Welcome to Moalboal! Dive into its culinary delights and vibrant marine life. Explore dive sites like the Sardine Run and coral gardens, then venture to nearby attractions like Kawasan Falls. Need transportation tips? We’ve got you covered. Get ready to discover the beauty of this coastal paradise
Moalboal is a peninsula in the southwestern part of Cebu Island. Since Moalboal is a peninsula, water almost surrounds its land area. The major attractions of Moalboal are scuba diving, snorkelling, and climbing the peaks. Seaside bars and restaurants line this lively coastal heaven. Moalboal is a very popular spot among surfers and divers all around the world. You’ll finish your day in no time here. You can explore waterfalls, caves, beaches, churches, and a lot more. This place is stuffed with biodiversity. You will get a chance to swim with a lot of amazing sea creatures.
Things to do in Moalboal:
1. Kandungaw Peak, Moalboal:
Candongao Peak is another name for this spot. It will take you about 30 minutes to climb up the peak and then you will get to some beautiful viewpoints with dramatic drop-offs. There are four viewpoints and a cave to explore. From the summit, you can enjoy the view of Osmena Peak, Casino Peak, and Badian Island. The trail starts with the stairs assault. After the stairs, the trail seems to be a plateau and here you reach your first summit. After the plateau, you again have to climb the stairs to reach the first viewpoint, the Titanic Peak. The final peak, Kandungaw Peak is just a short way up from Titanic Peak. At the peak, you will find a secret path leading to the cave, where you can explore the amazing stalactites and rock formations. Be very careful at the peak as there are no safety fences.
2. Pescador Island, Moalboal:
Pescador Island is about a 3 km boat ride from Panagsama Beach. It is a very famous marine park in Moalboal. The water here is extremely deep, clear, cool in temperature, and rich in biodiversity. It is a fantastic spot to go snorkelling. When you go deeper you will find soft corals, stonefish, white frogfish, and turtles on the reef wall. Here, you can enjoy swimming with turtles, pilot fish, nudibranchs, lionfish, snappers, groupers, scorpionfish, and sweetlips. Black corals, sea fans, and sponges will also amuse you.
3. White Beach, Moalboal:
White Beach is located in Basdaku in Moalboal. This is a kilometre-long stretch of white sand beach, turquoise blue water, and other saltwater wonders. This is a perfect spot to relax. You can rent tents from the stores and accommodation setters in the area. This beach serves you with a wide variety of street food. You will find plenty of food stalls, sari-sari stores, and karinderyas on the coastline. As you will walk the kilometre-long stretch you will see some huge coral stones. The water is so clear that you can see your feet even when you are in neck-deep water.
4. Kasawan Falls, Moalboal:
Kasawan Falls is a multi-layered waterfall located in Barangay Matutinao. Many times, these have been awarded as the cleanest inland water body in the country. These falls are famous for their beautiful turquoise water. These falls sit on the foot of the Mantalongon Mountains Range. The waterfall has two cascades both with deep natural pools. You can reach the first cascade, about 40 meters high, within ten minutes of trekking, while the second one, standing at 20 meters, is also accessible within the same timeframe.
5. Aguinid Falls, Moalboal:
Aguinid Falls is located about one hour drive away from Moalboal. As you encounter five levels of waterfalls, be prepared to get wet. This waterfall is not just for sightseeing, if you want to enjoy it to the fullest then you have to climb, jump, and fully immerse yourself in it. Renting a dry bag and wet shoes is recommended because it is impossible to climb some parts of the waterfall without wet shoes. Make sure your hunger is satisfied before visiting this spot, as no food and drinks are allowed here.
6. Beach Road, Moalboal:
This place has some good vibes in it. You can feel the cold breeze coming from the ocean. Take a leisurely stroll along the beach road, whether it’s a serene evening or under the stars at night. You can try the traditional food at street vendors and restaurants. You will also encounter many children selling souvenirs but, don’t buy anything from those children because it will encourage their parents to send them out late at night to sell stuff. There are many shops you can shop from there, don’t forget to bargain.
7. Main Street, Moalboal:
This is a perfect spot for walking and hanging out with friends. You will find a lot of food stalls, restaurants, and bars lined up on this street where you can enjoy local and traditional food. Here, you can explore the local lifestyle and shop for souvenirs and local produce. Moving further on the main street you will find the bus station from where you can get a bus to reach nearby cities.
8. Visit Moalboal Markets
There are two main markets in Moalboal City. One is on the main street behind the bus station and another on the other side of the road further downwards. These markets have everything you are looking for including locally produced stuff, souvenirs, and edibles. The markets are well light in the night which makes it more attractive. Visit these markets late in the evening or at night. You can also enjoy the local food in the stalls.
Food to try in Moalboal:
1. Lechon:
Lechon means “suckling pig” in Spanish. This dish is very famous among locals and is served on special occasions such as birthdays, festivals, and of course Christmas. A whole young pig is stuffed with a mixture of herbs and spices, then it is roasted slowly over hot coals for around eight hours until the skin is crispy.
2. Balut egg:
A Balut egg is a developing duck embryo that is boiled and served from the shell. Once the egg is laid, it is incubated between 14-21 days giving a chance to the fetus to grow before it turns into a local delicacy. It is said the best to eat a Balut is when the egg is 17 days old.
How to reach Moalboal:
1. By flight:
The nearest airport Moalboal is Mactan Cebu International Airport. From the airport take a taxi cab or a car-transfer service going to Cebu South Terminal in Cebu City. From here, find a bus going to Moalboal. It will take you around three hours to reach Moalboal’s town.
2. By Ferry:
You can get ferries from nearby cities to reach Moalboal. If you want to travel from Siquijor to Moalboal then you have first hire a taxi to Larena and from there get a ferry to Liolan. From Liolan you can get a taxi that will take you to Moalboal.
3. By bus:
There is no direct bus from Siquijor to Moalboal but, you can get a bus from Cebu and Dumaguete. From Siquijor you have to first get a ferry to Post of Dumaguete. From the Dumaguete, the bus terminal gets a bus to Sibulan. Then again take a ferry from Sibulan to Samboan Cebu. From here you will get a bus to Moalboal. This is a complicated way to reach Moalboal, but you will have a chance to explore the city.
How to get around:
As Moalboal is a slow and sleepy town, the best way to get around is to rent a tricycle. If you know how to drive then you can rent a motorbike. You can rent it for one day as well as for a week. The rent for a week is considered low when compared with per day. You can also explore Moalboal city by walking and whenever you feel like going somewhere distant you can get into a habit-habal and jeepney or hire a cab taxi.
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