Travel

Top 8 Alternative outdoor activities in Cebu and where to do them

If you need help deciding on activities and locations to do and visit in Cebu, do some of outdoor activities that you don’t hear very often done here in Cebu.

Cebu is home to nearly 170 islands, hence its moniker “The Gateway to a Thousand Journeys”. It is one of the top destinations in the Philippines and it offers all kinds of experiences for the beach bums, history buffs, adrenaline junkies, foodies, and the romantics.

It can get overwhelming to choose where to go and what to do as there’s no shortage of sunny days and explorations to do here. There is an abundance of outdoor activities here, be it in the city, up in the mountains, or at the immaculately clean beaches and crystal clear ocean waters.

If you need help deciding on activities and locations to do and visit, let this be your guide to make the most of your stay here in Cebu. These activities are those that you don’t hear about often and are not usually associated with Cebu landscape.

We’ve included links to websites and Facebook pages that will give you more information.

Sky Diving

Nothing beats the rush you get from throwing yourself out of a soaring plane! Also called parachuting, skydiving is an activity that makes use of a parachute to slow a diver’s descent to the ground after jumping from an airplane or other high place. There are many kinds of skydiving, the popular ones include:

Tandem skydiving – You will be attached to an experienced tandem skydiving instructor whose job is to operate the equipment and make sure you have a great time. You don’t have to train to do tandem skydiving, that’s why it is the most popular choice amongst first-time skydivers.
AFF (accelerated freefall) – AFF is the most efficient way to learn to skydive. You’ll jump accompanied by two AFF instructors who will hold you at first but as you progress through the jumps, they’ll let you fly independently.
Formation skydiving (belly) – Skydivers fall in a belly-to-earth and create shapes or formations by holding on to one another’s arms and legs. This is usually done in groups of 4 or 8.
Wingsuiting – Also referred to as ‘squirrel suits’, a wingsuit is an all in one suit that has wings which the skydiver controls in order to control their descent rate and direction. Wingsuiting make you stay longer in the air as you are traveling more horizontally as opposed to formation skydiving where you are falling straight down (on the whole).
Freeflying – Freeflying is a little difficult to master because this is where we learn to fly our bodies in all orientations and on all axis like flying in head up, seated or standing positions. Skydivers often combine all of this into impressive displays.
CRW – CRW (stands for ‘canopy relative work’) is where skydivers open their parachutes as soon as they leave the aircraft. CRW parachutes are typically more docile and robust which enables CRW jumpers to ‘dock’ on one another by hooking their feet around the lines of each other’s canopies or parachutes. CRW involves building formations and can be done in pairs, fours or bigger groups.
Swooping and canopy piloting – Swooping is the practice of accelerating the descent rate of the parachute by initiating turns, making the swooper able to achieve greater travel across the ground. Canopy piloting is all about combining your knowledge of parachute flying.

Here’s where you can go skydiving:

Where: Skydive Cebu Adventures – Skydive Greater Inc.
Description: Skydive Cebu Adventures is the only USPA (United States Parachute Association) member dropzone in the Philippines. You can become a licensed skydiver with their certified professional Tandem and AFF (accelerated freefall) instructors. Their fleet of airplanes is leased to Southern Air Flight Services Inc. including maintenance and operation. Their gears and all skydiving equipment are leased to Skydive Greater.
Location: Santa Fe, Bantayan Island, Cebu
Website: http://www.skydivecebu.com/
Price: Tandem Skydive for Php19,000, additional Php1,000 for beach landing
Contact: +63 917 127 8443 / +63 923 375 8544

Fishing

This activity is as relaxing as an outdoor activity can be – that is, if you have the patience and are just looking for some peace time. Cebu being an island has so many areas where you can go fishing. Here are top places to go fishing:

Where: dPond Family Fun Fishing
Description: dPond Family Fun Fishing offers zipline, paddleboats, and wakeboarding. They also have KTV and room and cottage accommodations. A restaurant is available where you can have your fish cooked fresh. They are open daily from 8AM to 6PM.
Location: Location: Kawayanan, Yati, Liloan, Cebu, Philippines
Online: https://www.facebook.com/dpondcebufishing/
Price: Fishing line and hook rental is Php20, Bait is free for those fishing
Contact: (032) 4241750 | 09333369386, +639064521028, 09156860926

Where: AC Tilapia Fun Fishing & Family Park
Description: AC Tilapia Fun Fishing & Family Park is a fishing spot and a family park with many other amenities like swimming pool, flower garden, horseback riding with pictorial, and videoke. They also have cottages and 24/7 room accommodations.
Location: Mantayupan Falls Admin Office, Barili, Cebu
Online: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Local-Business/AC-Tilapia-Fun-Fishing-Family-Park-146521586215165/
Contact: 032-4066-005; 0917-3059287 (Augusto Causin)
Price: Entrance fee – Php10, different rates apply for their amenities and accommodations

Where: Papa Kit’s Marina and Fishing Lagoon
Description: Papa Kit’s is a place for great bonding and team building activities, swimming, challenging stunts, and fishing. They also offer other activities like sky bicycle, wall climbing, stress wall, hanging bridge, jungle obstacle, horseback riding, kayak, canoe, and pitti. They have a restaurant for when you go hungry after a day of physical activities.
Location: Silot Bay, Poblacion, Liloan
Online: https://www.papakitsmarina.net/
Contact: (032) 424 1085 | (032) 505 4595
Price: Fishing is worth Php100, consumable for food and drinks. Check out their website for the rates of their other activities and accommodations.

Rock Climbing

Rock climbing is an extreme sport that will test your muscle strength as well as cognitive skills in scaling natural rock formations, all while conserving your energy. As opposed to free soloing where you climb with no safety equipment at all, rock climbing would require you to wear a harness attached to a rope, so you can start again where you left off.

Here’s where you can go rock climbing:

Where: Cantabaco
Description: Cantabaco is considered the “Rock Climber’s Mecca in Cebu.” Its elevation is 954 feet. You have to go on a short hike through a trail and bamboo bridges to get to the wall. This crag of streaked limestone cliff towers over the municipality of Poog and it draws in foreign climbers from around the world. There’s a space at the base where climbers can lay out a mat and their gear.
Location: Poog, Toledo City, Cebu
Online: https://www.thecrag.com/climbing/philippines/area/558640974
Price: Entrance fee is Php5. Guide fee with equipment rental costs Php400.
Contact: 0948-71248754 (Enie Yonson)

You may check the Facebook page of the Cebu Rock Climbing Community.

Canyoneering

Canyoneering is the second most popular tour in Cebu, next to whale shark watching in Oslob. Wikipedia says canyoneering is exploring canyons through various physical activities from the conventional ones like walking, climbing, and swimming to the more advanced like rappelling and scrambling.

Here’s where you can go canyoneering:

Where: Kawasan Canyoneering
Description: Kawasan Canyoneering is managed by Kawasan Canyoneering Cebu, a group of experienced Kawasan Falls Tour Guides. They have all the best elements of rappelling, scrambling, rock hopping, down climbing, navigation and cliff jumping, water slides and swimming combined into one activity. They can do upstream canyoneering which starts at Kawasan Falls where they will bring ropes for you to climb up and end up at Barangay Sulsogan, Badian, and downstream canyoneering which is the reverse course.
Location: Badian, Cebu
Online: https://www.kawasancanyoneering.com.ph/
Price: Standard Entrance – Php40, Canyoneering Kawasan Falls Tours – Php2,500 – Php5,000 (including entrance fees and guide, depending on what group package)
Contact: (63) 918 654 4111, (63) 905 333 2623

Helmet Diving

You do not need scuba diving experience or certificates as anyone can enjoy helmet diving, an underwater experience where you can walk underwater wearing a helmet, hence not getting your hair wet. Non-swimmers can take part in walking under the water with the fish.

Here’s where you can try helmet diving:

Where: Scotty‘s Dive Center and Watersports
Description: Scotty’s Action Sports Network (ASN) and Dive Center, known as Dive Scotty for short, is the exclusive scuba diving service provider for five-star resorts in Mactan Cebu, Philippines. They offer all kinds of water sports, scuba diving and island tours. It is conveniently located mere minutes from Mactan International Airport.
Location: Shangri-La’s Resort and Spa,Punta Engaño Road, Mactan Island, Lapu-Lapu City
Online: https://www.divescotty.com/scuba-diving/helmet-diving-seawalker.php
Price: Php2240 for 15 minutes
Contact: +63 32) 231-5060 or (+63 32) 231-5061

Wakeboarding

Wakeboarding is simply balancing on a board while holding a rope that is attached to a cable mechanism. Cable wakeboarding specifically, allows you to wakeboard without a boat. You are pulled by an overhead cable system, which is ideal for riders who have limited or no access to a boat. The cost is considerably cheaper and more hassle-free.

Here’s where you can go wakeboarding:

Where: Cebu Wake Park
Description: Cebu Wake Park features a Sesitec System 2.0, a two-tower system with a cable pulling you from one tower to the other. This system is best for beginners because it allows the cable operator to change the speed.
Location: Papa Kits, Silot Bay, Liloan
Online: http://www.cebuwakepark.com | fb.me/cebuwake
Price: Php100-Php1350 (Weekdays), Php150-Php1200 (Weekends) Contact: +63 09335491086

Where: Danasan Eco-Adventure Park
Description: Danasan Eco-Adventure Park is an all-around outdoor activity park. They have waterfall exploration, ATV trailing, skybike, rope course, zipline, horseback riding, skydrop, and twin tower adventure. For their wakeboarding or Green Adventure Pass, there is a water room of sixty meters distance with a basic obstacle course such as buoyed ramps, control and teaching staffs and loads of stunts to try on.
Location: Barangay Danasan, Danao City
Online: http://www.danasanpark.com/
Price: Php380 for Green Adventure Pass per head for 2 hours including gears
Contact: 032) 239 5653, (032) 239 5654 | (0917) 301 3171, (0922) 865 5779

Cebu Helium Balloon

Description: Cebu Helium Balloon allows you to experience an exhilarating 360 degree panorama view from up to 150 meters or 492 feet in the air. The balloon is manufactured by Aerophile, which safely operates on 40 sites in over 20 countries around the world. They are open from 9AM-9PM.
Location: Mactan, Cebu
Online: http://www.ilink.ph/cebu-helium-balloon
Price: 0-2 Years Old – Free, 3-13 Years Old – Php 500 (Local Resident) and Php 1350 (Non-local resident), 14 Years and up – Php1000 (Local Resident) and Php2250 (Non-local resident), Senior Citizen – Php 800 (Local Resident with Senior ID) and Php 2250 (Non-local resident).
Contact: +63.32.238-5050 +63.32.253-4966 PLDT | +63.32.410-7069 GLOBE

Spelunking

The island abounds with so many cave formations, be it in the forests or in the beaches, both of which are also things which Cebu is never short of. Here are the more established places to go cave exploring:

Where: Igotan Cave in Talisay
Location: Jaclupan, Talisay City, Cebu
Online: https://www.tripadvisor.com.ph/Attraction_Review-g1811784-d1997505-Reviews-Igutan_Falls-Talisay_City_Cebu_Island_Visayas.html
Price: Php25 for the entrance fee, Php5 fee for the guide.
Contact: n/a

Where: Cave Connection in Bonbon (Binuthan, Satuhan and Pangasag Cave)
Location: Barangay Bonbon, Cebu City
Online: n/a
Price: P120/pax (Prices may vary depending on your negotiation)
Contact: Manong Philippe for Guiding/Transportation services at 09433994386

Where: Balay sa Agta in Argao
Location: Conalum, Argao
Online: https://www.tripadvisor.com.ph/Attraction_Review-g1213929-d1936867-Reviews-Balay_Sa_Agta-Argao_Cebu_Island_Visayas.html
Price: Package adventure fee – Php600 (inclusive of helmets and headlamps, safety ropes for traverse going to entrance, motorcycle for hire from highway to jump off)
Contact: 032-485-8063 (Argao Tourism Office)

Where: Ogtong Cave Resort in Bantayan
Location: Santa Fe, Bantayan Island, Cebu Province
Online: http://ogtongcave.com/
Price: Php200 inclusive of access to underground cave and day use swimming pool (8AM-4PM), access to beach area
Contact: (+63 32) 438-9436 / 512-8928 | (+63) 920-8999456 / (+63)932-4336282

Where: Bukilat Cave in Camotes
Location: Poro Island, Camotes
Online: https://www.tripadvisor.com.ph/Attraction_Review-g2019903-d1936971-Reviews-Bukilat_Cave-Poro_Island_Camotes_Islands_Visayas.html
Price: Entrance fee – Php20
|Contact: Manong Philippe for Guiding/Transportation services at 09433994386