Hi want to stay in Cebu but want to go to a close beach.
Can you do a day trip from Cebu to a beach On Mactan Island- I think reading the ferry would be the fastest way?
or
Would it be better staying in Cebu for part then staying in Lapu lapu or the beach area for part. The Mactan Beach resorts look expensive - would it be cheaper staying in Lapu lapu?
Recommended length of stay in Moalboal please
No need to get a ferry to Mactan, its a ride in a taxi or a Grab. That daid there is really not much on Mactan other than up market resort hotels nearly all the beaches are artificial.
You would be better getting the ferry to Bohol were there are various good beaches. That said its not really a day trip and at the very least you need to overnight there to do it justice and in all reality it's worth at least 2/3 days.
Edited: May 26, 2024, 9:50 pmMactan is connected to Cebu by bridges, so you can day trip there or stay there and day trip to Cebu. The only issue with that is that there is often bad traffic so getting across can take a while, especially at peak hours. The beaches on Mactan are pretty ordinary. There are some resorts there that offer day passes where you can use the pool, beach and facilities for the day for a fee. I believe Costabella is one of those. Solea may do so as well. But there are countless other places with better beaches than Mactan, I mainly just stay there on departure to my next destination for proximity to the airport. As Marty said, Bohol is a good option, but you will need a few days to make it worth it.
As for Moalboal, depending on what you want to do there, suggest 3 nights so you have at least 2 full days. 1 to do the sardine run, snorkeling/ diving and the other if you want to do canyoneering or spend the day visiting other local attractions and relaxing. You can certainly spend more time, it depends on how long you have and what else you plan to do. You can do it in 2 nights if you are short on time.
Mactan is a built up urban area just like Cebu City with private beaches as described.
If you have a specific reason for staying in Cebu City ie you want to bar hop in Mango St then fair enough but otherwise if you want a tropical beach holiday with swaying palms etc go to Moalboal Bohol and stay there.
If my plane happened to land in Baltimore I wouldn't stay there.
