Top Attractions in Vigan City: UNESCO Heritage Highlights
Travel back in time to the Philippine’s Spanish colonial era and learn more about the Philippine’s history in Vigan city, the capital of a northern province called Ilocos Sur. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site where old Spanish colonial houses and its original town layout are preserved.
Our Trip to Vigan: From Quezon Province to Manila and Manila to Vigan
My family and I, together with my relatives, went to Vigan city in December of 2021 for a post-Christmas vacation. We hired a driver and rented his van. From Quezon province, we drove north to Manila, where we stayed for an overnight rest. The following day, our relatives joined us in the van and headed further north to Vigan. The land trip from Manila to Vigan lasted 12 hours with moderate flow of traffic. There were only a few gas stations along the way so do bring food and drinks for the long ride and seize the chance to go to the toilet whenever it is available.
Stay in Fiesta Garden Hotel
We booked our stay at Fiesta Garden Hotel days before leaving for Vigan. My mom’s friend is a sort of co-owner there. But our stay was not free or discounted; our accommodations was paid in full. I mention this not to brag but for the sake of disclosure in this blog.
As any hospitable friend would do, on our arrival for our first night in the city, my mom’s friend welcomed us at her home in Vigan where a free—and delicious—Ilocano dinner awaited us. After the dinner and a few hours of chitchat, we left and spent the following nights and days in the hotel and in going around Vigan. My mom’s friend also provided us with a local tour guide, who in turn made our tour itinerary. But to get to the tourist spots in Vigan, we still used our privately hired driver and rented van.
Our Hotel in Vigan: Fiesta Garden Hotel
Our stay at Fiesta Garden Hotel
We stayed at Fiesta Garden Hotel located along a main road. It is less than 5 minutes away by drive from Vigan’s town center.
The hotel was safe, with clean, classy, and spacious rooms. The doors of the rooms were designed with intricate and colorful wood carvings detailing different Filipino customs. Our accommodation included a free breakfast usually composed of rice, vegetables, egg, and an Ilocano dish as viand. Their staff were very accommodating and respectful.
Their facility included a pool, a fitness center, a restaurant, a banquet hall, a spa and an open lawn garden. There was a free and safe parking space for their guests.
Fiesta Garden Hotel, an Ideal Hotel for a Group travel
This hotel offers a room for group travelers. It provides a barkada room best for 4 or more people. The price is very affordable per person per night.
For their guests, this hotel offers the option to find a knowledgeable local tour guide who can share information and accompany you to the different tourist spots in Vigan.
The Tourist Attractions in Vigan as a Historic Site
Vigan is a typical 16th century Spanish colonial town where the town center is composed of a plaza (Plaza Burgos), a church (St. Paul’s Cathedral), and a few government buildings (the Provincial Capitol and the City Hall).
From the town center, you will notice that the nearby streets are lined with well-preserved Spanish colonial houses and the best example of these is the street called Calle Crisologo.
The most important historic tourist attractions in Vigan are within walking distance of each other at the town center. I highly recommend visiting this place, so you can cover most of the must-visit sites in Vigan in a short period of time.
Most of us in our group that time have traveled to the different tourist attractions in Vigan during a prior trip so we opted to visit the town center at night this time around. We wanted to avoid the midday heat and see the nighttime activities at the town center, something we have not done in the past.
Vigan’s St. Paul Cathedral
This Cathedral started as a humble church made of wood in the 16th century, initiated by a conquistador of Vigan. It was eventually turned into a baroque church in the 18th century.
The church was already closed by the time we got there so I don’t have a photo of its interior.
The Plaza in Vigan’s Town Center: Plaza Burgos
Plaza Burgos is a memorial park dedicated to Padre Jose Burgos. He was a martyr priest executed in the 19th century alongside 2 other priests; their group was called GomBurZa. They were executed on charges of subversion against Spanish authorities, related to a mutiny that happened in Luzon’s southern province of Cavite. Padre Jose Burgos also fought for equal recognition of Filipino priests during the Spanish colonial period.
I don’t have a good quality picture of Plaza Burgos as it was already too dark when we arrived at the plaza. But to describe, you will find a statue of the priest in the middle of the plaza with inscriptions about his life. To learn more about the priest, you can also visit Padre Burgos Museum, which I will share more about in the next paragraphs.
Vigan’s Calle Crisologo
Visiting Calle Crisologo is a walk along a softly lit cobbled street, lined with well-preserved sixteenth century Spanish colonial houses. These houses were formerly owned by the rich and influential Filipino-Chinese families of the 16-19th century Vigan, called the mestizos.
Nowadays, the first floors of the houses have been converted into stores and food places where both tourists and locals can shop for souvenirs or dine for meals.
Calle Crisologo has a romantic vibe. It can be tempting to wear a set of dress and heels for your Instagram photos but, I highly discourage this because it is a cobbled stone street; it would be difficult and unsafe to walk around in heels. It will be best to wear comfortable footwear to enjoy the stroll.
Calle Crisologo was lively with people enjoying their time either dining or shopping during our visit. As a tip, I encourage you to walk all the way to the end of this street, where you can find a quiet place to take photos without the crowd and noise like we did.
An Interesting Fact about Vigan City
In Vigan, we noticed the buildings of large fast-food chains like McDonald’s and Jollibee designed also like an old Spanish colonial house. Apparently, there is a local ordinance in Vigan where businesses must design their establishments like a Spanish colonial building to preserve the heritage style of the city.
Two of the Many Different Museums in Vigan
Padre Burgos Museum
Parde Burgos Museum is believed to be where Padre Burgos grew up along with his siblings. Because of this house’s relation to the martyred priest, it was declared a historic building, preserved, and converted into a museum.
This museum was closed at the time of our visit. Like I said, it wasn’t our first time, so it didn’t bother us to have missed it.
The Old Carcel Museum
The Old Carcel Museum displays the Basi Revolt gallery and Pres. Elpidio Quirino’s memorabilia.
I should warn you that the Basi Revolt gallery displays some paintings with violence, showing the dark events in history, so if violent displays upset you, I suggest that you skip this gallery altogether.
In another area is a display of Pres. Elpidio Quirino’s memorabilia. Judging from his clothes, he’s not as tall and big as I pictured him to be. However, I’m still impressed with his credentials as he is a graduate of law from the University of the Philippines. His diplomas are displayed alongside his other collections of shoes, hats, and canes.
To End…
So those are some of the heritage places that we saw during our trip to this UNESCO Heritage Site . To be surrounded by Spanish Colonial houses is always fun, just to feel like you are living back in the Philippines’ Spanish times.
Other Tourist Attractions in Vigan city
There are still many other types of tourist attractions in Vigan. If you’re interested in craftmanship in loom-weaving and pottery-making then check the link to my post. Another family-friendly tourist attraction is Baluarte, a zoo where both children and adults can enjoy interacting with animals.
Must-Try Food in Vigan city
Ilocos Sur, just like many other provinces in the Philippines, offer many delicious local food dishes but my personal favorites are the Vigan longganisa and the Vigan empanada, both of which I will share on a future blog post.
