SEA Undersea

Cebu island, the capital of which is Cebu City, has a central location in the Philippine archipelago, which makes it a major transport hub for both sea and air travel. The island itself is home to more than a dozen recognized dive destinations. The closest of these to the main international airport is Mactan island, which is where the airport is located.

Almost all of the main dive sites are within a 20 minute boat ride of the resorts along the east coast of the island and the west coast of Olango Island. Many of the dive shops offer two boat dive trips, usually in the morning.

Getting There

You can reach Cebu by air from just about every city in the Philippines to the Cebu-Mactan International Airport. The resorts along Mactan's west coast are generally within a 20 minute taxi ride from the airport.

Cebu is also a major hub for the Philippines’ extensive ferry network. You can island hop to or from Cebu and any of the other islands, notably the other popular islands of Bohol and Negros.

Accommodation

The east coast of Mactan is lined with a number of beach resorts and hotels, including many international chains. This includes the Shangri-La resort which has an on-site branch of Scotty's Dive Center, a five-star PADI shop. You can use Scotty's even if you're not a guest of the hotel.

An alternative to a beach resort is the Mactan Newtown area, a slightly urbanized development of hotels, residences and shops arrayed along a wide boulevard not far from the ocean. You'll find some mid-range hotels as well as short-term rentals here.

Dive Shops

There are generally several dive operators in each of the major beach areas, and the larger resorts tend to have their own dive centers, or host branches of the bigger operators. I've listed those below that seem to be the most reputable.

Scotty's
Scotty's is based in the Shangri-La resort near the north end of the island, not far from Mactan Newtown. You can use Scotty's even if you're staying elsewhere. They have a full range of services including advanced training as well as dives around the region.