Moalboal

Wildly popular with travelers, Moalboal is a small but lively coastal resort around 55mi (90km) southwest of Cebu City. There's a lot to love about the place, its craggy coastline lined with shoreside bars and restaurants where you can sip a sundowner and gaze over the azure waters of the Tañon Strait to the distant hills of Negros Chocolate. Directly offshore is a stupendous coral wall, so you can amble out of your hotel room, don snorkeling gear and encounter outstanding marine life (including Moalboal's world-renowned sardine run).

However as there are only a few patches of sand, head to nearby White Beach for dreamy days by the sea.

Confusingly, the actual settlement of Moalboal (pronounced mo-ahl-bo-ahl) is a small town on the highway, 4mi (6km) west of the coast. The tourist resort is officially Panagsama Beach. However everyone just calls the area “Moalboal”.