Mactan - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

The Mactan–Mandaue Bridge, officially the Sergio Osmeña Bridge, is a truss bridge that connects Mandaue City with Lapu-Lapu City in Metro Cebu, Philippines. It is one of two bridges that spans across the Mactan Channel, the other being the Marcelo Fernan Bridge, and connects the islands of Cebu and Mactan.

The Marcelo Fernan Bridge is a marvel of engineering that stretches across the busy Mactan Channel separating large Cebu Island from its smaller neighbor of Mactan Island. It is a cable-stayed bridge with a total length of 3,900 feet. Gaze up at the pairs of imposing columns that sprout from the bottom of this impressive architectural feat. The bridge is one of the widest and longest bridge spans in the Philippines.

Magellan Marker was constructed to mark the spot where Ferdinand Magellan died. He was a great explorer who spread Christianity in Cebu and was killed in the Mactan Island in an effort to spread the faith. Spanish Governor-General Francisco Alcala approved the plan to construct the monument to commemorate the life of the Portuguese “discoverer” of the Philippines- Ferdinand Magellan. According to historians the original monument was a monument-cum-lighthouse.

Museo Sugbo is located in the former Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, the provincial jail of Cebu. It is now the Cebu Provincial Museum. Cebu MuseumThe Museo was designed by Domingo de Escondrillas in 1869. It was originally proposed to be the main prison for the Visayan District because of its somewhat considerable size when it was constructed. The construction started in 1871. It was believed that the coral blocks from the demolished Parian Church were used to build parts

The Lapu-Lapu Shrine is a 20-meter bronze statue located in the Mactan Shrine park in Punta Engaño, Mactan Island, Cebu. The statue was erected to honor Rajah Lapu-Lapu, the native chieftain of Mactan Island who defeated Ferdinand Magellan during the historic Battle of Mactan in 1521. The Lapu-Lapu Shrine is inside a plaza commonly known as the Magellan Shrine park that commemorates the events of the Battle of Mactan. Thousands of foreign and local tourists visit the park every year.

The Fort San Pedro is a military defence structure in Cebu. It was built by the Spaniards under the command of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the first governor of Captaincy General of the Philippines. The original fort built right after the arrival of Legaspi and his expedition was made of wood. It was then replaced in the 17th century with a stone fort to repel Muslim raiders. Today’s fort was built in 1738. It is the oldest triangular bastion fort in the country. It served as the embryo of the very