Lapu-lapu city formerly called Opon is a big city in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines. It is part of the Cebu province and the host to the second-busiest airport in the country – The Mactan-cebu international airport.

I wasn’t very wowed at the arrival section, but the departure part stole my heart. You can still do last minute shopping of Filipino artefacts at the national departure section.

Coconut sellers are many beside almost every street corner. I noticed the coconuts are whitish and very soft inside. So, these vendors scrape everything, put in a big jar full of ice blocks, add thick condensed milk and sell based on prices. They sold in tiny white plastic bags and would give a straw if you asked. That wasn’t natural to me, therefore I didn’t try.

It was no suprise fishing are the islanders’ primary activities. I saw countless small and big size boats and sea vessels anchored at almost every edge of the Island’s water.

There is a 2,822-foot (860-metre) bridge that was completed in 1973 which connects Mactan and Cebu islands. 

The island doesn’t have much to see except swimming at different beaches. I didn’t go because they were far away and most had relatively high entrance fees, at least in my opinion. Cannoneering is common water sports for many tourists and Filipinos in Cebu. I didn’t dare because I am not courageous to dive from heights.

Here are a few things to do for free in Lapu-Lapu city.

Enjoy the sunset and a drink at 10,000 roses and café

This is a small café at the edge of the Coldova beach. You are wondering what is different in this place compared to others. I wondered too until l went and saw. The two storey has a deck with chairs and excess sea breeze. There are protective bars at the edge for people like me who preferred standing. 

Inside, the smell of coffee could almost suffocate me.  I was impatient to stand on a long queue, but the number of people indicated it was tasty.

What makes this place special is the garden of thousands of roses. These artificial roses are organized in a line, separated into 5000 each and a small alley.

During the day, the bright white colour blinks corresponding to the sun rays whilst in the night, the tiny electric bulbs inside the roses creates a whole different vibe. It is the perfect picture zone for lovers and families. All you will see are smiles and hear cheeses.

I even saw a couple taking wedding prep photos there. Amazingly, If you get a spot to take your picture, you have to be fast before someone else unintentionally photo bumps.

When to go there

It’s one of the touristic attractions and a local relaxation hotspot for Cebuans. As such, it can be very crowded, especially towards evening hours.

I went there at 4pm and cannot lie, it was the perfect time. I really enjoyed watching the sunset transforming the white-blue skies into thick orange-yellow. It remains one of my favourite sunset views. 

I recommend going there earlier in the day or morning, that way maybe there will not be a lot of people. 

Weekends too are not the best times because there wil be many people. 

The small place has a lot of picture zones beside the roses, where smiles and laughter is all you will hear as people pose.

This little hidden gem is far from the main city, so expect to spend at least an hour on the way. You can board a jepney and then a tryclce or hire a Grab taxi. Either way, the photos were worthy. 

How much is the entrance fee

Since there are some people who want to just relax beside the sea and not buy from the café, the place instituted an entrance fee. I paid 20 pesos after standing on a long queue in front of the main gate.

To my surprise, I noticed residents from Cordova were exempted from the fee upon showing their national identity cards. 

Everyone gets a small receipt and a stamp on their wrist.

I spent two hours just relaxing and admiring nature. It was too crowded to join the line for a drink. 

Checkout their Facebook page for more details.

Take a historic walk to the lapu-lapu city, Mactan Shrine

The famous Shrine can be misconstrued for a holy avenue, at least that’s what l thought when l heard it was a tourist area.

Before l cancelled it on my list, l decided to read more. Reading in detail, l learned this place is a historic-treasured site. Filipinos honor one of their fighters Lapu Lapu who succeeded to fight the Spanish invaders. On the 27 of April in 1521, Chief Lapu-Lapu fatally wounded Ferdinand Magellan. 

In remembrance and memorial, there is a huge stone plint at the open area bearing the date that Magellan died. This Spaniard’s defeat resulted in the victory of the Philippines, reasons why the whole city is named after Lapu Lapu.

Also, there is a gigantic steel sculpture made of him holding a large sword and a shield.  Its golden paint is appealing meters away.

Those national monuments are constructed in commemoration of the 500 anniversary of the Mactan Battle. Just so you don’t over expect, this is simple an open area beside the beach with a large cemented ground area. No one can resist not taking pictures with Lapu Lapu after hearing about his bravery. 

Another section beside the monuments has bathrooms and an open gallery. There are paintings simulating the war on a large wall.

Besides hearing about Lapu Lapu and the history of Cebu from a commercial boat rider and some friendly Filipinos, l was happy to go shopping at the back part of the gate area.

There’s a line of small shops almost 10 in number selling unique Filipinos arts spanning from designed bags, slippers, clothes and a lot of jewellery. In my confusion, l settled for a medium size bag and a comfortable pair of slippers.

Go shopping at the Lapu-Lapu city Opon market

If you are a picky eater like me, you might have to go to this market. I went there almost every two days. It isn’t very big, but it has all the necessities you will need to cook a simple pot of food. I typically bought fresh fish, pork, beef, vegetables and spices. The eggs were relatively cheaper there than at the neighborhood shops. 

 If you love fruits, you will see a variety here too. I bought a lot of fresh fruits there. For example, I was so surprised to see some of the biggest guavas l have ever seen in my life. Given they are my favourite, l hastily bought a few. Unfortunately, they didn’t taste as sweet as l expected, but my hunger urge was satisfied.

The red and green seedless grapes weren’t very sweet either, but l liked the watermelon. You will probably like the mangoes or the tapioca (mango juice) sold around the streets.

 

There were a few sections for clothes, shoes and household basics. UNITOP is a large nationwide supermarket where electronics and household things are sold. Beside the main road, a large area was dedicated for BBQ. I saw chicken most of the time l passed there, but l guess there were other things like intestines also grilled. 

Try a Filipino food at a local restuarant

My attempt to try local Filipino food left me with many thoughts. During one of my random walks, I stopped by at Von’s Grill. The tiny restaurant had only three tables and seemed to offer a variety. Sadly, the chief cook wasn’t available. The attendant suggested Filipinos pasta and beef with vegetables. I was too hungry to deny.

First, the food portion was reasonable, but the taste was an issue. It was too salty. I cannot confirm if that’s how it’s typically done, or it’s the mistake of the interim chef. Either way, I filled my belly as much as I could handle, sipping water along the bites.

Maybe because I don’t like unfamiliar food, but I recommend trying any Filipino meal or street snack.

Do you like fast food?

On another lazy day, I did a random search of McDonalds. With a 20-25mins walk, I was at their small branch. I cannot elaborate the menu on this post, but I think it’s the same as those in other countries.

I am not a fast food fanatic, but I enjoyed the spices used in the chicken. The portions too were reasonable. I felt satisfied for all the three different times I popped there.

Jollibee will be a new name to a non-fast food eater, at least it was for me. I saw many of their branches littered on almost every street corner.

After stopping by a few times to satisfy my grumbling intestinal worms, I noticed it was a fast-growing international food chain that had been for 25 years. Their signature ice tea seems to be what separates them from other fast foods. At least that was my observation. They sold ice creams instead of soft juices. Their burgers were smaller in sizes, but the meat filling was delicious.

I dared their spaghetti and sausage tomato sauce and could say, it was average. I must remark that, their prices were relatively cheap, no wonder their shops were crowded too.

The tiny Mom’s Pizza shop beside Saekyoung condominium has delicious pizzas too. On the day I arrived, tired and hungry, I felt calm after swallowing several bites of cheese pizza made within a couple of minutes. Their memory flashcards were a unique form of decoration. I recommend grabbing a bite here.

Since I cooked most of the time, my list is short for food. Once, I was too lazy and tired after work to even go outside. I ordered via the Grab app and had McDonald deliver with 20 mins. The taste was awesome, but I had to pay extra for the biker.

Where to stay in Lapu-lapu city

Many well furnished flats in the Philippines were pricey.

I used Airbnb for my search and could affirm l wasn’t disappointed. The studio room at Saekyung Condominum has a fridge, microwave, electric cooker and all basic kitchen utensils. There’s a big queen size bed with a comfortable mattress. If you choose to relax on the comfy sofa and watch Netflix, you will still be satisfied. Whether with the air conditioner or enjoying the fresh sea breeze from the balcony in the mornings and evenings, there seemed to be enough air coming into the house. 

The spice of my trip was the big pool in the yard. It was great to unwind and remove the sweat from the scorching sun in the warm pool water.

However, I contracted pool sinuses after my third swim, but l think it was because of the chlorine. Maybe my skin was sensitive, but l assure you it was fun swimming there.  People are always there except on Mondays to balance the heat of the sunny weather. 

Why should you stay at Saekyung Condominium

The advantage of this place is that  it’s barely 20 mins away from the main Cebu province airport. 

This place is located in Lapu- Lapu city, some 30–45  mins away from the famous Cebu City.

In my ignorance, l thought Cebu City was the only city on the island. Very shortly after my arrival, l learned that Cebu is a province full of many islands. With simple prior geography search and reading, l should’ve known. It was too late to change the island. There aren’t a lot of touristy things to do in Lapu Lapu, so plan accordingly.

Cebu City on the other hand has a lot of attractions and l would’ve loved to stay there.

 After regretting, I later figured how to go there. ?first, l walked almost 20 mins to the bus terminal where l boarded a bus to Cebu island. It took 45 mins sometimes due to traffic. Other times, l walked some 15 mins to the ferry terminal and took a ferry which lasted 20 mins. The ferry was faster, but you need to take a taxi or jeepney from the port to move around the city because it’s slightly far away from the heart of the city.

Go here to read more travel articles.