownish color) coconuts because they might fall on you!)
• Other water activities: snorkel
  You can always ask the management to help you get to the popular beach nearby – Mahayahay Beach.

  It only takes a few minute-ride by tricycle (bike with a sidecar) to get to the beach. Mahayahay is popular for swimming, snorkeling and other water activities, including scuba diving and island hopping. There you can see local culture with a mixture of foreign guests’ presence—East meets West.

HOW TO GET THERE?
If you wish, the resort can arrange to pick you up from Cebu City or from 
Mactan-Cebu International Airport Terminal 1 or Terminal 2.

Another way is to take a taxi from the airport that will cost you more than a thousand pesos (around Php1,400).

If you are comfortable, you may also take a bus from the Cebu South Bus Terminal. Take the bus that has Bato-Oslob route. Just let the driver or bus conductor your final destination – Bamboo Paradise Resort.

It is about 68 kilometers from Cebu and it takes approximately over two hours by bus. Most transports in the town proper are tricycles, motorbikes and trisikads.

The Kabutongan Falls is located in Barangay Looc, Malabuyoc. Trekking to the falls is an adventure in itself. In fact, it is a trek not advisable for beginners since you have to go up slippery slopes and negotiate waist-deep waters. There are also areas where you have to swim across pools of water and hop on boulders the size of small houses. 

Kabutongan Falls trek is one of the most magical adventures on the island of Cebu. The trail follows the blue waters of a narrow stream up the canyon until you reach Kabutongan Waterfall. Here you will find a hidden cave behind the waterfall and several different cliff-jumps!

But, if you have your mind set on reaching the falls, you should make the necessary preparations. You may even need a life vest if you are not quite confident of your swimming skills. It is also highly recommended for you to get the services of an experienced tour guide who is familiar with the area to avoid any unforeseen circumstances.

There are some smaller pools where you can take a dip in on the way to the main pool of the falls. A high stone wall covered with foliage surrounds the main pool of the Kabutongan Falls. Trekking to the falls may be more of an extreme adventure, but once you reach the place all the weariness will gradually go away. Seeing the beauty of the Kabutongan Falls and taking a dip in its crystal clear waters is guaranteed to soothe your tired muscles.  

HOW TO GET THERE?
You can get to the Kabutongan Falls by getting on a bus headed for Malabuyoc at the Cebu South Bus Terminal. The trip takes around four hours depending on the traffic. After reaching the town, you can hop on a tricycle or a motorcycle for hire to reach the jump-off point for the falls where you can hire a guide and rent a life vest. Trekking to the Kabutongan Falls will take around an hour or so. 

Canlaob Falls is naturally located in Barangay Sangi belonging to Alegria Municipality, Cebu Province.

Getting to Alegria Town where you need to commence your trek is about over three hours travel from Cebu City by land. 

Alegria, if you don’t have any idea yet, if famous as a travel destination for various resources. It offers exciting natural attractions including sea views, marine biodiversity, waterfalls and cascades, natural river pools, rivers, forests, caves (stalactite and stalagmites), and stimulating activities such as canyoneering.

If you love nature and anything natural, you will undoubtedly appreciate and feel totally mesmerized by the beauty of Canlaob’s falling water and everything that contribute to the wholeness of its wonder.

Yes, Canlaob is known for its natural pool, drops (small cascades), and the river that flows below it going downstream like veins feeding plants, trees, animals and all living creatures.

The pool below the waterfall is turquoise, deep, and great for a refreshing swim after your tiring hike traversing the hills, forest areas, and challenging trail.

The whole waterfall area is surrounded by solid rock and rock walls that encapsulate the falls and flowing river. So, it would be wise to wear proper trekking shoes for greater safety.

HOW TO GET THERE?
Getting to Canlaob is not difficult. Most experts rate it as a beginner to middle adventure level. When you are already in Alegria Town, it will only take around fifteen minutes to get close to the Falls.

From Cebu City, assuming that you travel there from the capital, you need to head to Cebu South Bus Terminal if you decide to take a bus. Look for a bus (maybe Ceres Bus) that travels Southeast passing through Alegria Municipality. Then get off at the town center.

Of course, you can also take other public transports including V-Hire (van for hire) or a taxi. They may be quicker but could cost you a bit more than a bus. 

It will take the bus about three or more hours to get to Alegria. However, you can enjoy your trip as buses hit the road with fantastic views of the sea and beaches, among other sights along the way.

Now, if you wish to see Canlaob, better plan your trip and get ready for it!

From Alegria Town proper, it takes around fifteen minutes to get there. And if you need a guide then just directly ask around and arranged with them the rate for their service.
Local guides could cost you about PHP50 or so…

The tour operator can provide you their services. They offer your life vest which will be included with your package service. 

​Situated in the middle of the archipelago, the island of Cebu is an ideal destination for people looking for a perfect vacation spot. The beaches of the island are known to be among the best in the world while the mountain retreats have started to attract the attention of vacation-goers around the country. But there are also other hidden jewels in the island that have the potential to be a major tourist attraction in the future. One of these places is the Alcantara Sea Paradise.

The Alcantara Sea Paradise is located in the southern town of Alcantara. While the town is not as popular as its neighbor, Moalboal, it does offer a number of tourist sites where local and foreign tourists can visit. The old name of the town was “Kogtong,” which was also the name of a large freshwater fish that thrived in the springs of the town. In fact, one of the springs in the town is called the Kogtong Spring or Kugtong Spring. When the Spaniards came, they renamed the place after one of the towns in Spain. 

The Alcantara Sea Paradise is one of the tourist drawers in the town. It is an eco-tourism project where visitors can get a peek at the beauty of nature. You essentially stroll on a bamboo walkway that takes you through a mangrove forest. The place also has a zoo housing animals of different species. A good part of the animal population in the zoo is birds. The birds in the zoo are not the birds you usually see in the wild. The zoo also has a pawikan, mud crabs, snake, and a monkey. Each enclosure also has the scientific name of the animal house within.

HOW TO GET THERE?
You can get to the Alcantara Sea Paradise by hopping on a bus bound for Moalboal and tell the driver or conductor to drop you off at the town of Alcantara. The Alcantara Sea Paradise is situated close to the church of the town and along the road going to the municipal hall. 

A visit to the Alcantara Sea Paradise can be both relaxing and educational for local and foreign tourists. Aside from enjoying the sights offered at the place, visitors will also get to learn a thing or two about nature and its importance to the island of Cebu.

San Fernando, officially the Municipality of San Fernando, (Cebuano: Lungsod sa San Fernando), is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 66,280 people.

San Fernando is also a host of one of Cebu’s fun festivals, and this annual celebration is called the Sikoy-Sikoy Festival. This festivity comes from the word “sikoy” that refers to the act of net fishing during rough tides. It’s celebrated every November 17-21 to thank God for the gift of love to the locals of San Fernando, and it comes with thanksgiving rituals and petition prayers for protection, guidance, and a bountiful farm and sea harvest.

Just like many southern Cebu provinces, San Fernando offers a wide range of resorts for local and foreign tourists to enjoy. Here are some of the most famous ones:

Hidden Paradise Mountain Resort

This well-known resort truly is hidden and isolated from the hustle and bustle of the city, making it an ideal spot for taking tranquil vacations with family and friends. You can come here for a day tour or an overnight stay. Entrance fee is 100 pesos for adults and 50 pesos for children 4-8 years old. Their cottages can be rented at 300 pesos (8-10 pax) and 150 pesos (2-4 pax). Aside from the pools and accommodation, they also have function rooms, recreation amenities like videoke machine, and outdoor adventure facilities like zipline.

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Pulchra Beach Resort

A luxury holiday is what you’ll experience in this resort. Pulchra is a 5-star luxury beach resort that is Japanese-owned and situated at Natalio B. Bacalso South National Highway, San Fernando, Cebu. Some of the high-end facilities found here are large suites, garden baths, seafront jacuzzi villas, swimming pools, steam saunas, and a diving shop.

image source: http://www.guidetocebu.com

San Fernando is also proud to shoutout to The Romantic couple of the year. THE SHAINY LOVE ❤️ Where love begun when Shaina met the San Fernando guy named Lony. And they have the almost perfect relationship, ecxept to the fact that they are labeled only as FRIENDS 💔 but despite to this heartbreak story, it shows that you can find your Love in San Fernando too!

These are just the highlights of the beauty of San Fernando, there are more than these hidden spots!

HOW TO GET TO SAN FERNANDO?

Roughly 25 kilometers away from Cebu City, San Fernando is easily accessible by both public and private modes of transportation.

>For solo explorers or backpackers traveling in groups, a 45-minute ride on a non-airconditioned bus from the Cebu South Bus Terminal to the heart of Carcar City will only cost P30.
>In San Fernando, the most common form of transport is the tricycle or motorcycle which could practically lead tourists to any point within the municipality’s 21 barangays.
>Whether it’s a visit to Pitalo Church, which is suitably located along the national highway, or the proposed site of the famous Pulchra Resort or Paulo Luna Resort tricycles or motorcycles could take you almost practically anywhere in San Fernando.
>Tricycles collect a minimum fare of P8.
>Private vans for hire may have higher rates but give you the option of going to areas of some distance away, be it to the Busay Falls, Vito Cave or Hidden Valley Mountain Resort in the hilly portions of San Fernando

So what are you waiting for? SA SAN FERNANDO NATA!