Sirao Peak

Sirao Peak, also called Mt. Kan-Irag, rises above Cebu City’s Busay uplands as one of the more accessible day hikes in the metro — a couple of hours up through farmland and forest edge to a grassy summit with the city laid out below. The trail crosses land inside the Central Cebu Protected Landscape, the watershed that supplies a good share of the metro’s water, part of why the upper slopes stay forested this close to a city of nearly a million. Farms lower down the trail grow much of the corn and root crops sold in Cebu City’s public markets — a reminder the highlands are working land before they’re a hiking destination.

Most hikers time the climb for sunrise or sunset, when the haze over the city thins and the ridgelines stand out clearly. Camping at the summit is common enough that it draws regular weekend traffic; check trail conditions before heading up.

• Trek through farmland, stream crossings, and forest edge to the grassy summit.
• Camp overnight at the top if trail conditions allow it.
• Best light for city-and-highland photos comes at sunrise or sunset.

Explore More in Central Cebu Highlands and Metro Fringe

• Mt. Mago
• Himbabawod Falls
• Campo 7 Forest