I have booked a week at the Crown Regency Suites on Mactan Island (Cebu Philippines) the 1st week of January 2012. Since our hotel is not located directly on the beach, my girlfriend and I would like to know about beach access on Mactan. Are there public beaches available or is it all privately owned by the major resorts and residents? Also, are the public beaches safe for tourists? If there is no beach public access, can a person pay a fee to access the resort beaches? We are very interested in renting a Nipa Hut on the beach for the day, as we've seen these in pictures from there.

Any information you can offer would be greatly appreciated and I thank you in advance for your time and thoughtfulness in responding to my inquiry. Salamat po!!