Things to Do in Philippines

Located just off the coast of Cebu Island, Mactan Island is a popular choice for diving, snorkeling and water sports. If you're planning to island hop while you're in Cebu, chances are you'll depart on your excursion from Mactan.

Before the Spanish arrived in the Philippines during the sixteenth century, Mactan Island was home to a small Muslim settlement. It was also here where explorer Ferdinand Magellan was killed by a bamboo spear thrown by one of the island's chieftains during a tribal conflict. Visitors to the island will notice a shrine in his honor.

Apart from being a major tourist destination, modern Mactan is known for its musical instrument industry, particularly for its locally made guitars and ukuleles which you can buy at various stores on the island. Water sports enthusiasts will enjoy the bountiful options, including sailing and jet skiing, and if you're traveling with kids, take some time to visit the Mactan Island Aquarium, the only aquarium in the region.

The skinny, uniform trunks of red and white mahogany seem to erupt from nowhere along the road between Loboc and Bilar towns, a route frequented by traffic heading from eastern tourist towns to the Chocolate Hills. Their quiet and leafy canopy tunnels over the road forming a shady respite for visitors that extends for more than a mile. The trees were planted by volunteers in the middle of the last century in an effort to restore the destruction caused by kaingin, a form of slash and burn agriculture that decimated the original forest and was used by residents who sheltered in the region during WWII. Though beautiful—with tendril-like tree roots consuming above-ground boulders—the Manmade Mahogany Forest has drawn criticism for the decision to feature mahogany; the hardwood tree is native to South and Central America and foreign to many native species of plants and animals that remain absent from the scenic area. Fortunately, the mahogany stand is bookended by more naturally evolving forests containing native trees and ferns.

One of the most important sites for Philippine history in Manila, Fort Santiago was built by the Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi as a defensive fortress designed to protect the newly formed city. The fort is a key feature of the famous walled city known as Intramuros — a complex of manicured gardens, fountains, lily ponds, and sunny plazas, as well as the Rizal Shrine museum, located in the building where Dr. Jose Rizal (a Philippines national hero) was incarcerated during the late 19th century.

In April 1521, Catholic explorer Ferdinand Magellan arrived on the shores of Cebu and ordered a wooden cross planted there. According to local legend, the very same cross still resides in Cebu today, housed within an eight-sided stone chapel built over 300 years later near Cebu City Hall. A large mural on the ceiling of the building depicts Magellan in the act of planting the cross. You'll see a similar painting at Fort San Pedro.

The original cross has been encased in new wood to protect it from visitors who remove small splinters of wood to take as a souvenir. Catholic devotees flock to Cebu’s most popular attraction to light a candle in front of the cross while offering up a prayer for protection. Whether or not you're religious, you should still set aside some time to visit this free attraction.

The first Spanish settlements in the Philippines were in Cebu City, called the Queen City of the South. After Magellan first landed in Cebu, the Spanish under orders from Miguel Lopez de Legazpi erected Fort San Pedro on what is now Cebu's pier. The first, smallest and oldest fort in the Philippines was originally built as an army garrison to defend against Muslim pirates.

Since its construction, the fort has served as a revolutionary stronghold, American military barracks, a hospital, a school, a zoo and now a museum. Within the crumbling ruins of the fort, you'll find a collection of well-preserved artifacts, documents, paintings and sculptures from the Spanish colonial period, as well as a statue of Legazpi. The gardens within the fort's walls offer a peaceful retreat from often chaotic Cebu City.

With only a minuscule entrance fee, Fort San Pedro is a must for anyone interested in Filipino, Spanish or American military history. A diagram at the entrance gives a summary of the fort's history and shows just how much happened in this small corner of the Philippines.