Zamboanga City is the 3rd largest city by land area in the Philippines. Though huge, there's not much to wander here. But, contrary to popular belief, this city is Peaceful in general. There are some annoying stuffs like overpriced fares by tricycle drivers (charge are higher than taxis in Manila), demanding beggars (they choose what they want to receive as alms) and extremely gross citizens that treat the place as if it's their huge trash can (spits almost everywhere).

Gross.

Anyway, I'm not here to tell those dark side but to enumerate the good places to be and to see. As of July 2011, these are the Hang-out Destinations:

1.    Sta. Cruz Island – there are two Sta. Cruz island(s): first is the Small Island where Marines and Navy used to practice (they say) and second, is the Great Island  where tourists can visit via the city’s Tourism Department. If you want to go there you have to book a trip with Department of Tourism located in Lantaka Hotel. Actually, the islands don’t exactly have white sands. Rather, they have pinkish sands that, for me, looked like crushed crustaceans. If you want to learn more about this place, visit Kuya Jerome Locson’s blog.

2.    Paseo del Mar – one of the most visited place in the city because they don’t have anywhere else to go at night. This place has different food stalls and restos.Our favorite place to stay here is in Palmeras.

3.    La Vista del Mar – a beach resort where you can unwind. The place is nice but the beach is not my type - it’s too rocky. There are cottages in this resort, restaurants and function rooms. You may also stay overnight.

4.    Las Palmas – newest destination! Check out my post here.

5.    Woodland Resort – a well – maintained pool resort with very delicious food. This place is spacious and you could do different activities like Horse – back riding, kayaking or cycling. Check out my post here.

6.    Ecozone Free Port -  a newly developed place, our next destination this month! For more info check out this post.

Other places are:
Golf Beach Resort
Lutong Bahay Resort
Virnell Farm Resort

These are the only authentic places I know where you can chill out in Zamboanga City. The rest are either not available for the public, not well - maintained or closed. :)