Moalboal is a really beautiful area on the western side of the island of Cebu. It is a popular destination for people looking to snorkel, dive and see some absolutely amazing waterfalls. Here is our complete guide for how to get from Cebu City to Moalboal (and back) so you know exactly how to get there!
*Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. This means at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through a link and make a purchase. This post may also contain other affiliate links and non-affiliate links to products and websites.
If you’re flying in you will likely fly into Mactan-Cebu International Airport which is in Cebu City about 100 kms from Moalboal. You have a few options for how to get from Cebu City to Moalboal.
Option #1: Take a Taxi the Entire Way from Cebu Airport to Moalboal
You can take a taxi from the Cebu Airport all the way to Moalboal. This is the most expensive option but also can be the quickest and most direct if you don’t want to switch modes of transportation.
A taxi all the way from Cebu City to Moalboal costs around 2,500 PHP or $50 USD. This is something that should be agreed upon before you start the journey to make sure both you and the driver are on the same page. In a taxi the drive should take about 3 hours although it all depends on traffic.
Follow the signs in the airport for taxis where you will see a long line of white and yellow taxis. Generally white taxis are cheaper than yellow taxis so try to get a white taxi. When you approach the line someone organizing the taxis will ask where you are going. Say you want a taxi to Moalboal and enjoy the ride!
- Another advantage of taking a taxi is it can drop you off straight to your accommodation so you don’t need to bother getting a tricycle or anything else.
Read More: 3 Week Philippines Itinerary
Option #2: Take the Bus
The budget friendly option is to take the bus from the Cebu South Bus Terminal to Moaboal. This will cost significantly less than a taxi and really is not too difficult to navigate. This is the option that we chose because it costs a lot less. But it does take longer so make sure to give yourself extra time as the bus makes more stops and generally is a little more unpredictable compared to taking a taxi the whole way.
Buses to Moalboal leave from the Cebu South Bus Terminal which unfortunately is not that close to the airport. It would be perfect if they were right next to each other but that’s not the case so you will need to take a taxi from the airport to the bus terminal. This is a common route so say the bus station and the taxi operators will know exactly where you mean.
- We were asked by both our taxi driver and the taxi organizer if we wanted the taxi straight to Moalboal and we declined both times. Simply say no and take the taxi just to the bus terminal!
- Again make sure to grab a white taxi as they are cheaper than the yellow taxis. The flag down price is cheaper as well as the price per km.
A taxi from the Cebu Airport to the Cebu South Bus Terminal should cost around 250-400 PHP or $5-8 USD. Make sure when you get in the taxi that the meter is running for your trip.
- The traffic in Cebu City can be really awful so it could be a really slow drive.
- Expect it to take anywhere from 30-50 minutes depending on how bad the traffic is when you’re there.
- Our taxi cost 320 PHP or $6.40 USD and took about 45 minutes to get to the bus station.
- For the taxi to drive into the bus terminal it cost 10 PHP. Our driver asked for 10 Pesos, we gave it to him and he gave it to the attendant to be able to pull in where all the buses are parked.
Read More: How Long Should I Spend in Manila, Philippines?
The Cebu South Bus Terminal is basically like any other bus terminal with rows and rows of buses. Once we got out of the taxi we were approached by a bunch of people asking where we wanted to go and urging us to come on their bus.
Ceres Buses are the most common buses that run the route from Cebu to Moalboal. You will also see Sugba buses that do the same route. It doesn’t matter which company as they go to the same place and should cost about the same price. Make sure the front of the bus says either Moalboal or Bato via Moalboal as the destination.
- Large bags go down below the bus and then you get on to find a seat.
- Make sure to take any valuables out of your larger bag before putting it in the luggage compartment. We always take out our computers and our camera and put it into our daypack so we have everything important with us up top.
Generally buses leave about every half hour so you don’t need to worry about missing one. We got there around 11 AM and there were so many of them waiting at the terminal to fill up. It is a very common route that is done multiple times a day.
- We waited probably about 15 minutes before the bus left the station.
Our bus stopped one time about two-thirds of the way there to let people use the toilet and buy snacks. People get onto the bus every few stops selling food items such as chips, backed goods and even fried rice. We didn’t know this was going to be happen but it was so interesting to watch! We ended up buying 3 bags of banana chips because they are delicious!
Don’t worry about missing the stop for Moalboal because there will be announcement as it’s a popular stop. There is a worker on the bus that will point out stops to people and keep it organized.
Read More: Everything You Need to Know About Canyoneering Kawasan Falls
The bus will drop you off at the bus station in Moalboal. On Google Maps it’s called bus terminal to Cebu. At the bus station there are tricycles waiting across the street that can take you to wherever you are staying.
- We found the tricycle prices from the Moalboal bus station to where we were staying about 3 kms away in Panagsama Beach to be really expensive!
- We got ours down to 150 PHP total or $3 USD which we still think is too high but we didn’t quite want to walk that far. Someone initially tried charging us 250 PHP for the trip which is definitely way too high! We probably could have gotten the price lower than 150 PHP but we were honestly a little tired and just wanted to get to our accommodation.
Read More: Complete Guide to Visiting Siargao Island in the Philippines
How Much is the Bus from Cebu to Moalboal?
The bus from the Cebu South Bus Terminal to Moalboal costs 156 PHP or about $3 USD per person which is so inexpensive! It took about 3 and a half hours from when we boarded the bus in Cebu City to when we got dropped off in Moalboal.
Including the taxi from the airport to the bus terminal as well as the tricycle to our accommodation, the cost for our entire journey was 792 PHP or $15.84 USD for both of us or about $8 for 1 person. Even though it involves multiple types of transportation taking the bus from Cebu to Moalboal is so much cheaper than taking a taxi the entire way!
Read More: Siargao 3 Island Tour- Everything You Need to Know
How to Get From Moalboal to Cebu
To get back to Cebu City from Moalboal you will need to get a tricycle back to the bus station from wherever you are staying. You can easily find one on the road or you can arrange it ahead of time with your accommodation.
Buses start leaving from the Moalboal bus station driving to Cebu around 5:00 AM. They run about every half hour on the hour and half hour. Sometimes it can be slightly behind that but use that as a general schedule when planning which bus to take.
Because the travel time varies depending on traffic, make sure to give yourself plenty of time. If you’re catching a flight from Cebu Airport that day try to pick an afternoon flight so you’re not stressed out about missing it. You don’t want to miss it because you’re sitting in traffic in Cebu City!
Once back at the Cebu South Bus Terminal you will again need to get a taxi from there to the airport. You will see a bunch of taxis outside the bus terminal. Depending on the time of day this drive can be really slow so make sure to give yourself about half an hour to 1 hour to get from the bus terminal to the airport.
Or if you want to get there quicker almost all accommodations can arrange a taxi for you directly from Moalboal to the Cebu Airport. This (just like the way there) will cost more but will be quicker!
Interested in More Posts About the Philippines? Read Here!
Pin it for later:
