Today we will focus in the best beaches in Cebu. From the North Cebu beaches like Malapascua and Bantayan to South Cebu beaches in Moalboal. And a few more places that we will discover for you!
There are many popular Cebu tourist spots in the Philippines because this Visayan island is a mix of cosmopolitan beauty and rich natural resources.
Read here 5 Days Cebu itinerary and 40 Best Beaches in the Philippines!
If you don’t know yet, Cebu is just one of the provinces in the Philippines that have a lot of beautiful beaches. It’s actually one of the best countries you can go to if you want to explore vibrant beaches, remote islands, and even the full-packed ones.
Philippine beaches have lots of things to offer and Cebu is one of the top provinces you can visit for a good beach trip! Continue reading as we tell you our favorites and best beaches in Cebu!
Read here top beach resorts in Cebu and how to get from Cebu Airport to Cebu City!
WHERE TO STAY IN THE PHILIPPINES
You can get accommodation starting from 800-1000 PHP (less than $20 USD) for a room in a guesthouse. Can you imagine if you are two of you traveling in the Philippines, it will be $10 USD each.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATION WITH BOOKING AND AGODA!
BOOK YOUR TRAVEL INSURANCE
You can read Heymondo Vs Safetwing cheapest travel Insurance. You can get for $135 USD your Heymondo Travel Insurance with Heymondo discount code valid for 90 days. Read our full Heymondo Travel Insurance Review
You can get Safetywing Travel Insurance for Digital Nomads valid for 28 days Safetywing for $50 USD per month with kids until 10 years old included
BEST BEACHES IN CEBU
NORTH CEBU BEACHES: BANTAYAN ISLAND
1. PARADISE BEACH IN BANTAYAN
There are beautiful North Cebu beaches like Paradise Beach in Bantayan Island where most of the resorts are located. We enjoyed flying our drone, swimming, and walking around the beach.
The color of the water is blue and it’s so calm! Close to Paradise beach, you can visit Ogtong Cave, a small cave with a natural pool inside.
Read here for all things to do in Bantayan Island.
2. SUGAR BEACH IN BANTAYAN ISLAND
Sugar Beach is really quiet and is undeniably beautiful. There are few places to stay in, like cottages which are just a few meters from the beach. It was so nice to just hear the sound of the wind and the waves as we rested on our cottage. Sugar Beach is for us, one of the best beaches in Cebu.
3. KOTA BEACH
Kota beach is perfect to walk around and enjoy the sand bar. We loved visiting and sunset and flying the drone. It’s full of locals and if you continue walking you will get to Sugar Beach.
Where most of the accommodations are in Santa Fe in Bantayan Island. You can’t miss it in the list of North Cebu beaches is our favorite beaches in Bantayan Island.
4. VIRGIN ISLAND
From Bantayan Island, another wonderful destination can be reached through a boat and is perfect for a day trip. Virgin Island, also known as Silion, is a part of Santa Fe and is right next to Hilantagaan Island.
Virgin Island entrance fee 500 PHP. You can stay on the island for the whole day. If you’re traveling in a group, only 2 people need to pay the whole fee and the rest only cost 100 PHP. So you can divide the cost among yourselves.
MORE NORTH CEBU BEACHES: MALAPASCUA ISLAND
5. LANGOB BEACH IN MALAPASCUA
Langob Beach was our favorite of the North Cebu beaches. It’s located at the end of the island and it’s very quiet and peaceful. If you decide to take a walk to Langob Beach, you will see gorgeous palm trees and a breathtaking 360 view.
You can also take a habal-habal from the port to the beach for around 50 PHP per person. We found the beach less busy than Bounty Beach. From here, you can head to Lighthouse beach which is just a few minutes walking distance to catch the sunset.
6. BOUNTY BEACH
In the Southern part of the Island, you will find an area full of restaurants, resorts and diving shops. Bounty Beach is the perfect place to spend your day if you just want to chill and aren’t in the mood to do the activities mentioned above.
You can get a coconut or a cold beer and just enjoy the day. There are also a few hammocks if you want to chill while reading a book or listening to music if you’d like. It’s our favorite of the North Cebu beaches for the sunset.
7. LIGHTHOUSE BEACH
You can go to the Lighthouse Beach for the amazing sunset. There are also spectacular views from the island from the top. It’s close to Langob Beach and you can access it by walking or by taking a habal-habal.
It’s such an authentic and enjoyable experience to just walk around the beautiful beaches in Malapascua Island. There are also fishermen starting or finishing their day.
8. KALANGGAMAN ISLAND
You can visit Kalanggaman Island, an island about 2 hours away from Malapascua, which is already an official part of Leyte, Philippines. It will take you an hour and a half to reach the island.
You will find a paradise haven where you can spend the day, relaxing, enjoying sea food, walking in an area surrounded by the palm trees, eating fruits and seafood, and of course, you can snorkel to see underwater beauty of the area.
The day trip from Malapascua costs 800 PHP lunch included and you have to pay Kalanggman Island entrance fee 550 PHP to visit the island if you are foreigner, 150 PHP for Filipinos and children with 5 years old get for free! If you are staying in Malapascua we totally recommend you this day trip to Kalanggaman Island.
9. SANTIAGO BAY IN CAMOTES ISLAND
Santiago Bay Beach is also a public beach located in San Francisco, Cebu. It has a long white-sand shoreline with fine and powdery white sand. It is perfect spot for swimming especially in the summer!
10. DURHAN BEACH
Durhan Beach actually a white beach resort in Tabuelan, Cebu. Like most of the beaches in Cebu, you’ll fall in love with the panoramic views of the beach, its clear blue waters, and white sand. According to what we’ve read, staff here are hospitable and friendly. We hope to visit it soon!
Click here to book your accommodations before your trip to Cebu with Agoda!
BEACHES IN CEBU
11. MACTAN ISLAND
We love chasing sunsets and above you can see an amazing one. Having beaches just arriving Cebu International Airport or before leaving was so cool for us. Sunset time is definitely a good time for that!
For sure if you are looking for beaches in Cebu you have to go to Mactan!
SOUTH CEBU BEACHES: MOALBOAL
12. LAMBUG BEACH IN MOALBOAL
There are many beautiful beaches to see in Moalboal. Lambug Beach is our favorite in the list of South Cebu beaches. Lambug Beach where the water is so blue and you can find starfishes everywhere in this lonely beach. There are cottages and a few places to stay in Lambug Beach.
13. BASDAKU BEACH IN MOALBOAL
Although it’s not as clean as most of the beaches in Cebu, you can still enjoy your stay in Basdaku Beach, which is located in Moalboal as well.
There are a lot of people here and you can do fun activities like swimming, fishing, eating and cooking your own local food, camping, diving, and of course, sunbathing in this one-kilometer long stretch of white sand beach!
14. MATUTINAO BEACH
We enjoyed resting after Kawasan Falls in Matutinao Beach. The colors of the water were so beautiful and it’s really a nice spot for snorkeling.
15. WHITE BEACH
White Beach is a popular beach destination in Moalboal. For us it was little bit crowded, but still a beautiful beach in Moalboal. It’s easy to get there from Panagsama Beach where we were staying in Moalboal. It takes 15 minutes by bus North direction, and with motorbike or tricycle, you can reach White Beach from Panagsama Beach. It´s good to visit if you have time to do it.
16. PANAGSAMA BEACH
Panagsama Beach is full of bars, restaurants and resorts. The water sin´t very clear but you can still go for a swim here. There is no white sand and it´s not as beautiful as White Beach and Lambug Beach that we mentioned above. But for sure, we can still recommend it. Our favorite plan was renting a kayak, swimming, snorkeling.
You can see turtles underwater! If you do an Island Hopping tour, you can reach Pescador Island and do snorkeling with sardines. Also, diving is possible to do around the area. The best of the list of South Cebu beaches for snorkeling.
MORE SOUTH CEBU BEACHES
17. DALAGUETE BEACH
This is a perfect spot for a quick weekend getaway in Cebu and it’s a relaxing place to just swim, relax in the sand, have a picnic, or take pictures of the beautiful views.
Even watching the sunset is a perfect idea when you’re here! The water in Dalaguete Beach is clean and clear, plus it has white sand. You can enter Dalaguete Beach for only PHP 20.
18. TINGKO BEACH
Tingko Beach is located in Alcoy, Cebu. It’s a popular getaway among locals and tourists because of its beauty- white sand and clear water. Because of its popularity, expect a crowd to be in this beautiful beach especially during summer and hot weekends. One of the busiest South Cebu beaches.
19. SUMILON ISLAND
Sumilon island is blessed with clear blue waters and white sand. It is located at the southeastern part of Oslob. You will definitely enjoy your stay here because of the activities you can do in the area, such as relaxing in the beautiful beach, bird watching, fishing, hiking, island hopping, trekking, and of course, diving!
There are 4 beautiful major dive areas in Sumilon Island that you can choose- Garden Eel Plaza, Nikki’s Wall, Coral Landscape and Julie’s Rock. You can’t skip Sumilon Island in the lsit of South Cebu beaches.
20. HERMIT’S COVE
Hermit Cove is located in Aloguinsan, Cebu. And it’s definitely a must to visit this place! For many, it is a paradise- a white sand beach with just the perfect water, surrounded by tall coconut trees. It’s a perfect spot to reconnect with nature!
Hermit Cove entrance fee is 50 PHP with free use of cottage. You cannot stay for an overnight here so make sure you maximize your daytime in Hermit’s Cove!
How do you find these beautiful beaches in Cebu and which one is your favorite? Do you prefer North Cebu beaches or South Cebu beaches? Just comment below and we’ll add it!
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Happy travels!
About the Author: Ruben, co-founder of Gamintraveler.com since 2014, is a seasoned traveler from Spain who has explored over 100 countries since 2009. Known for his extensive travel adventures across South America, Europe, the US, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and Africa, Ruben combines his passion for adventurous yet sustainable living with his love for cycling, highlighted by his remarkable 5-month bicycle journey from Spain to Norway. He currently resides in Spain, where he continues sharing his travel experiences with his partner, Rachel, and their son, Han.