As we stepped out of Gran Tierra Suites, we jumped in a taxi and proceeded to Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort where we will be spending our last night in Cebu before departing for Manila the next day. We chose to splurge a bit on our last night’s accommodation since we saved a few pesos from the do-it-yourself city tour and 2-night accommodations.

It took us about 45 minutes to 1 hour (We can’t really recall, but it was surely more then 30 minutes) before finally arriving at the resort. Before you can enter the huge wood/steel gate, a guard will confirm your purpose in the resort.

The hotel lobby which looks more like a large gazebo is located near the main gate. We approached the front desk personnel to check-in and to inform them that we have a reservation; but after a few minutes they informed us that there is no reservation listed under our name. We then told the staff in-charge that we  actually already received the confirmation email a few days before our trip to Cebu and we even called that morning in order to double-check our room reservation. Good thing we made a print-out of our itinerary including the email we received which we handed to the front desk staff who informed us that we had no reservation, of course he (resort staff) had no choice but to allow us to check-in .

Although we started off on the wrong foot, the pros were justified by the cons. While our room was being prepared, the staff provided us with cold towels and drinks; the front desk personnel also handed us a copy of the map of the resort.

Our room is situated at the Amuma Spa Wing; it is one of the Amuma Spa Suites facing the pool area. The room alone was already a haven that we didn’t want to leave, but precious time is ticking fast which was why after taking a short rest and changing to our swimming outfits we headed out to go on a tour around the resort.

There are actually two lagoons, one is filled with sharks and small fishes and the other is filled with groupers and more small fishes. This was the highlight of HIS’ day due to the fact that he also owns a saltwater aquarium back home; HIS fascination for these creatures is timeless.

We were lucky that the feeding time for the sharks was a few hours before our arrival time and we still had enough time to enjoy the resort facilities before their feeding schedule.

The Seven Dolphins are recognized to be mythical creatures who became friends with Lapu-Lapu, a hero who hails from Cebu. This representation is the centerpiece of the resort and it’s hard to miss it because of the relaxing ambience it provides even under the scorching heat of the sun.

The beach is covered with white sand and there are several huts available for resort goers. This place is great for tourists who are looking for peace and relaxation; but it is also desired by those adventure-seeking people who want to try the different water sports like jet-skiing, scuba diving, island hopping, and snorkeling.

Customers can order from the freshest catch found in the different saltwater aquariums inside the restaurant. We were not able to judge the taste of the cuisine because we just had our lunch at CNT Lechon before heading to Maribago.

This island is a man-made island which can only be accessed by the resort’s in-house guests. A boat is needed in order to reach the Alegrado Island. There are also two platforms connected to the island which serves as a view deck.

Since we brought our own snorkeling equipment, we were able to snorkel and were again fascinated by the rich underwater environment. There were cleaner shrimps and gobies, as well as other unidentified fish species.

After the marine life encounter we requested for a boat going back to the main beach. Then we opted to try out the main swimming pool for a few minutes before finally going back to the lagoon just in time for the feeding schedule.

From there we were about to head back to our room to get ready for the Sunset Chillout Cruise when some resort staff offered us to join the Manager’s Cocktails Event which was open for all guests until 5:00pm. We joined the event for about 20 minutes; there were chips, nuts, dried mangoes (our fave!!!), non-alcoholic cocktail drinks, and more. Another perk is you can fill a plate with any of the snacks provided and then bring it to your room, which we did .

Coming up: Sunset Chillout Cruise and Sutukil (Day 3 & 4: Cebu-Bohol Getaway (Part 3 Mactan, Cebu))