Esoy Hot Spring

Esoy Hot Spring sits in a jungle canyon above Catmon, where geothermal pools collect in a stream cut through the highland limestone. Cebu has no active volcanoes — unlike Negros, home to Kanlaon just across the strait — so warm-water springs here are generally attributed to heat rising along fault lines rather than volcanic activity, which makes a spot like this a small geological anomaly on an otherwise cool, forested slope. The trek in is short but uneven, cutting through canyon forest before reaching the pools.

• The mineral water runs warm rather than hot, and is used the way springs are traditionally used across the islands — to soothe muscles after a day of travel or trekking.
• The trail to the springs is short but requires sturdy footwear for the rocky sections.
• Private cottages by the water can be booked; arriving early on weekends improves the odds of getting one.

Explore More in Moalboal and Southwest Cebu

• Tuble Marine Sanctuary
• San Roque Hot Spring
• Lake Pingganon