Cebu-Mactan Twin City Guided Tour

Explore historic sites in Cebu and Mactan as you trace the journey of the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan on this comprehensive guided tour of the twin cities. Learn all about Philippines and about the explorer from his land fall upon the shores of Cebu in 1521 to his defeat in the Battle of Mactan with Chieftain Lapu-Lapu. Along the way you visit a craft market and national shrine that speaks to the people´s religious fervor and artistry.

Cebu's icon, Magellan's Cross, is the first stop on your journey. See the home of the image of Jesus as a child at Basilica Minore of the Christ Child and then make your way to Fort San Pedro, a coral stone fortress originating from the original wooden structure built on the site in 1565. As protection to the city, it became the first Spanish settlement in Asia. The informative tour continues to a wonderful museum Casa Gorordo on Plaza Parian via the country´s oldest street (Colon Street). This museum showcases the elegant lifestyle of the Spanish/Filipino elite of the 18th century.

It is then time to cross over to Mactan Island through the industrial city of Mandaue, where many world class furniture factories are found. Your first stop in Mactan is the Church of our Lady of the Rule, a national shrine visited by many who attribute Mactan´s economic success to her devotion. The final leg of the tour takes you to a significant site in Philippine history - the Liberty Shrine, erected on the battlefield where Magellan met his defeat at the hands of the chieftain of Mactan, Datu Lapu-Lapu. Today a larger-than-life statue of Lapu-Lapu towers over mangroves on the very shores of his triumphant battle.

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