A Southern Cebu History Tour From Samboan’s Heritage Sites
Samboan is a small town in Southern Cebu. This place is extremely popular with the many waterfalls that make it an ideal destination for trekking and canyoneering. To get there, you will have to take a four-hour trip from Cebu City since it is found at the Southern tip of Cebu. It is a stone’s throw away from the neighboring island of Negros Occidental. It is quiet just like most Southern Cebu municipalities, except for the many tourist spots in the area.
This is a place that is also filled with a bunch of historical monuments that you can visit to learn more about the history of Cebu. The municipality houses some of the most popular historical places in Cebu province. If you want to know more about the history of Cebu as an island, this is a great place to go to.
SAN MIGUEL ARCANGEL CHURCH
In every Southern Cebu town, there are many churches that serve as tourist attractions. Visiting several of the oldest churches in Boljoon, Ginatilan, and Argao is one of the quintessential things to do when in Cebu. Their designs have lasted many decades, even centuries, standing tall amidst all the hardships that the people have experienced throughout the years.
In Samboan, their most iconic church is the San Miguel Arcangel Church found at the town plaza. One of the most interesting things about the church is its design which, unlike most churches, is not cruciform (in the shape of a cross). The facade is also bare and it does not have the same embellishments found in other churches.
The church is also great because it has an open space outside of it where people can sit down while waiting for the next mass to start. There are many grottos and images above a hill that show events found in Catholicism. You can take photos of the beautifully created images to remind yourself about your trip here.
CAMPANARIO DE ANTIGUA
The Campanario de Antigua, which is outside the San Miguel Arcangel Church, is another heritage site that is very famous in Samboan. A restoration of a Spanish watchtower, this was originally used to warn locals about incoming attacks coming from the sea during the Spanish colonization.
The three-story structure was first built in 1878, standing over 200 feet above sea level. This was restored by the University of San Carlos College of Architecture.
Visitors may go up to the third level of the structure to take a peek of the plaza, or have an overlooking view of the sea. This could arguably be the best place for a view of the entire municipality.
JACOB’S LADDER
Though not as big as the Campanario or the Church, Jacob’s Ladder is still a famous spot that boosts tourism in Southern Cebu. Historically, this was made to make it easier for parishioners to get to the town plaza. This 147-step flight of stairs brings you from the highway to the back of the Campanario de Antigua in the plaza.
Though it’s not as grand as the other spots in the plaza, it remains to be an important tourist spot in Cebu. You might love to take photos on the steps to have a memento of your visit to this famous Cebu heritage site.
When you get up to Jacob’s Ladder, you may also spend time at the park where you can sit down on the benches before you proceed to the next tourist destination.
BOLUNTARYO MONUMENT
This tourist spot is one of the most recognizable spots in all of Samboan. It is basically a waiting shed, serving as a landmark indicating that you are already in the town plaza. Many buses pass by this place and will drop off passengers that also want to experience the several waterfalls in the municipality.
The monument was dedicated to the volunteers of World War 2, with the depiction of a soldier found on the roof of the structure.
Being in the middle of the town makes it easier for tourists and locals to point the monument out. You can ride other public vehicles in the municipality like a motorcycle or a tricycle to get to the other Samboan tourist spots.
Samboan, Cebu may be famous for falls like Aguinid and Dao, but it has as much history as any other municipality in the South, especially since it is near the tip of the whole island of Cebu. You can tell that there were many historical events that took place over the years, and these heritage spots are proof that they were real.
The town of Samboan is one of the furthest places in Cebu for those who want to visit and stay on the island. The four to five-hour drive from Cebu South Terminal to the second to the last Southern Cebu town could be painstakingly slow, but this is a great place to learn more about Cebu’s history. It is a place that doesn’t need the beautiful waterfalls to stand out among its competition, though it is definitely gaining popularity from it. The town plaza is a great place to know what happened during the Spanish colonial period, years before the town we know today came to be.
