The old city holds the essential sights. Magellan's Cross and the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño — the oldest Christian shrine in the Philippines — stand side by side on Osmeña Boulevard and are always busy with pilgrims. Fort San Pedro, the oldest triangular bastion fort in the country, guards the waterfront a short walk south. Colon Street, reputedly the oldest street in the Philippines, runs through the gritty downtown core.
On the hillside above the city, the Cebu Taoist Temple in Beverly Hills Subdivision is worth the journey for the views and the temple complex alone. The Jumalon Butterfly Sanctuary in Basak is a peaceful garden full of live butterflies, with mosaics made from butterfly wings on display inside.
Day trips spread wide: Mactan Island (across the bridge) for the Lapu-Lapu Shrine and diving; Bohol for Chocolate Hills and tarsiers; and south down the coast for Kawasan Falls and whale shark watching at Oslob.