Searching for fun things to do in Cebu? CEBU INSIDER has put together the Top 18 Fun Outdoor Activities in Cebu that we think deserve a space in your itinerary.
Cebu has become synonymous with white sand beaches and scenic islands for tourists. But did you know Cebu is also a mecca for exciting outdoor activities?
From skydiving 15,000 feet above sea level to jumping multiple 50-foot cliffs to swimming with the largest sharks on earth, you never really run out of fun activities in Cebu.
Top 18 Exciting and Unique Things to Do in Cebu in the Outdoors
CEBU INSIDER has carefully curated this list with digital nomads in mind. From above-the-air funsies to underwater adventures, here are our Top 18 Outdoor Activities in Cebu:
1. Canyoneering in Badian-Alegria
The towns of Badian and Alegria are known for canyoneering adventures in Cebu. Canyoneering is one of the most popular outdoor activities in Cebu. Climb, jump, and swim the Gatorade blue waters of the canyons, stretching 4 kilometers from Kanlaob River in Alegria to the endpoint at Kawasan Falls in Badian. Canyoneering is indeed a delight for thrill-seekers.
Canyoneering is only possible with accredited tour guides for safety and logistics reasons. Check out Badian Canyoneering Guided Tour!
2. Skydiving in Santa Fe, Bantayan Island
If you’re looking for extreme adventures in Cebu, there’s nothing more extreme than jumping 15,000 feet above the air from an airplane. Skydiving is one of the unique things to do in Cebu, and you can do it in Bantayan Island only.
Guests are required to attend a 20-minute class first. Hand-held camera photos and videos are included in each skydive. Make sure to have at least a 4-gigabyte storage device and wear comfortable clothing and a good pair of shoes. For bookings, call Skydive Greater Cebu at (+63) 917 167 3226.
If Bantayan Island is in your itinerary (It definitely should!), here are some useful guides:
- 5 Best Hotels in Bantayan Island, Cebu 2023 (Local and Real Guest Recommendations)
- Bantayan Island Travel Guide 2023: Requirements, Gettings There, Fares, Budget, Internet, and Itinerary
- 18 Things to Do in Bantayan Island 2023
- How to Get to Bantayan Island
3. Whale Shark Watching in Oslob
Swimming and snorkeling with whale sharks, the largest shark and fish alive, is a one-for-the-books experience. A total of 208 friendly whale sharks have been spotted in town — 9 of them have made residency here. A friendly reminder: don’t touch these gentle giants.
If you are looking for a private guided tour, check out Oslob Whale Shark Watching Tour in Cebu!
4. Diving in Pescador Island, Moalboal
A few meters from the shores of Panagsama Beach in Moalboal is an underwater wonderland full of marine life. Whether you go freediving or snorkeling, Panagsama Beach is teeming with schools of sardines and green sea turtles.
About 20 minutes of boat ride from Panagsama Beach is Pescador Island, home to a rich marine ecosystem. Pescador Island has a wide variety of reef species like turtles, nudibranchs, frogfish, pilot fish, scorpion fish, lionfish, snappers, groupers, and sweet lips. If you go scuba diving, you will find hammerhead sharks and white-tip sharks.
If you like a private tour that will pick you up from the city or airport, check out Pescador Island Hopping Private Tour!
5. Scuba Diving in Malapascua Island
Scuba diving is one of the coolest adventure activities in Cebu. Malapascua Island, in particular, is famous for diving as it’s surrounded by several diving sites, with rare pelagic thresher sharks appearing 365 days a year. No other place on earth is known to have this consistent sighting of thresher sharks than Malapascua Island’s Monad Shoal.
Monad Shoal is also home to hammerhead sharks, eagle rays, manta rays, devil rays, barracudas, and wrasses, among many others. Other known diving sites in Malapascua Island are Gato Island, Kimud Shoal, Bugtong Bato, Lapus Lapus, and Dakit Dakit.
If you are including Malapascua Island in your itinerary, here are some useful guides:
- 5 Best Hotels in Malapascua Island, Cebu 2023 (Local and Real Guest Recommendations)
- Malapascua Travel Guide 2023: Requirements, Getting There, Fares, Budget, Internet, and Itinerary
- 9 Things to Do in Malapascua Island 2023
- How to Go to Malapascua Island, Cebu 2023
6. Snorkeling in Sumilon Island
Sumilon Island has one of the best beaches in Cebu with only one hotel facility, the Bluewater Sumilon Beach Resort. Tourists can access the island through the resort’s day pass and enjoy snorkeling the island’s surrounding marine sanctuaries.
Snorkeling is just one of the things you can do in Sumilon Island. You may also use the resort’s amenities, including the infinity pool. Walk-in visitors are allowed in the island subject to availability. Booked guests are the priority. If you want to ensure your visit to Sumilon Island, get the Bluewater Sumilon Day Pass!
7. Cliff diving in Camotes Islands
Cliff diving at Buho Rock Resort in Camotes Islands, one of the must-visit tourist spots in North Cebu, is one of the best outdoor activities in Cebu if you are traveling on a budget. For 20 PHP (~0.2 USD), you may jump off multiple cliffs that are 18-foot and 40-foot tall.
It’s the local kids’ favorite spot to hang out, so you will see them around most of the time. They can show you how to do it, or you can ask them to wait for you in the water in case you are not a good swimmer.
8. Parasailing in Mactan
If you are looking for outdoor activities in Cebu that’s near the airport, Mactan has a lot to offer. But we highly recommend parasailing, an adrenaline-pumping activity where you are suspended on a parachute-like canopy flown on air while being dragged by a boat. Parasailing gives you a magnificent view of Mactan’s coastline from above.
Other activities you can do here include jetskiing, banana boating, wakeboarding, and more. This all-in-one water adventure package in Mactan can be booked through a private tour. Check out Mactan Water Sports Activities package!
9. Climbing Osmeña Peak in Dalaguete
Osmeña Peak stands 1,013 meters above sea level, the highest mountain in Cebu. It’s an easy climb, though the craggy terrain will test your determination…and ankles. The trek will be worth it once you reach the peak and get a sunset or sunrise view peeking through the horizon.
Osmeña Peak is one of the outdoor activities in Cebu that do not cost much. You can also try its sister peak, Casino Peak, located within the same Mantalongon mountain range. Do wear a good pair of shoes!
10. Go on Safari at Cebu Safari and Adventure Park in Carmen
Cebu Safari and Adventure Park is the biggest of the few safari parks in the Philippines with an area of 170 hectares. Over 1,000 animals from 120 different species are coliving, including a white and an orange Bengal tiger, white lions, zebras, African antelopes, giraffes, sea eagles, hawks, and many more.
Cebu Safari and Adventure Park also has the best ATV ride in Cebu where you get to explore four different trails for each beginner, intermediate, and advance levels. Other outdoor activities you can do are sky biking, riding a giant swing, ziplining, and spelunking. Safari cabins and glamping are also available. Get your ticket at Cebu Safari and Adventure Park.
11. Camping in Carnaza Island
Carnaza Island remains one of the most idyllic islands and one of the best places to visit in Cebu to avoid the usual tourist areas. Located on the northernmost part of Cebu in the town of Daanbantayan, this 429-acre turtle-shaped island is surrounded by white sand beaches, thick mangrove forests, and verdant greeneries.
Carnaza Eco-Park is the only hotel facility in the island. They have woodshed tents in front of the sea that you can rent, or you can also bring your own tent. At night, you can experience the vivid night sky like no other. Some of the most notable tourist attractions in Carnaza Island are Skull Cove, Ka Elena Beach, and Twin Beach.
12. Ziplining at Badian Zipline Adventure
Before heading out for your canyoneering adventure, why not try ziplining first? Badian Zipline Adventure has a 1-kilometer zipline (the longest zipline in Cebu) that cuts through the usual canyoneering route. In a span of 60 seconds, you get to enjoy the views of the forests and mountains from a different perspective.
13. Kitesurfing in Santa Fe, Bantayan Island
Kitesurfing is one of the best outdoor activities in Cebu if you want to learn a new skill that you can use later on. Kitesurfing in Bantayan Island is one of a kind because you are surfing on blue waters with a perfect backdrop of the blue sky and towering coconut trees.
You can learn the basics of kite surfing through a 1-day course and get to ride the board by yourself. Once learned, you can kitesurf pretty much anywhere in the world. Contact Kite Bantayan at +63 995 092 4047.
14. Mountain Bike Adventure in Cebu City
If you are searching for adventure places in Cebu City, the mountainside it is. Mountain biking is one of the best outdoor activities in Cebu City, particularly in the barangays Busay, Babag, Bonbon, and even Sirao.
For off-the-beaten-path biking adventures, mountain biking to ABS-CBN Tower in Busay mountains is a must if you want something unique to do. Along the way, you will be greeted by scenic views of the city from multiple points—truly a wonderful experience.
Some tourist attractions you can visit along the journey are the Temple of Leah, ABS-CBN Tower, Tops Lookout (a view deck), La Vie Parisienne (a restaurant), Sirao Garden, and Terrazas de Flores Botanical Garden. You can rent a mountain bike at Cebu Mountain Bike Adventure on V. Rama Ave, Cebu City. Contact them at (032) 238 6813.
15. Wakeboarding at Danasan Eco Adventure Park in Danao City
Danasan Eco Adventure Park in Danao City has the first-ever wakeboarding facility in the Visayas. Their lake is wide enough for you to surf, spin, zoom, and do all sorts of cool wakeboarding tricks.
Danasan Eco Adventure Park is not just a place to wakeboard. It offers many high-adrenaline activities. Other outdoor activities you can do at Danasan Eco Adventure Park are ziplining, ATV riding, go-kart racing, horseback riding, sky biking, rappelling, kayaking, and more! Contact Danasan Eco Adventure Park at +63 917 301 3171.
16. Rock Climbing in Cantabaco, Toledo City
Barangay Cantabaco is known only within rock climbing circles and is most popular among foreign rock climbers. If you want to do rock climbing in Cebu, this place should be on your itinerary.
Cantabaco has several areas to climb and the routes have a good mix of grades for beginners, intermediate, and expert-level climbers. Area 5 has routes that are the best and world-class in standards. Contact guide Enie Yonson at +63 943 068 8985 or +63 948 712 4875.
17. Horseback Riding in Cebu City
If you want to do horseback riding in Cebu City, there’s a place called Big Q Farm that offers horseback riding adventures in the mountains. Located in Barangay Tabunan, the expansive farm has pretty good views of the mountains, plus the area is known for sightings of a wide variety of birds.
Your guides will teach you the basics of horseback riding. And then they will lead you through the trail while they share the history of the place. Some cool spots you will pass by are rivers, creeks, cliffs, a lake, and a camping ground. Horseback riding is hands-down one of the unique outdoor activities in Cebu City. Contact Big Q Farm at +63 917 311 2011 or +63 925 506 8038.
18. Motocross in San Remigio
Dirt biking is one of the best outdoor activities in Cebu if you don’t mind getting dirty. If you enjoy dirt bike riding, a few off-road circuits you can try are in Minglanilla, Liloan, and San Remigio.
The one in San Remigio, called MS Motosuit Motorsports Park, is the newest. It’s a 10-hectare park with a 2.3-kilometer race course that has the ideal change of elevation, the fast, and low traction corners. Contact them on Facebook.
Check Out More Exciting Outdoor Activities in Cebu
Can’t get enough of these outdoor activities? Check out CEBU INSIDER’s 35 Things to Do in Cebu!
That’s it for now. I hope you get something out of our list.
