Seated at the heart of the Philippine archipelago, the islands of Visayas are among the prettiest and most visited in the country. From east to west, these islands continue to lure visitors of different tongues and nations for their pristine beaches and untamed wilderness. Its main islands of Samar, Bohol, Cebu, Leyte, Masbate, Panay and Negros are further encircled by equally magnificent islets and breathtaking waters. Famous for its white sandy beaches and incomparable nature, coupled with great Visayan hospitality, Visayas is truly a paradise at the heart of the Philippines.

As gems of tourism in the country, the islands of Cebu, Panay and Bohol offer their visitors a wide array of opportunities to discover the treasures and beauty that lie within them.

Cebu, known to the locals as the “Queen City of the South,” is also the oldest in the country. With its rich history that has brought major landmarks such as the Magellan’s Cross, Fort San Pedro, and the monuments of the epic Datu Lapu-Lapu who killed Ferdinand Magellan, and the latter, who is one of the first to discover the Philippines. Cebu is also a huge commercial center and an international transport hub, having an international harbor and many other smaller ports. South of the Philippine’s oldest city is the town of Carcar where well-preserved Castillian houses stand, surrounded by beautiful gardens and old churches. Authentic wood guitars are famous products at Maribago, while amid the beach clubs and resorts are many other historical sites.

Magellan's Cross in Cebu

Panay Island holds other historical and cultural gems, including an 18^th century baroque church known as Miagao in Iloilo. The nearby Sicogon Island with its virgin forests, magnificent mountains and rich marine life, is a retreat for scuba divers. Who would forget to mention the most popular island treasure that is the Boracay Island, a huge expanse of sugary white sand beach and a prime destination to experience the sun.

Miagao - An 18th Century Baroque Church in Iloilo

Bohol is another one of the prime islands in Visayas, where natural wonders abound. The island is most famous for its limestone hills (hundreds of them), better known as the “Chocolate Hills” as they appear like huge mounds of the sweet treat. Aside from its handsome beaches, one interesting site in the island is the Baclayon Church, a very old stone church, and probably the oldest in the country.

Visayas is probably the most popular group of islands for those travelling to the Philippines. The region is known to tourists from all over the world as one of the best beach destinations in Asia as it offers a variety of attractions such as pristine beaches, happening nightlife, cultural attractions and magnificent natural sights.

Here are the top places to visit while in Visayas:

Cebu

Cebu is the oldest city in the country and is also known as the center of commerce and education in the Southern part of the Philippines. In spite of its continuous industrial group, the city still manages to keep its ancestral heritage alive. Cebu is a mix of the old and the new as you can find old historic structures alongside modern buildings and infrastructure.

Boracay

For those who love the sea and the sand, Boracay is the top favourite in this region. The island is located on the northern tip of Panay and is well connected to major cities all over the country with scheduled flights being provided daily. The island is every bit a tropical paradise with its white sand beaches, tropical scenery and interesting water sports opportunities.

Boracay was formerly the country’s best-kept secret but these days, it has continuously attracted tourists from all over the world. Because of this, it has become a bustling metropolis offering diverse culinary fare from native Mediterranean to Asian and even local cuisines.

Bohol

This province is another one of the natural havens in the Visayas region. It is not as internationally famous as Boracay but this is probably where its charm is coming from. It’s not as crowded as other tourist destinations in the country so you will still be able to enjoy the beauty of the island at its finest. It is known as the ultimate destination for divers as well as those who simply want to experience nature up close.

The Visayas region is among the Philippine’s biggest groups of islands and offers a plethora of interesting sights and sounds. Each of its provinces and cities offer a one-of-a-kind experience. Here are some of the must-see and must-do things when you are visiting the Visayas.

The Ati-atihan Festival

Filipinos love festivals and celebrations, and one of the must-see festivals in the Visayas is the Ati-atihan in Kalibo, Aklan. The festival is held to honor the Child Jesus (Santo Nino) who is the patron saint of the region.

The Chocolate Hills

Travel to Bohol and check out the unusual geological formation of hills that resemble Hershey’s Kisses. Although green during rainy and ordinary seasons, the hills turn chocolatey brown during dry season or in the summertime, thus the name.

Cruising the Loboc River

Of all the cruises you can take in the Philippines, the Loboc River Cruise is the one that should not be missed. The river is situated in Bohol Island and is a major tourist spot of the province, attracting both foreigners and locals alike. The river is characterized by a winding path where you can find floating restaurants and small bancas. The cruise offers a treat to the senses as surroundings consist of lush tropical greenery.

Island-hopping

Visit Cebu and go island-hopping by riding traditional rowboats or the banca. Doing this allows you to discover the captivating surroundings of Cebu’s many islands while giving you access to more of the white and unspoilt beaches. The Visayas is a paradise for travel writing and you can enjoy a variety of activities such as watersports, picnics, and diving.

The Crown Regency EdgeCoaster

If you just want to be silly and adventurous all at the same time, do as the locals do and head over to Cebu to ride the EdgeCoaster, developed by the Interactive Rides, Inc. This unique extreme thrill ride is not matched by anything you’ll ever see in amusement parks, and is guaranteed to get your adrenaline pumping.

Boracay is not the only place that hogs all the attention during summertime. In fact, the unspoilt beauty of Cebu’s beaches are also beginning to gain popularity among holidaymakers and locals who need an escape to a true paradise of relaxation. Nowadays, Cebu is quite similar to Manila with its urbanized look and feel. However, it’s Cebu’s beaches and waterfront that dominate some of its best features.

An ideal destination in Cebu is Mactan Island – easily reached by a single plane ride from Manila and other major cities in the Philippines. Mactan Island has its own airport and it is connected to Cebu City via a short bridge. The island has its own share of resorts and accommodations where visitors can conveniently stay while having the benefit of being only a few steps away from the beach.

Other notable beaches in Cebu include the Barili Beaches which stands in Cebu’s southwestern coasts, around 61 kilometres from the city. Barili boasts white sand, hills, and lush greenery. Some of the best beaches of Barili are Sayaw and Candugay.

Next stop is Alcoy, another one of Cebu’s provincial municipalities that boasts white sand. Tingko beach is the most notable among its beaches due to its rock formation standing along the pristine coastal line. The beach is basically a lagoon stretching across the Mabad-on Reef just below a cliff, and its azure waters are inviting for a swim or a dive. The resort in Tingko is open to the public – just pay a very affordable entrance fee. Alternatively, there is the Bodo’s Bamboo Bar Resort that is elevated on plateau and overlooks the sea. Enjoy its cottages, jacuzzis, and pools.

The Visayan Islands in central Philippines has a lot more to offer beyond their tranquil forests, pristine beaches, stunning natural attractions, and historical sites. A trip to any of these islands is not complete without experiencing that particular island’s trademark festivals. Time your visit to Cebu, Iloilo, and Aklan with each of these islands’ festivals and you are in for a wonderful treat.

Cebu’s most awaited and liveliest festival is the Sinulog, a feast honoring the child Jesus (the island’s patron saint). Held every third Sunday in January, Sinulog is a festival of elaborately costumed performers dancing to a rhythm that mimic a river’s current, which translates to ‘sulog’ in the local vernacular. The festival is also marked by endless shouts of “Long live the Christ Child” and “Pit Senyor”. Sinulog is open to everyone who wants to join the festivities, Catholic or otherwise.

Iloilo’s Dinagyang Festival is also held in honor of the young Jesus or Sto. Nino. The festival also celebrates the conversion of the province’s natives to Christianity during the early years of Spain’s occupation of the Philippines. Dinagyang is a very lively festival characterized by foot stomping street shows performed by dancers whose bodies are painted black and decorated by different designs of bright colors. Dinagyang is held a week after Cebu’s Sinulog.

The Maskara Festival is another of Iloilo’s famous street parties. The festival, which translates to Mask Festival, is held in Bacolod City and characterized by street dancing and yes, lots of colorful masks.

Aklan also has its version of Sinulog and Dinagyan. The Ati-Atihan is the province’s biggest festival and it is celebrated for same reasons as the previous two. Held on the second weekend of January, the festival is a three-day mardi gras that features black-painted warriors clad in colorful native attire. Spectators, locals and tourists alike, are encouraged and expected to join in by shouting the festivities’ trademark phrases: “Viva Sto. Nino” and “Hala Bira.”

A few people have asked me what the beaches are like in Cebu, afterall this is the centre of the Visayas. Most people pass through here and think it’s a nice place to relax for a few days. It is not. As far as Philippine cities go it’s fairly pleasant and manageable, certainly better than Manila, but it still quite big, full of traffic and urban. It’s on the coast but that’s about it, the waterfront is dominated by a harbour.

However there is Mactan island, on which the airport is located, and it’s connected to Cebu by a short bridge. About 10kms across this island is really just an extension of suburban Cebu and never had any beaches of its own. But it does have beach resorts, and they do attract well healed high paying guests but relative to the real beaches on other islands they are pretty pathetic.

In another blog entry I’ll detail my sorry experience with one of these resorts who wanted to charge me a 500 peso facility fee for using their beach, even though I was a paying guest at their restaurant, and the fact that beaches and water are public property in the Philippines.

Anyway, there are about a dozen resorts lining the water front, each private and restricting access to the water. Since the exisiting beach was not appealing they have created their own fake beaches with imported sand and coconut palms, the water is nice and clear and typically there will be jetskis and bancas there, but it is still a fake beach and it shows. Still, if you’re stuck in Cebu for  a few days then it’s not an unpleasant experience to lie by the pool and take a dip in the sea, but they are severely overpriced for the experience.

And if you’re a local, tough shit you can go and slum it on one of the ‘almost’ beaches elsewhere on the island.

Islands of paradise

Welcome to Asia’s best selection of tropical islands, the Visayas group in the Philippines. Experience the mouthwatering travel possibilities these numerous islands offer, from world class diving to stunning beaches, luxury resorts, friendly Filipino hospitality and endless coconut palms. We have the best of the Visayas covered here.

Plan your travels and update yourself on travel in the Visayas with this blog from an expert resident of Boracay and the Philippines. We plan to soon upgrade this into a full tourist info site with more than 100 pages and plenty of stunning pictures on the Visayas. Let us reveal the best of these islands.

From popular Boracay, across Panay and Negros to Bohol and Cebu we have the popular places covered. And then there’s the out of the way gems in Southern Leyte, the West coast islands of Samar, even the Romblons and sweet little Siquijor. Discover the individual flavours and highlights of each island right here.