Cebu’s sugar bowl town zips ahead with island thrills, eco-adventure

FUNTASTIC MEDELLIN

A walkway connects the beach to Gibitngil Island where colorful cottages draw visitors. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)

Eco-adventure and beach outings at affordable rates are giving Medellin town a new reputation as a fun destination in north Cebu.

It was the first in Cebu to offer skybicycle rides – a fusion of zipline thrill on a real bike 135 feet in the air – which  opened on Valentine’s Day.

“Enjoyment doesn’t have to be expensive.  We don’t charge a lot because the facilities are managed by the local government,” said Mayor Ricardo Ramirez.

White sand beaches and coral reefs are also being showcased with colorful cottages on the shore and the island barangay of Gibitngil.

Medellin is finding out that its natural assets are a way for the town to recover from the calamity of super typhoon Yolanda which  flattened 90 percent of the houses  in November 2013 and killed  four persons.

“We’ve always been known as a sleepy agricultural town,” said tourism officer Gyles Anthony Villamor.

“More than 60 percent of the land is used for sugarcane.  Economy-wise we can’t compete with our neighbors so we decided to focus on adventure tourism.”

A ride on the cable, zipline or skybicycle is easy on the pocket at P50 to P100 per person.

The adrenaline rush starts 135 feet from the ground in the “Zipaway” in barangay Caputatan, Medellin municipality where you can get it in a harness or riding a bicycle. (CDN PHOTO/ LITO TECSON)

FUN ISLAND

Medellin town is 120 kilometers north of Cebu City, a three-hour bus ride from the Cebu North  Bus Terminal in Mandaue city.

One of its surprises is Gibitngil Island, which used to be known as Isla de Amparo, named after the only daughter of its former owner, Don Pedro Rodriguez.

The  island with its white sand beaches and a sandbar is connected to the mainland by a footbridge.

On top of one peak are multi-colored cottages that inspired its new name  – “Funtastic Island”.

At the highest point of the rocks, a diving board challenges  visitors to take a 30-foot leap into the island’s cool waters. The cliff jump was voted “adventure of the year” by a TV magazine show in 2014.

During summer months of March, April and May, coastal waters are calm, the best time of the year to visit.

“I had the cottages built in 2011 as Bantay Dagat (seawatch) outposts because it was facing the Tañon Strait.  But when people saw the huts, they came, thinking we were putting up a resort,” said Mayor Rodriguez.

A year later, the municipality started  accepting paying guests.

“I never thought it would end up a best-seller.”

“I don’t care if revenues are only enough to take care of the  maintenance for as long as there is economic activity,” said the mayor.

Ramirez said he’s happy that pump boat owners and vendors get to earn from the visitor traffic.

Entrance fee is  P10.  Cottage rental is P200 to P300 each.

DISCOVERY REEF

Nature lovers can  go snorkeling and explore the Discovery Reef or take a cruise along the Dagusungan River and its  man-made Canal.

The 4.4-kilometer reef on the east coast  is  home to a variety of coral species – brain, leaf, plate and sheet corals – including sea plumes and fans.

The municipal government offers a  travel package for groups to visit Medellin. For P2, 500 per person, one can stay overnight at an inn, have free meals and a day tour of Medellin’s eco-adventure sites, said Dester Diola, municipal tour guide.

A bus or van will pick up  guests up from their origin and bring them to Medellin town.

PUBLIC BEACH

Guests who prefer to stay inland can book seaside and floating cottages in the town’s public beach called  the “Hideaway” about eight kilometers from the municipal hall.

Painted again in bright colors, the cottages are ideal for families and big gatherings. Rental is P1,000 to P1,500 each. A P10 entrance fee is collected.

Beach visitors can go swimming, snorkeling, kayaking and ride jet skis.

A 500-meter bamboo walkway from the mainland would bring guests to cottages built on top of a rock that spouts water.

At night,  more than 100 lights illumine the walkway which was built in January 2009.

RIVER CANAL

A more serene site is Medellin’s man-made waterway built during the Spanish period.

The Dayhagon Canal spans  1.5 kilometers and connects to the town’s eastern and western seaboards. A banca or kayak ride through its mangrove forest will show birds nesting in its branches.

The Dagusungan River is becoming a favorite spot for boat cruises. The chirping of birds accompanies the traveler down 5 kilometers from barangay Caputatan Norte to the Poblacion and back.

OUTDOOR THRILLS

Outdoor adventures against the backdrop of sky and hills can be found in barangay Caputatan Norte.

This is where the zipline, skybicycle, cable car and Tarzan Jump offer thrills.

Except for the skybicyle ride which goes for P100 per person, the other rides only cost P50 each.

The municipality started the adventure rides in 2010 with the zipline. More cables were added later for a cable car ride.

The operation takes place between two concrete posts on hills 120 meters apart.

More daring visitors line up for the Tarzan jump, a 15-foot free-fall from a platform set on the edge of a cliff, which opened in 2011.

At the end of the leap, a jumper, who is strapped to a safety harness, swings like a pendulum three to four times before he finally lands back safely on the platform.

The eco-adventure offerings have landed Medellin in the Department of Tourism’s (DOT)  2014 list of Most Visited Local Government Units in Central Visayas for the municipal level.

Medellin is the 10th most visited municipality.

The place called the “Zipaway” is open  9 a.m. to 6 p.m. all week during summer and semester breaks. During school season, it operates on weekdays.

Three cottages are available for free for visitors who just come by for a breath of fresh air.

What’s next?

On Medellin’s drawing board are plans for a “sky-trisikad”, a bicyle with side car speedling along a zipline

“We don’t stop learning and innovating because adventure tourism is in,” said Diola,  the town’s tourism officer.