Having formed as a primeval trading harbor way back in the 16th century, Cebu has urbanized into the city around which the southern part of the Philippines gyrates, with becoming a center on itinerary to many truly dramatic tourist spots on both the ample outer isles, and elsewhere on Cebu Island. Aside from the bone-deep surges that infuse the metropolis through in the summer, Cebu is usually a warm, sunny spot which soars around 30 degrees for most of the year and has become an alluring blend of the lavish and the affordable, all infused in with the chance to indulge in the tropical local milieu. Perhaps the city’s most stimulating tourist draw is the colossal 16th century Basilica of Santo Nino, an exciting church with its own flamboyant patio, and home to a figurine of the Holy Child that dates back to 1521.