Catmon: North Cebu's Mountain, Springs, and Millet Cake

Catmon is a municipality on the north-central east coast of Cebu, 57 kilometres from Cebu City, fronting the Camotes Sea. It borders Sogod to the north, Carmen to the south, and Tuburan across the island’s spine to the west — a town of coastal barangays backed by a rugged, forested interior. Its appeal is outdoor and rural: a mountain worth climbing, spring-fed water, and a distinctive local delicacy, on a stretch of coast most travellers pass through on the way further north.

The standout is Mount Capayas, also called Tore Peak — Cebu’s second-highest summit, in barangay Cambangkaya, and a recognised Key Biodiversity Area. It is the town’s headline draw for hikers, best done with a local guide. Beyond the peak, Catmon is known for its hot springs and waterfalls in the upland barangays, and for budbod kabog, a suman made from millet (kabog) that the town celebrates in the Budbod Kabog Festival, tied to its 10 February fiesta for St. William the Hermit. Together they make Catmon a nature-and-food stop for travellers who want the interior rather than the beach.

Catmon suits hikers headed for Cebu’s second-highest peak and travellers after hot springs, waterfalls, and a genuine local delicacy away from the tourist trail. It doesn’t suit anyone after resorts or nightlife; the appeal is rugged and rural, and the mountain trailheads want a guide.

What’s here, briefly

• Mount Capayas (Tore Peak) — Cebu’s second-highest summit, a Key Biodiversity Area in barangay Cambangkaya; the town’s headline hike.
• Hot springs — the therapeutic spring-fed pools in the upland barangays, a soothing counterpoint to the climb.
• Waterfalls — the falls of Catmon’s forested interior, a draw for nature travellers.
• Budbod kabog — the millet-suman delicacy celebrated in the Budbod Kabog Festival, tied to the 10 February fiesta.
• The Camotes Sea coast — the coastal barangays on the quieter north-central shore.

At a glance

How to get to Catmon

Ceres bus from Cebu North Bus Terminal

Catmon is about a two-hour bus ride north from the Cebu North Bus Terminal along the national highway — the same east-coast corridor that runs through Carmen to the south and continues north past Sogod. Motorcycles or habal-habal are the practical way to reach the mountain trailheads and the upland springs from the highway.

Getting around

The coastal barangays sit on the highway, but Mount Capayas, the hot springs, and the waterfalls are inland in the forested interior toward the Tuburan border — budget onward local transport and, for the climb, a guide from the barangay hall.

What to do in Catmon

Climb Mount Capayas (Tore Peak)

Cebu’s second-highest peak, in barangay Cambangkaya, is the town’s signature hike and a Key Biodiversity Area. Hire a local guide from the barangay hall for the safest and most scenic route, and favour the dry months, when the trails are firmer.

Hot springs and waterfalls

Catmon’s upland barangays hold hot springs and waterfalls — a natural pairing with a morning climb, and the town’s low-key nature draw. Facilities are simple; confirm access and any local arrangements on the ground.

Budbod kabog

For something to take away, budbod kabog — a suman made from millet — is the town’s culinary specialty, celebrated in the Budbod Kabog Festival tied to the 10 February fiesta for St. William the Hermit. Buy it fresh from the local market.

Where to stay in Catmon

Catmon is a rural nature stop with limited accommodation of its own — most travellers visit on a day trip or fold it into a northern run, basing in the metro or one of the larger northern towns. For a Metro base within reach of the northern corridor, see the best hotels in Cebu City.

Practical realities

Payment: cash. As a rural north-central town, banking and card facilities are limited; carry pesos.

Connectivity: workable along the coastal highway; thinner in the upland barangays and on the mountain.

Timing: the December–May dry window is safest for the Mount Capayas climb and the waterfalls; the wet months make the trails slick and the falls heavier.

Hire a guide: for Mount Capayas, arrange a local guide from the barangay hall — this is rugged terrain, not a marked tourist trail.

Other places to consider

• Sogod — the bordering beach-resort town to the north on the Camotes Sea.
• Carmen — the bordering town to the south, home of the Cebu Safari park.
• Tuburan — the coffee-and-springs town across the island’s spine to the west.
• Camotes Islands — the island group out in the Camotes Sea that Catmon faces.
• Cebu Island — the province overview and how the north-central coast fits the wider island.

Location, distances, and local detail reflect publicly available information as of 2026-07-15. Confirm trail access and guide arrangements locally before travel. cebu.tips earns a commission on bookings made through partner links at no cost to you.