The first time is always the most memorable! And Osmeña Peak gave me a memorable experience!
I vaguely remembered my first hike. It was summer and I didn’t really know what to expect.. I love walking, but walking with bags and staying for a night without a concrete or wooden ceiling is different.
Our companions used to remind us that the trail is easy. AND the views will be completely rewarding. To be honest, I was hesitant but at the same time excited to try it.
Osmeña Peak (O’Peak) is considered to be one of the favorite day hikes in the province in Cebu. If you’ve seen my Cebu photos post, I’ve shared several photos of why it’s a favourite among the locals!
If you are visiting Cebu for the first time, you can also take the Osmeña Peak hike as a day trip!
If you’re feeling bit more adventurous, you can traverse from here to Kawasan Falls in Badian. We haven’t tried this before though. Maybe next time!
How to Get to Osmeña Peak
The Peak is located at the Southern Part of Cebu. To get there you can ride a bus from the Cebu South Terminal in the city (take the bus going to Oslob or Santander).
Tell the bus driver/ conductor that you will get off at the Dalaguete Junction for O’Peak. Bus fair is around 140 Php. Be ready for a long drive though as it will take you around 3 hours to arrive.
At the junction, hire a habal-habal (motorbike) going up to the trail head. Fair is around 100 Php per person.
For our part, my brother-in-law drove us all the way to Mantalongon. We were able to park the car near the Barangay Hall and left it there overnight.
After gearing up and prepared our stuff, we braced ourseves for the supposed to be easy trail.
If you’d rather go to the peak faster, there are local habal-habal that you can hire either from Mantalongon or from Dalaguete junction (as I’ve mentioned previously).
This will take you directly to O’Peak’s trail head. We, on the other hand, decided that we wanted to try the trail and hike all the way from Mantalongon.
At first, everything was cool. It was pretty easy.. We passed through rough roads and met locals along the way.
Then came the challenging part: walking on an inclined pathway. When we finally reached the flat surface, I was already huffing and puffing.
Guess I needed that cardio exercise after all.. LOL.
Views of the Trail Going to O’Peak
Up at that point, I never admired the view.. Not until I saw this!
I’ve never really appreciated the green and how beautiful places like this are. It was a refreshing change from the rough road we’ve seen at the beginning of the trail.
We’ve met locals tending to their crops and little kids playing on the open field. Such a peaceful way to live!
We hiked for about an hour or less to reach the Peak trail head for our final ascent to the peak. Admittedly, we took a few stops from time to time to replenish our energy and enjoy the views.
At the base, we had to sign a sort of registration list at the Osmeña Peak Tourism Center/ Hiker’s Center before we started the hike. At the time of our visit, there was no registration fees. Today, there is an entrance fee of 30 Php per head.
We did not hire a guide, too as we had people on our group who knew the way and was familiar with the trail.
When all was set, we started the hike to the top and was greeted by these amazing views!
There were pretty steep parts and easy trails too. We had to take (again) some stops to gather our bearings and waited for the rest of our group..
It was our first after all! 😉 But overall, the trail is easy and just perfect for beginners.
Camping at O’Peak
Upon our arrival at the camp grounds, there were already other campers searching for flat surfaces to pitch their tent. We did that too and started to set-up our camp. P
lease take note too that as of this writing, a camping fee of 50 Php is collected for those wanting to stay overnight.
While doing that, I got a chance to fully enjoy the view from where we stood. The ocean, the mountains and the people at the summit.
You can never say you’ve been to O’Peak without a look (and a photo. LOL) of the magnificent views from that viewpoint. Hence the number of people at the top.
After pitching the tent and setting-up our camp, there was nothing left to do but enjoy the views and socialize with the rest of the campers.
Here are some photos of the views we got to enjoy including the gorgeous sunset!
Morning came and it was pretty cold. To be honest, I did not anticipate how cold it can get.
Good thing I was able to borrow an extra jacket. LOL. It was pretty chilly and there was fog everywhere.
After breakfast, we decided to climb to the top for the views at the summit. Admittedly, it was spectacular and very refreshing.
Too bad I wasn’t able to capture a more nicer photo, though. The view was overlooking Negros (Cebu’s neighbouring island).
A few hours later, we broke camp and started the descent. Of course, not missing the opportunity to take more photos of the surroundings at this time of the day.
Going down, we still opted to do the hike and not hire any habal-habal.. It was such a gorgeous day and the sun was not scorching hot. Perfect for another hike. 🙂
This particular adventure paved the way for several mountain trips a few months after, including our Mount Pulag adventure.
From our usual beach trips, this trip made us love hiking. Not to mention that self-fulfilling feeling after reaching the summit and taking in the beauty from the top!
With bags lighter, we went home tired but happy!
We returned to Osmeña Peak on a rainy season and we didn’t get to enjoy the views at the summit like we previously did. The fog completely covered the views from above.
Here’s another throwback video of our adventure during this time. Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
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Really enjoyed this. I am not familiar with this area but now I really want to go! Adding to my travel wishlist.
Awesome pics 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
What a beautiful country! Philippines is very high on my list! Pinning this for later 🙂
Thank you, Hannah! 🙂
You’re so right, we tend to take these green areas for granted. And look how beautiful the landscape is!
Judging by your photos the place is really wonderful for hiking. If it’s not that hard that even a beginner could do it, as you’ve said, it’s just perfect. Because, how else would you get to admire such beautiful view! Stunning! 🙂
It was really a wonderful eye-opener for me to enjoy the mountains and the beauty of its landscapes.. 🙂
The landscape looks amazing! What a great place to hike!
Thank you, Kylie! 🙂
Wow, those views from atop Osmeña Peak look amazing. I love your sunset pics. You totally have me at hiking and camping. What a unique experience for anyone visiting Cebu to really explore the landscape and have a memorable experience for cheap!
Thank you, Eric!
Such lovely views from the top, would love to be there for a sundown with a nice drink or a sunrise welcoming the new day. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Annie! 🙂
I do a lot of hiking and camping near my home in Canada, so it’s really interesting to see how people do it all over the world. The jungle views are so different than what i have here!
So true… Everywhere is unique! 🙂
Great post! Fabulous photos as well.
Thank you, Sara!
I spent a bit of time in Cebu, wish i’d done this hike. Looks gorgeous!
You can always come back! 🙂 Thank you Cat!
Going to the Kawasan Falls was already in my list of things to do on my trip to Cebu in March 2018 but this is the first time I’ve heard about the Osmena peak hike and it sounds like a brilliant idea, especially since both these things can be done on the same day. I love your pictures, the place looks so lush green, it’s something I’d love to do. Thanks for the suggestion!
That’s so cool! I’m glad I was able to inspire you.. You should try traversing.. I heard it’s amazing.. 🙂 Happy travels!!
In India, we have a saying that roughly translates to – To see the heaven, you must die. To me, hiking is a smaller version of that – you must climb and exhaust your body to see the incredible that is only available at the peak. Lovely photos and thanks for introducing me to one more incredible route to walk in Cebu, though I left hiking few years back.
Thank you, Anu.. Would definitely agree to that.. The views are always worthwhile! 🙂
Wow this looks amazing! Didn’t really know much about this place but what a great post!
Thank you Eppie.. 🙂
Osmeña Peak looks just gorgeous, what a place to go hiking. I love the views of you all along the way, with that beautiful backdrop behind you! Your camping place is amazing too, what a sunset view!!!!
Yes it was.. Definitely washed away the tiredness.. 🙂
The photos are incredible! And everything is so cheap! And to my future list 🙂
Cool! 🙂
Wow! I had never heard of this hike before but it looks absolutely amazing!
Looks like it was a great hike and you had great fun. Your photos are amazing and I loved the sunset sky. Divine
Thank you Monica!
I didn’t know Osmena Peak but it looks like our sort of thing! And honestly it’s so cheap to get to the trail head, just 1.97 USD for that awesome view! It’s a must do!
Thank you Dany! 🙂
Wow looks so beautifu and green. I would love to do this hike and admire those stunning views out to the sea.
The views are really amazing!
The views from Osmeña Peak definitely look to be worth it! Such a beautiful region, the whole mountainous countryside is stunning – so much green! Cool to know that there are campgrounds set up for overnight stays. The only thing better than the views from the top, is watching the sunset from the top!
Would love to traverse from here to Kawasan Falls in Badian – will follow your updates if you do that the next time!
Thank you Megan! 🙂
Hiking has never been my cup of tea but my, what a view! Beautiful capture of the sunset.
This is a fairly easy hike and can be done as a day trip.. I’m sure you’ll love it too if you’d visit. 🙂
I love your sunset pictures, they are gorgeous!!! Looks like a great hike!
Thank you, Liz.. It was a great hike indeed! 🙂
Wow, definitely a rewarding hike, the landscapes are gorgeous! I have never combined hiking amd camping together, but I’m very much tempted to try it on my next trip. The pictures are so beautiful, glad this inspired you to enjoy many more such experiences.
You really should.. It’s a cool experience! 🙂
You know I like this type of stuff Marvi. 🙂 Well done on your first hike – you choose a lovely place to do it. When we were there we traversed the Kawasan Falls in Badian and it was also awesome. Need some guts to jump from fall to fall, but a nice option for someone looking for the extra thrill.
I know you do.. 🙂 I’ve been following your trek on Mt. Everest too and it’s incredible.. Hope I can try it too someday! 😉 I’m also including the canyoneering and traverse to Kawasan Falls.. Hopefully really soon! 🙂
What a gorgeous hike! So many great views! Great tip about hiring a motorbike, it’s so inexpensive and saves time.Those sunset views make camping worth it.
The trek to the Osmena peak really looks thrilling. What I love about these kinds of treks are the fact that they get you close to the ravishing beauty of nature in its pristine form. The views are spectacular and the greenery around is really mesmerizing.
Wow the fact that it’s perfect for beginners makes me want to do it as well bcz I’m always on the lookout for treks and trails which aren’t too hard to do.. Also you’ve shown us such a different side to Philippines, I always thought it was only about beaches there bcz that’s what I had read till now..
Yes! First trek is indeed an awesome feel and to remember it gives goosebumps definitely… The blue skies and greenery looks stunning…
Oh ny word! The lushness and greenery got me loving Osmeña Peak. And that sunset! You couldn’t have captured it more. I’m not a hiking fan but if the reward involved is a beautiful view such as that of Osmeña peak, why not? I’d gladly join the line. Good to read you had so much fulfilment reaching the top!
Thank you for your inspiring post! You did a very good exploration and this is so amazing,we should do more activities like this one. We’d love to try your same experience the day we’ll go there.
Great article with lots of insightful information! Planning a trip to the Philippines soon and will definitely check this out, thanks for sharing!
Wow, my friends keep on forcing me to go hiking, maybe I will try soon. The view is amazing at the top!
I love going on hikes on my travels and try to do so if I can! This looks like a beautiful spot to see some magnificent views! Hope you had a great time.
Such a great post. My husband and I were there 4 years ago but never did the hike. We think we should go back as we love the Philipines.
I love hiking and that Osmeña Peak looks great place to go and that sunset photos are so stunning!
OPeak was where we officially became Team Sweetie; Sheila became my girlfriend. Hehehe! It’s a very nice scenic place. We want to go back there, but this time, we’ll ascend the mountain from Badian. The Badian officials said there’s a challenging trail from their municipality, and that’s what we’re going to check out.
Awwwww!! Now that’s quite a story to tell! 🙂
Gorgeous photos! I am still oggling how riveting that sunset photo is! Definitely worth the hike. People have been talking about Osmena Peak in my research of the Philippines but I feel like your post did it the most justice. Great tip about packing an extra jacket come nightfall! I would totally think it would be warm all day long!
Aww.. Thank you, Izzy! 😀
Seems like a gorgeous hike. And a photographer’s paradise. The sunset pictures are just beautiful. Curious to know what is habal habal ? And how does one hire it?
It’s the local term for motorcycle.. 🙂 There are motorcycles in some parts in the Philippines where motorcycle is the only mode of transportation, especially for narrow/ steep roads… Once you arrive at the junction, there’ll be several habal-habal drivers who will approach you, otherwise they’ll be parked on designated areas waving you in.. 🙂
what is the best to climb morning or afternoon?
Personally, I find afternoon hikes more preferable as the air is more cooler and the views are lovelier! 🙂