Simala Shrine, The Hidden Gem of Cebu Island

Simala Shrine, also known as Monastery of the Holy Eucharist or Our Lady of Lindogon Shrine, is a beautiful place in Cebu, Philippines. I would call Simala Shrine one of the hidden germs of Cebu Island because no tourists I met on the way were aware of it and none of the tourists had it on their itinerary. You wouldn’t expect the construction such as Simala Shrine to exist in a small village in the middle of Cebu Island. Simala Shrine is popular with locals, but as a place to pray, not a tourist attraction. To be honest, I also found it randomly, I was sitting in my hotel, looking at the map of Cebu Island, zooming in and out on the map and eventually I came across Simala Shrine, I looked at the photos and realized that this was the place I really wanted to visit! Next morning I had breakfast and started on my journey to Simala Shrine. Cebu Island has busses circling the island and the guard at my hotel helped me to hop on one. I was enjoying the scenery and looking at the map in my phone so I don’t miss the bus stop. Upon arrival, I realized it was still half an hour walk to Simala Shrine and it was really hot outside, but luckily there were tricycles for hire by the road, I told the driver where I needed to go and I was there in no time. When I finally got to Simala Shrine, I couldn’t believe my eyes, the place was astonishing and magnificent. The building complex was a masterpiece of architecture residing in the rural area of Philippines. There were many locals, most of them were standing in line to see the statue of Mary. I spent more than an hour wondering around and admiring architecture of Simala Shrine. I was all alone with no one to take my photo, it was truly a special experience to me. I love architecture, and being there made me feel extremely happy and special. Enjoy your trip to the magnificent Simala Shrine 😊 #solotravel #philippines #cebu #simalashrine #awesomepic #summervacation