For couples · Cebu · Philippines
Romantic things to do in Cebu
Ideas for a couples' trip, from small moments to a special day out.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: LMP 2001, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Couples come to Cebu for small-island beaches, sunset bangka rides, waterfalls and dives, with Malapascua and Bantayan the most romantic stays. Couples tend to stay in Malapascua Island.
Key facts
- Romantic ideas
- 5
- Couple-friendly sights
- 2
- Area for couples
- Malapascua Island
- Best months
- February–March and May
Romantic ideas
1.Sunset on Bounty Beach
Watch the sun go down from Malapascua's white-sand beach with a drink in hand.
2.Night view from Tops
See the city and Mactan lit up from the Busay hills.
3.Private island hopping
Charter a bangka from Mactan for a quiet day of snorkelling and sandbars.
4.Bantayan by bicycle
Cycle Santa Fe's quiet roads between Paradise Beach and Kota Beach.
5.Early swim at Kawasan
Arrive at the falls before the day-trippers for the turquoise pools almost to yourselves.
Sights couples love
Architecture · Busay hills above Cebu City
Temple of Leah
Combine it with Tops Lookout and the Sirao flower gardens on a half-day loop by car.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Photo spot
- Couples
Viewpoint · Busay hills above Cebu City
Tops Lookout
Go around sunset and stay for the lights; bring a light jacket, as it is breezy and cooler up here.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Couples
- After dark
- Kids
Where couples should stay
$$ · Best for beach, couples and solo travellers
Malapascua Island
Malapascua is a small island off Cebu's northern tip, reached by a boat from Maya port. Bounty Beach on its south coast has white sand and resorts, and dive centres run early-morning trips to Monad Shoal for thresher sharks. There are no cars, only footpaths and motorbikes.
- Good
- White-sand beaches; World-famous thresher-shark diving; No traffic
- Watch out
- About 4–5 hours from Cebu City; Limited services and ATMs
- Nearby
- Bounty Beach, Monad Shoal, Kalanggaman Island
Romantic day trips
- Bohol (About 2 hours by fast ferry, then 1 hour by road) — Bohol's countryside tour covers the Chocolate Hills, more than a thousand grassy domes that turn brown in the dry season, the tiny tarsiers at the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella and a lunch cruise on the Loboc River.
- Sumilon Island (About 3–3.5 hours by road plus a short boat ride) — A small island off Cebu's southern tip with one of the country's earliest marine sanctuaries, clear water for snorkelling and a shifting white sandbar.
For dinner
Share local specialities such as Cebu lechon, Hanging rice and Sutukil. Service charge of about 10% is often added to restaurant bills.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Cebu romantic?
Couples come to Cebu for small-island beaches, sunset bangka rides, waterfalls and dives, with Malapascua and Bantayan the most romantic stays.
+What is the most romantic thing to do in Cebu?
Sunset on Bounty Beach: Watch the sun go down from Malapascua's white-sand beach with a drink in hand.
+Where should couples stay in Cebu?
Malapascua Island: Small car-free island off the northern tip, known for thresher-shark dives.