Hello, freedivers!
In Cebu for the weekend (or longer)?
I’ll bet all you can think of is planning a freedive or two.
I mean, you’ve probably heard of it:
How Cebu is surrounded on all sides by crystal-clear waters and amazing depths.
How it’s a hub for freedivers.
How it’s filled with beauty: lively underwater creatures, vibrant corals, unmatched sights.
And I’m here to tell you:
All of this is true!
I mean, I live here. 😁
But maybe you’re here and you’re thinking:
- Uh…this seems like a big city. Where do I dive?
- How do I get to all these awesome freedive spots people are raving about?
- Who do I contact for a fun dive, tour, training, or course?
- What’s the best place to dive on the island?
Hey, I’m here to help.
In this guide, I’ll answer ALL your questions (even the ones you haven’t asked).
Let’s go!
Cebu Freediving Guide: Quick Answers to Your Questions
TL;DR?
Here are 4 places you can freedive in Cebu.
Mactan Island: For people who are in Cebu for a quick weekend trip. It’s only a 30-minute drive from the city!
MoalBoal: For those who have more time and want to explore the best dive spots of Cebu (hint: The famous Sardine Run).
Catmon: A 2-hour drive from the city. Closer than MoalBoal. Perfect for those who want to get out of the city without having to drive too far.
Asturias: A unique, out-of-town experience for those who love to dive in lesser-known, off-the-beaten-path places.
OK, that doesn’t say a lot.
Want to know more about each spot?
Read on!
Cebu Freediving Spot #1: Mactan Island
The Island of Mactan is connected to mainland Cebu by three short bridges.
If you’ve arrived from wherever you’re from through Cebu’s international airport, then…
…voila!
You’re already on Mactan Island.
Here are 3 dive activities you can enjoy on the island.
1. Take a Freediving Course or Enhance Your Skills with Line Training
Want to know something awesome about Mactan, Cebu?
It’s home to some of the best freediving schools in the country.
If you’re just here for the weekend, why not polish those freediving skills with some line practice?
Or if you’re a beginner, take an introduction to freediving course (it only lasts a day and is super fun!).
Here are 2 schools you can go for line training and courses:
Want to meet me?
😁
Come to E&Z Diving Center!
E&Z is mainly an SSI scuba diving school.
They offer courses, fun dives, and more!
But hey, they offer freediving too.
I work there part-time as an instructor, so come over!
If you’re a beginner, we can spend half a day on a freediving introduction course.
Want to do a fun dive?
A line training session?
A freediving certification course?
We have it all at E&Z Diving Center.
Contact me here for more details!
Pacific Blue Freediving is the biggest school in Cebu.
It’s a great school…in fact, it’s where my journey into freediving really began!
My coach Marion owns it (he’s a multiple national record holder and currently the deepest Filipino).
Pacific Blue has a thriving community and is loads of fun to join.
They offer introduction courses every day, plus Molchanovs certification courses.
Contact them here for more info!
2. Go on a Boat Diving Tour
Did you know that Cebu is surrounded by a bunch of much smaller islands?
If you didn’t, you probably guessed it.
I mean, the Philippines is made up of 7,107 islands, right?
So YES, you can spend a day exploring the beautiful, lonely rock formations surrounding the main island.
Most of them are inhabited by little towns and surrounded by depth and stunning marine life.
Here are three islands worth visiting:
- Olanggo Island
- Gilutungan Island
- Nalusuan Island
How to get there?
Book a boat diving tour in advance.
You can contact me here, and I can book one for you at E&Z Diving Center.
(We have a boat and we can take you anywhere you want to go!)
Or you can head to Kontiki Marina, where they have boat dives and snorkeling tours you can join.
Here’s their exact location on Google Maps:
Just make sure to call or message ahead, so you can be sure you have a slot when you visit.
How much does a tour cost?
It depends.
Prices vary depending on how many “joiners” there are.
For a typical tour, prices range from PHP1,000-PHP2,000 per person.
What can you expect when you go on a boat diving tour?
Amazing things!
I’ve been on a boat diving tour a number of times, and let me tell you this:
IT IS FUN.
Just look at our smiles in this photo.
Typically, a tour begins at 8 AM.
You visit 3 islands, docking and diving at each one.
You get to swim with sea turtles, sardines, and a ton of other brightly-colored fish, seahorses, and nudibranchs.
Depending on which tour you book, there may be a free lunch on the boat and some music.
I bet you’ll love it.
3. Fun Dive
Don’t want to commit too much time to going on a boat dive or taking a freediving certification course?
Well, you can always enjoy a quick fun dive.
I recommend Club Kontiki – it’s also my favorite place to dive in Mactan.
Of course, diving in Mactan is not comparable to diving in stunning, otherworldly places like Moalboal.
But it’s still beautiful, relaxing, recharging, and great fun.
Here’s what I suggest:
Head to Kontiki Marina by following the Google Maps pin here:
The entrance fee is PHP300 per person.
You can rent a mask, snorkel, and short fins for PHP150 per person.
Put on your gear, step down the stairs into the water, and dive!
You can expect to see a wide variety of sea creatures, from sardines to seahorses, clown fish to (if you’re lucky) sea turtles.
When you’re hungry, you can head over to Buko Restaurant (inside the resort) and satisfy your cravings for sumptuous Filipino dishes like garlic butter shrimps and spicy chicken barbecue.
Or if you brought your own food, you can unpack it at one of the long tables at the resort and start chowing! (There is no corkage fee, so bring anything you want.)
I love this place as it’s chill, laid-back, and super beautiful.
Here’s a picture I took of it at sunset:
Cebu Freediving Spot #2: Moalboal
Ok, here’s the thing.
If you’re in Cebu and you have enough time, I believe you absolutely have to visit Moalboal.
Why?
Because it’s the best place for freediving on the entire island!
Honestly, this is one of my favorite dive spots in the country.
Of course, it’s only one of the most beautiful.
BUT…it literally changed my life.
Flashback to a couple of years ago.
I visited Moalboal with 2 of my friends, and we decided to do the “Sardine Run Tour.”
Here’s a picture of us with our brightly-colored life vests.
Going into it, we weren’t sure what to expect.
A fun swim with some fish?
But it wasn’t that.
Not at all.
It was pure magic.
The sudden drop into a blue abyss with golden particles suspended in it.
The silence, the eerie, overwhelming beauty of the deep.
The sound of wing beats, the silver flash of fins.
The sardine ball upon us, millions of flickering fish, their tails and fins catching the diffused, underwater light.
I could hardly breathe.
I never wanted to leave.
I was stunned and jealous of our guide, Eric, who kept diving down into the depths to swim with them.
I was never the same again after that.
I went on to take a freediving introduction course.
Then certification courses.
Then an instructor course.
Now, I teach people to freedive specifically so they can witness and enjoy something like the Moalboal Sardine Run.
So go and visit!
You will NOT regret it.
And who knows?
It might just change your life as it did mine.
So, ready to visit?
Here are three awe-inspiring dive spots in Moalboal.
Moalboal Dive Spot #1: The Sardine Run
How to get there:
Head to Panagsama Beach in Moalboal. The sardine run is a short swim from the shore.
How much it costs:
PHP100 environmental fee.
PHP500 guide fee (with life vest).
Trust me, you won’t regret visiting the Moalboal Sardine Run.
If you’ve read my story above, you already know how it changed my life.
And I’m sure it’ll change yours too, in a big or small way.
Big way: you might change your career (like me).
Small way: you’ll come away awed, inspired, relaxed, and deeply, deeply happy.
Read more about the Moalboal sardine run here.
Moalboal Dive Spot #2: Turtle Cove
How to get there: Head to Panagsama Beach in Moalboal. Turtle Cove is a short swim from the shore.
How much it costs: If you’ve already paid the PHP100 environmental fee and PHP500 guide fee for the Moalboal Sardine Run, you don’t have to pay extra to visit the turtle cove (on the same day).
If you love swimming with sea creatures, you’ll love Moalboal’s turtle cove.
You don’t even have to be a deep freediver to enjoy it.
Some of the turtles doze and graze in the shallows, around 2 meters in depth.
Which means, even if you’re just a snorkeler, you can still see them closely.
And if you are a freediver?
This place will be pure heaven for you.
You can dive and swim right next to the beautiful, serene sea creatures, feeling their mild and majestic presence calm you.
The best part?
The turtles are used to humans, so they won’t shy away and disappear from you.
They’ll watch you, glide right next to you, even tease and play with you!
If you’re in Moalboal, don’t miss this.
Moalboal Dive Spot #3: Mermaid Statue
How to get there: Head to Freediving Planet in Moalboal. The mermaid statue is a short swim out from their beachfront. It’s a little hard to find, so make sure to ask some people in the area to point you in the right direction.
How much it costs: FREE
Are you a person who loves to have unique underwater photos of yourself?
If so, you’ll love Moalboal’s mermaid statue.
The statue sits around 6 meters underwater, and it is absolutely beautiful and eerie.
Because it has been there for a long time, the mermaid’s body is covered in algae and some small corals.
Her skin and scales range from rusty red to deep green, the colors blended and murky within the underwater light.
Visit the statue at night, and you’re in for a really creepy experience.
We did this, and it was so much fun!
During the day, this is also a wonderful place to take your photos and videos.
I mean, just look at the photo taken above!
Pretty, right?
How to Get to Moalboal from Cebu City
The best way to get to Moalboal from Cebu City is by bus.
Head over to the South Bus Terminal, where these buses leave by the hour. (No need to book in advance.)
Here’s the exact location on Google Maps:
A one-way ticket will cost roughly PHP200 (depending on whether you take the air-conditioned or non-air-conditioned bus).
Take a bus with a Moalboal sign.
Tell the driver you’re getting off at Jollibee Moalboal.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the beautiful scenery outside your window.
The trip takes roughly 4 hours, so you can sleep or listen to some music as you wait to arrive.
Don’t worry, though.
I’m sure you won’t get bored.
That’s because the route to Moalboal traverses some stunning scenery.
Barili’s steep, sharp hills. Dumanjun’s wide seascapes. Ronda’s trees.
Before you know if, you’ve arrived.
When you get off the bus at Jollibee, you can take a tricycle to your hotel. (Don’t worry about finding a tricycle! Moalboal is a tourist-friendly area, and there are tons of these in the area.)
Note: It’s a good idea to stay around Panagsama Beach, as this is where most of the freediving action happens.
Who to Contact in Moalboal
Moalboal is quite easy to get around, especially because it’s such a tourist-friendly place.
Go anywhere, and you’ll be offered guided tours and packages from random people standing at the roadside.
But maybe you want to be sure of a great experience?
If so, I have some people to recommend.
Here’s a fun fact.
Remember that story of how Moalboal’s sardine run changed my life?
The guide who was with us that day, diving into the deep and showing us how awesome and fun it could be?
That was Eric.
If you want to enjoy the same experience, send him a DM and set a date to explore the deep with him.
Some photos in this blog are OK.
And some are stunning.
Right?
For example, the sardine run and turtle photos are one-of-a-kind.
That’s because they weren’t taken by just anyone.
They were taken by my friend, talented underwater photographer John Cuyos (He prefers to go by Bad Jaw).
If you want similar photos to remember your freediving escapades in Moalboal, make sure to book him for a session.
He’ll take you to the best spots, teach you how to pose (even if you’re a beginner), and end up with stunning, unforgettable photos of you.
In fact, here’s a review someone from this blog left for him.
Who knows?
You might be the next person to write a review like this. 😉
Want a complete Moalboal guide? Here goes!
Cebu Freediving Spot #3: Catmon
Here’s a sad truth.
I have never freedived in Catmon.
Why, you may ask?
My answer: I have no idea!
We planned it many times, my friends and I.
We set dates for it (tentative).
But somehow, it never happened.
Yet.
I still mean to go soon (I’ll update this blog when I do).
But here’s the thing.
Lots of people say Catmon has some lovely freediving spots.
Especially the area in front of Kuya Jom’s Crib, which is an adventure of corals and mazes you can dive and take pictures in.
If you do go to Catmon, make sure not to miss Kuya Jom’s Crib.
Jom is my friend, and he owns a nice hangout place in front of Catmon’s best dive spot.
Here’s a photo of one of his posts:
Cool, right?
You can contact him here and plan your next diving trip there.
How to Get to Catmon (And Kuya Jom’s Crib)
The easiest way to get to Catmon is by bus.
First, head over to the North Bus Terminal (right next to SM City and Radisson Blue Hotel).
Here’s its exact location on Google Maps:
Take any bus going north. These buses leave every 30 minutes to 1 hour, so you won’t need to book the trip ahead.
Here are some buses you can choose from:
- Maya Port
- Bantayan
- Bogo
- Hagnaya
These buses go all the way to the tip of Cebu, but you won’t go all the way there.
Instead, you’ll get down at Catmon, which is around 2 hours from the terminal.
Make sure to tell the driver where you’re going to disembark.
Pay for your ticket (which costs PHP85-100), then sit back and enjoy the trip!
Kuya Jom’s Crib is right on the highway, so you can get off the bus right at the entrance.
Here’s its exact location on Google Maps:
Cebu Freediving Spot #4: Asturias
Asturias? You might ask.
“Never heard of it.”
If you’ve thought this, I understand.
That’s because Asturias is a tiny northwestern town in Cebu, and it’s practically unheard of.
It’s not a common tourist destination, nor is it a place you’ll ever hear about in travel blogs or social media.
But I was in Asturias a few months back, and let me tell you this.
It’s a beautiful place.
It has stunning dive spots and marine sanctuaries that not many have heard of.
So if you’re the kind of person who loves to visit off-the-beaten-path locations, this place is for you.
The corals in this area are alive and vibrant.
Marine life is thriving.
There are unique spots to see, like the abandoned pier where large, stunning corals have grown onto the pillars.
Another thing you’ll love?
The stunning sunsets.
Like this one:
How to Get to Asturias
The town of Asturias is located on the northwestern side of Cebu.
To get there, go to Ayala Center Cebu, where you can ride a commuter van (also known as v-hires here in Cebu) going northwest.
Here’s Ayala on Google Maps:
The v-hires usually go all the way to Tuburan (the next town to Asturias), but tell the driver you’ll get down in Asturias.
The fare is PHP180.
You can tell the driver to drop you anywhere near the hotel you’ve booked.
How to Dive in Asturias
Diving in Asturias isn’t as easy as diving in Mactan or Moalboal.
This is especially true because it’s not a place tourists often go.
But don’t worry!
All you have to do is head to the Asturias Tourist Receiving Area.
Once there, you can request a guide to take you to the dive spots.
These spots are best accessed by boat, as they’re far from shore.
A boat with a guide will cost you around PHP300.
Cebu Freediving Spots: Where Will You Go First?
So, here we are.
I’m so glad you’re in Cebu!
I’ve lived here most of my life, and it is a beautiful place.
As a freediver, I can tell you it’s also one of the best areas to visit if you love the ocean.
So what will it be for you?
Will you take a course or a boat tour in Mactan?
Will you visit Moalboal in the southwest and experience the once-in-a-lifetime awe and beauty of the sardine run?
Will you go to Catmon, escape the city without having to travel too far?
Will you get off the beaten track and dive in Asturias’ many marine sanctuaries?
My suggestion?
Extend your trip and do them all!
You will love every one of them.
I’m sure of it.
Just see if you don’t!