Melo Villareal
Mati City Travel Guide
The small coastal city of Mati may be quieter compared to the other bigger cities in the country but it certainly is gaining popularity due to its beautiful beaches. There are not a lot of attractions available in the city center but you can head to Dahican beach, about 10 kilometers away, so you can surf, skim and swim the entire day.
How to Get There
Via Bus:
Most people visit Mati from Davao City. You can take a 2-3 hour van ride from GMall, for P200-P220 each. You may also opt to ride a bus at the Ecoland Terminal, for P250-280, and endure a 3-4 hour ride.
Where to Stay
Baywalk Hotel
This no-nonsense accommodation is just 5-minute walk from Mati City’s boardwalk. It has a friendly staff and a reliable internet connection at the lobby. However, its rooms and hallways are a little dark and dingy and, although undergoing renovation, still needs a lot of upgrading. Standard double rooms are at P650 and deluxe rooms are at P800.
Book via Agoda
Address: Burgos Street, Mati City, Davao Oriental
Hotel Beatrice
This hotel offers two floors of accommodation and commercial establishments at the ground floor. Their rooms are spacious with huge beds and a refrigerator; wi-fi is strong only at the second floor. Be sure to take the room near the windows to get a view of the downtown area. Rooms are priced at P672 a night.
Book via Agoda
Address: Bonifacio Street, Mati City, Davao Oriental
Mati Citi Lodge
Located right inside the terminal is this simple air-conditioned lodging which also offers hot and cold showers, cable TV and Internet access. Room rates are at P500/night for single beds and P800/night for double beds.
Book via Agoda
Address: Madang Terminal, Mati City, Davao Oriental
Lane’s Katulganan
A rather popular place to stay in Mati City, Lane’s Katulganan has two branches. Both offer spacious and clean rooms right in the city’s downtown area. Room rates are at P500/night for single beds and P800/night for double beds.
Book via Agoda
Address: Bonifacio Street, Mati City, Davao Oriental
Villa Merced Hotel
This Spanish-style house provides cozy yet spacious accommodations and affordable rates and is located in the downtown area. Its upgraded rooms are pegged at P1000 a night while the non-renovated ones are at P500 (single) and P600 (matrimonial).
Book via Agoda
Address: Bonifacio Street, Mati City, Davao Oriental
Dahican Surf Resort
For those traveling in groups, Dahican Surf Resort is a great place to go. They not only offer instructors and boards so you can level up your skills with the waves, they also have native huts with fans for just P2000 per night — and that can already accommodate five people inside.
Book via Agoda
Address: Mati City, Davao Oriental
Amihan sa Dahican
If you have little budget and do not mind roughing it out, you can opt to stay at the Amihan sa Dahican. There are no cottages or rooms here; they only provide tent space for P100 a night. And, if you are lucky enough, you might just be able to borrow one of their boards (surfboard, skimboard, body board), so you can practice your skills with the waves. This place is also home to the Amihan Boys, who have won several international awards in the sport of skimboarding.
Book via Agoda
Address: Mati City, Davao Oriental
Where to Eat
Lane’s Kan-anan
Located right across Lane’s Katulganan is the Kan-anan, which is a popular haunt for those looking for great food and great ambiance. They offer native meals at pretty reasonable rates.
Address: Bonifacio Street, Mati, Davao City
Paseo de Mati
When strolling around the baywalk area, you can immediately find this mini food park located right across the baywalk gates. It offers several food stalls at very affordable prices. The place is clean and they offer free water, too.
Address: Quezon Street, Mati City, Davao Oriental
Seaside Restaurant
For the best-tasting empanada and lumpia with ubod, be sure to drop by this unassuming food place located right in front of Mati City’s Baywalk area. You can also get your fill of delicious seafood dishes here.
Address: Quezon Street, Mati City, Davao Oriental
Popular Attractions
Subangan Museum
This two-storey museum is located on a 1000-square-meter property. Subangan comes from the Bisaya word subang, which means sunrise. The most impressive display in the entire museum is the 53-foot, 20-ton fossilized remain of Davor the sperm whale who was found along the coast of General Generoso. Davor is the 7th largest whale exhibit in the world and the first in the entire Philippines.
Address: Surigao-Davao Coastal Road, Mati City, Davao Oriental
Baywalk
The Mati City baywalk is a very popular spot for hanging out among the locals. The place is gated but it is huge and rather lively at night. It is also home to the famous “I <3 Mati” sign. Right outside the baywalk are lines of stores selling ukay-ukay, food and many more.
Address: Quezon Street, Mati City, Davao Oriental
Provincial Capitol Building of Davao Oriental
Also known as the White House, the Provincial Capitol of Davao Oriental is a 3-storey building which houses several provincial government offices as well as national government agencies. It has a very strategic location in that it is found at the top of Capitol Hills, overlooking Pujada Bay. Aside from the offices, the complex also features a park, a playground and basketball and tennis courts. Local residents as well as tourists in Mati City love strolling around the area.
Address: Capitol Hills, Barangay Central, Mati City, Davao Oriental
Dahican Beach
Dahican beach is considered as the skimboarding capital in Davao and, perhaps, in the entire country and for good reason. The 17-kilometer long shoreline is nothing but sand and water and, when the season is right, you can even catch a wave here. The length of the beach is lined with resorts and camp sites perfect for all types of budget.
Address: Mati, Davao Oriental
Ultralight Plane
Another must-not-miss activity to do in Mati City is riding an ultra light plane. Depending on your level of preferred adventure, you can opt to ride on an open aircraft or a closed one. You can even opt to skydive from the plane and land on Dahican Beach.
This Mati City Travel Guide is a work in progress article 🙂 We will constantly update this post as soon as we have new details to add. Please feel free to suggest new things to do, places to see and food to try in Mati City by posting a comment below. Thank You!
