Historical Tour in Cebu City

There are different tour operators in Cebu City offering historical tours. Here’s one of my favorite itinerary. If you want to Do-It-Yourself Tour, you can start by going to the Colon Area.

Historical Tour

Colon Street

One of the oldest hubs in Cebu City and it is the oldest street. The street consists of main heritage sites.

Cathedral Museum and Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral

You can go to the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral and Cathedral Museum of Cebu where you can see regional Church architecture and artifacts. It is located F. Urdaneta Street. Near the Cathedral is the Sto Nino Basilica.

Basilica Minore del Sto Nino

This is the oldest church and one of the historical sites. You can walk from P. Burgos Street to reach the church.

Magellan’s Cross

Across the Sto Nino Basilica is the famous Magellan’s Cross. It is a Christian cross planted in order of Ferdinand Magellan upon arriving in Cebu in 1521. The cross is housed in a chapel along Magallanes Street in the middle of Plaza Sugbo. Plaza Sugbo also has a different monument for Sergio Osmena and Vicente de Rama.
In front of the city center are the Cebu City Hall and the monument of Jose Rizal along the street of P. Burgos.

Plaza Independencia

Plaza Independencia Statue is a symbol of independence and freedom from all the conquerors that tried to overtake the island of Cebu. The plaza used to be called Plaza de Armas in 1600s.

The Fort San Pedro

It is a military defense structure made of woods which was built by the Spaniards with the command of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi upon his arrival in Cebu.
The Fort was replaced by stone in the 17th century. The oldest triangular bastion fort in front of Plaza Independencia. There are museums inside the fort which depicts the history of Cebu and the Philippines. There are several canyons along with the fort.

Heritage Monument of Cebu

The Heritage Monument of Cebu is the illustration of sculptures which symbolizes significant events in the history of Cebu. It is located at Mabini Street and Sikatuna Street.

Museums and Ancestral House

Near the Heritage Monuments are other historical sites. Along Zulueta Street across Mabini Street are two museums, the Museo Parian sa Sugbo and the Jesuit House Museum.
Along Mabini Street is the Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House. One block away from the ancestral house is the newly renovated Casa Gorordo Museum. Another museum which is nearby is the Museo Sugbo or the Cebu Provincial Museum.