score:6
There isn't swimming, not in Cebu City itself. The Cebu City waterfront is on reclaimed land that forms Cebu International Port along the Mactan Channel, the narrow strait between Cebu and Mactan islands. It is the largest domestic port in the Philippines and, as is typical, is lined with ferry ports and passenger terminals, docks, piers, shipping yards, tankers, storage, etc.
It is outside of Cebu City proper that you find the gorgeous natural beaches of which this nation of more than 7,000 islands is so justifiably proud.
For proximity, nearest is Mactan Island, connected to mainland Cebu by two bridges (Mandaue-Mactan Bridge and Marcelo Fernan Bridge), and just a few kilometers from the city proper. There, you'll find several public beaches, both in Lapu-Lapu: Maribago (Pajac-Maribago Road) and Vano (Marigondon Beach Road).
As for public beaches on Cebu, the web site of the island, Sugbo.ph, shares these (and a wealth of other resources):
Upvote:0
The beaches within Cebu City aren't good for public swimming since they're being too industrialized (lots of ports in the area). The best beaches are mostly found in South Cebu. I recommend going to Lambug Beach (Badian) or Basdaku in Moalboal. This is about 2 hours away from Cebu City.