Mactan Island

Mactan Island lies across the Mactan Channel from Cebu City in the southeast of the Philippines. It’s a modern place but has retained its greenness and has some lovely sandy beaches and good diving spots off the neighbouring islets. Mactan has a long history with many stories, the most frequently told is about the Battle of Mactan in 1521, when Portuguese-born explorer Ferdinand Magellan was killed.

Mactan is well known for producing guitars and other musical instruments. It’s also home of Mactan-Cebu International Airport, the country’s second busiest airport as well as the country’s largest export processing zone.