FIELD NOTES / PHILIPPINE TRAVELS
Cebu has a charm of its own, and I loved how much there was to see! One evening I was looking down at a sea of city lights from Tops in Busay. On another part of the trip, I was surrounded by Cebu’s history at Magellan’s Cross and Mactan Shrine. Then the road toward Toledo brought colorful mountain flowers and the astonishing sight of solar panels spread across the landscape.
These places stayed with me for different reasons. Some brought stories I’d learned in school to life, while others surprised me or simply made me stop and enjoy the view. That’s what I remember about exploring Cebu.
Tops Cebu at night: The city lights I loved seeing
I could have stayed looking at that view for so much longer. From Tops on Tops Road in Busay, Cebu’s city lights seemed to stretch endlessly into the distance. The mountains were dark in the foreground, but beyond them was an incredible spread of lights. Seeing Cebu from above at night was something special.
The place itself was full of life. There were visitors enjoying the viewing deck, illuminated dining areas and open spaces, and even live guitar music. I liked that it wasn’t simply a lookout point: you could enjoy the view and spend time there as the evening unfolded.
If you’re planning to visit Tops, check the official ticket and shuttle information before going. The attraction is in Busay, above Cebu City, and the night panorama is worth making time for.
Magellan’s Cross and the historic heart of Cebu City
I had heard about Magellan’s Cross since school, but there’s something different about finally standing in front of a place you recognize from Philippine history. I was excited to see the actual chapel and the cross housed inside it.
The octagonal chapel has a painted ceiling above the cross, and the historical plaque explains the significance of the site. Just outside, signs for the Cebu Heritage Walk pointed toward Magellan’s Cross and the nearby Basilica Minore del Santo Niño. These landmarks are close to each other, which makes exploring this part of Cebu City especially interesting.
I like that Cebu’s history isn’t hidden away in a museum. In this area, you can actually walk between landmarks you may have read about for years. The Cebu Provincial Government’s heritage overview is a useful starting point if you want to learn more.
Mactan Shrine: Seeing Lapu-Lapu’s story up close
Mactan Shrine in Lapu-Lapu City was another stop I didn’t want to miss. The impressive Lapu-Lapu statue, the monuments and the historical markers immediately made the place feel significant. This is where the story of the 1521 Battle of Mactan becomes more than a paragraph in a school textbook.
Nearby, the Magellan memorial, the Philippine flag and plaques gave more details about the battle. I also saw a large painting of what happened here. Standing among these reminders made the Philippine history I’d learned in school feel much more immediate.
Smaller details around the grounds caught my eye too, including a dolphin sculpture and other historical displays. I liked discovering those alongside the better-known monuments.
Buwakan ni Alejandra: A colorful surprise in the Balamban highlands
One of the loveliest changes of scenery was visiting Buwakan ni Alejandra. The flower garden is in Sitio Bunga, Barangay Gaas, Balamban, along Cebu’s Transcentral Highway. We encountered this part of the highlands while traveling in the direction of Toledo, and it was such a colorful stop.
There were red flowers covering the hillside, little purple blooms, large ferns, paths through the greenery and bright blue-and-yellow steps. Everywhere I looked there was another combination of colors. It felt so different from the city and the historical sites we’d explored.
What I liked most was the garden’s mountain setting. The flowers were beautiful up close, but looking across the landscaped hillside was just as enjoyable. The colors were already so striking against the greenery.
For readers who want to find it, the garden is in Gaas, Balamban, near Adventure Cafe along the Transcentral Highway. It’s already within Balamban municipality, before the town center when approaching from Cebu City. Check its official Facebook page for current visiting information.
Toledo City solar farm: Another side of Cebu I didn’t expect
The enormous solar-panel fields around Toledo were a completely different sight. From where I stood, rows upon rows of panels covered the land with hills behind them. As the sun started going down, the panels caught the fading light, and the whole scene looked almost unreal.
One major solar project in Toledo is Citicore Solar Cebu, located in Barangay Talavera. According to Citicore Energy REIT’s portfolio, its site occupies 73 hectares, or 730,000 square meters. The company’s technical description lists a 60 MWdc installed capacity. I can’t independently confirm that the solar installation we saw was that particular project, but those figures give an idea of the scale of solar generation in Toledo.
I loved that this part of the trip surprised me. Cebu had already given me sweeping city views, historical landmarks and a mountain garden — and then there was this wide-open landscape of renewable-energy infrastructure.
Crossing between Cebu and Mactan: An artist’s playful view
A playful illustration by Aurel shows a humorous take on traffic around the Marcelo Fernan Bridge. It’s an artist’s interpretation, not a documentary view of the bridge, but the humor feels familiar: getting around can become part of a Cebu journey too.
One more Cebu moment: Sunset by the water
One quieter scene I remember is the sea beneath a pale orange-and-blue evening sky. After the bright gardens, busy viewpoints and historical monuments, I appreciated seeing this calmer side of Cebu too. Those different moods are part of what made the trip so enjoyable.
What I’ll remember about Cebu
What amazed me about Cebu was how easily one experience seemed to lead to something completely different. I could be looking out at glowing city lights, then exploring landmarks from our history, and later stopping among flowers in the highlands or admiring an enormous solar farm.
I came away with a real appreciation for how many different sides of Cebu I’d experienced. The night views, history, colorful highlands and unexpected sights along the road are all moments I want to remember.
If you’re also exploring the Visayas, I wrote about my travels through Leyte, including Ormoc, which has ferry connections with Cebu.
Cebu travel questions
Where is Tops Cebu?
Tops is on Tops Road in Busay, Cebu City. I visited for the nighttime overlook. The official website lists updated access, shuttle and ticket information.
Where is Buwakan ni Alejandra?
It’s a hillside flower garden in Sitio Bunga, Barangay Gaas, Balamban, along Cebu’s Transcentral Highway. It’s a scenic stop on a drive through the highlands.
How big is the solar farm in Toledo?
Citicore Solar Cebu is reported by its operator to occupy 73 hectares in Barangay Talavera, Toledo City. The solar installation shown here has not been independently confirmed as that particular plant.
These are my personal travel impressions. Opening hours, transport arrangements and prices can change, so check the venues’ official information before your own visit.
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