The life of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, whose 16th-century voyage for Spain was the first to circumnavigate the globe, took a tragic turn in 1521 when he was killed waging battle with the local populace in Cebu, Philippines. Today's explorers will receive a more friendly welcome in Cebu and can walk in the navigator's steps without trepidation.Cebu, the oldest city in the Philippines and the second largest behind Manila, constitutes a thriving metropolis of over three million people. Yet, southern Cebu retains a more provincial, less frenetic quality than the northern hub of Manila.
