Santander, Cebu

Santander

"Mesmerizing the Wonders"

Map of the Santander Island	Official Seal of the Municipality of Santander

"click to view larger image"

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Wander the
Municipality of Santander

If you're bored of getting yourself in the midst of all business of the city, try to get a share of the wonders of Santander.

     The municipality of Santander is located in the southernmost tip of the island of Cebu and is approximately 134.3 kilometers from Cebu City.

Geographical Location

It is bounded on the:

North	-Samboan
East	-San Jose, Negros Oriental
West	-Bohol Sea
South	-Bohol Sea

Badian Information

      Santander is a 5th class municipality. Main crops are coin, copra and root crops. White sand beaches and watchtowers must-sees in Santander. The famous beach resorts in the area are located in Liloan, which boasts of crystal-clear waters than can compare to the beaches in mactan Island. Among the famous resorts is the Marine Village Dive House, which offers several activities for divers and non-divers. Dive enthusiasts will surely enjoy the dive sites in the municipality such as the wall of Death, a dive site for experienced divers, where one can find hand and soft cards, and different kinds of fish.

      Santander is the third smallest town in Cebu. But it has turned out many professionals. Majority of the people depend on the sea for livelihood --- fishermen who continually explore the vast Palawan and China seas in search for rich fishing grounds. The methods of fishing used is the popular muro-ami.

      Santander's popularity as a tourist destination has increased in the past few years. Santander is the ideal spot for diving as it's located in the hub of some world renowned dive spots like Apo Island, Balicasag, Pescador Island, Sumilon and Siquijor This is also reflected in the growth of Santander in the tourism industry. 6 years ago there were only 2 resorts, still open today. Today there are 11.

 Why the municipality was named with Santander?

      Santander was popularly known in the past as “Tañong” after the turbulent waters of the Tañon Strait, which surrounds the area. However, when the Spaniards came, the town’s first parish priest changed its name to Santander, the priest’s hometown, which can be found in the northern coast of Spain and is considered a chief port and a famous bathing resort.

Tañon Strait is a narrow channel about 3 kms deep, 185-km long between Cebu and Negros in central Philippines. According to sources from the Department of Agriculture - Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Tañon Strait is among the top ten major fishing grounds in the country. It produces big and quality fish stocks, including blue marlin and tuna. It is also famous for its schools of dolphins, attracting a growing number of foreign and local tourists each year.

However, this biodiversity rich water and adjacent waters are not spared from ecologically destructive oil exploration.

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Culture and Heritage

Tostado Festival - showcasing different performances of participating barangays.

Tostado Festival


      3rd Sunday of April

     Santander is popular for its Annual Tostado Festival where they showcase their famous "Tostado" and other delicacies.

Tostado Festival Queen 2011 "1st Runner-Up"

     Tostado is a local delicacy in the town. It's a home-baked cookie with delicious taste and the procedures and secret ingredients in making a really delicious tostado have been handed down from generations to generations.

Tostado festival gives honor to the delicacy that have made Santander popular. Of course, there are a lot of things that can be attributed to Santander, but when you mention the town anywhere you go, people will remember the Tostado.

      The festival focuses on the town’s famous delicacy, the “tostado”. The street dancing which is the highlight of the festivity uses the different movements of making a tostado in the dance participated in by the different barangays.

      The street dancing, which is the highlight of the festivity, uses the different movements of making a tostado, and is participated by the different barangays. The town’s fiesta is also in honor of their patron, St. Gabriel. The festival is meant to promote the tostado industry of the town to other places.

Tostado Bread Snacks

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"Pasigarbo sa Sugbo Festival Queen 2011"

-Tostado Festival-

Santander, Cebu

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Marine Village Dive House

Explore with us amongst the 7,107 islands known as the Pearl of the Orient Seas - a perfectly challenging experience as you go snorkeling, scuba diving or simply strolling along secluded beach coves, coral gardens, natural attractions of towering rocks island and mountain trails dramatic landscapes and fiestas... 

A tropical paradise just within your reach, explore the ocean, see marine life, island hop, and go caving in Mabinay.... Get intimate with the wonders under the sea
Our Rooms are laid back, cozy, a homey sanctuary with an ocean View. A beautiful lookout for the ocean, sunrise, sunset while standing at the terrace
Activities:

Short Diving

Middle Diving

Long Diving

Snorkeling / Skin Diving

Dolphin/ Whale Watching

Mountain Climbing

Island Hopping

City Tour

Caving

Golf

Corals & Fish

Water Falls Tour
Services Offered:

Massage

Reflexology

Swedish massage

Aromatherapy

Shiatsu

Manicure

Pedicure
Sample our chefs Japanese, Filipino and other continental cuisine at the restaurant.
Planning a wedding can be highly stressful, so taking a honeymoon vacation is a great way to unwind after the big day is over.
Let someone else look after you and cater to your every whim. The hardest part will be picking the destination - there are so many romantic places to choose from! It never hurts to let people know you're on your honeymoon once you arrive at your destination!

Marine Village Dive House

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Transportation

     Tourists can reach the town through an approximately 3 ½ -hour bus of vehicle-for-hire ride from Cebu City. These vehicles are available every hour at the Cebu South Bus Terminal. Tricycles, trisikads, and motorcycles for hire to take care of the tourists around the town.                                       

Getting There?

ROUTES	MEAN S OF TRANSPORTATION	Capacity	Accessibility	Fares*
CSBT-South	Buses (aircon)	66(max)	CSBT (Cebu South Bus Terminal)	P100-P160
CSBT-South	Buses(non-aircon)	66(max)	CSBT (Cebu South Bus Terminal)	P85-P110
CSBT-South	Mini Buses	40(max)	CSBT (Cebu South Bus Terminal)	P70-P100
*Fares vary depending on the destination point.

Have the chance to meet and greet the people of

Municipality of Santander.

“Tara na Bai!”

View Larger Map


Map of Cebu showing the location of Municipality of Santander.

Barangays in the Municipality of Santander

Santander Municipality is administratively subdivided into 10 Barangays.
Bunlan	Cabutongan	Kandamiang
Liloan	Lip-tong	Looc
Pasil	Poblacion	Canlumacad
Talisay