Cebu City

Comprising the southernmost Visayan Islands, Mindanao and Sulo, The best places in the South that are the most interest to Visitors lie in the northern part of this region. The main hub is Cebu City, The country's second most important urban area and major centre of international trade for many hundreds of years. To the south lies the intensely rural Bohol, Home of rice fields, the Chocolate Hills and some of the Philippines' best beacher and coral reefs. Further south still lies the vast mountainous expanse of Mindanao, relatively infrequently visited by tourist and offering the curious a beautiful and wonderfully laid-back taster in the form of Camiguin Island, lying just off Mindanao's north coast.

Cebu
The south's economic powerhouse, Cebu City is the most important city, economically speaking, in the region and capital of Cebu Province, a long pencil-thin island running north to south in the southern Visayas. The urban area falls neatly into old and new parts, with most places of visitors  interest lying in the former, primarily relics dating from the period of spanish rule. To the city's east lies Mactan Island, site of Cebu's international airport and a string of resort hotels lined up along the island's south coast. A significant proportion of Mactan's  population is involved in making guitars, a long-established traditional industry on the island these are not cheap toys or souvenirs produced for the tourist industry, but beautyfully made classical and Spanish style acoustic instruments crafted in a host of different models and woods types for a discerning clientele.

Right: The Bassilica Minore del Santo Nino is one of the Philippines' most important churches, home to the infant Jesus statue brought to the country by Ferdinand Magellan in the 16th century.

Below: The compound of Port San Pedro built in 1565, this was the first permanent Spanish Building to be erected in the Philippines.

Right: A pile of vegestables at a stall in Carbon Market. a Bustling Agricultural Produce market lining a network of streets in the old part of Cebu City. This is a vital sales point for farm produce coming in from across Cebu Island.

Above: The owner of a guitar factory on Mactan Island finishes tuning a new guitar. 

A long stablished industry on Mactan guitar making is still a mojor industry, employing a large proportion of the island's population

Above:  Wholly Made by hand. Mactan's guitars are not cheap souvenirs, but beautifully crafted musical instruments, made by skilled workers, produced using woods brought in from around the world.

Above: A view of one of the poolside lodges at Plantation Bay Resort, on Mactan's Island. Due to the proximity of the international airport, Mactan's tourism consists of largely upmarket hotels and resorts.


Right: A poolside pavilion at Mactan's Plantation Bay Resorts offer the perfect apportunity to simply relax in the shade and enjoy the view.