Vigan

A fun throwback to colonial days are the calesa horse-drawn carriages that still clip-clop through Vigan's streets. Rates for calesa rides should be the same as those for the many tricycles (₱8-10 within the city limits) that will undoubtedly by vying for your custom. But you could also hire a private calesa for around ₱150 per hour. Unless you're absolutely sure you have a tour guide that will give you in depth information about the sites you're visiting, A whole day calesa adventure for about ₱1000 (roughly 6-7 hours) would be advisable. You can take your time visiting the sites and not being rushed by a guide, as well as picking and choosing the areas you want to visit.

The Historic Town of Vigan is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

• 🌍 Mestizo District. offers a wonderful glimpse into the Philippines' colonial past. The ancestral houses were mostly built by Chinese traders using a mixture of local, Asian and Spanish architectural styles. Movie fans recognize the streets from the movie Born on the Fourth of July. If someone looks closely, there are still evidence left from the shooting, e.g. signs in Spanish but hastily and thinly painted over with white paint. (updated Oct 2020)
• 🌍 St. Paul's Metropolitan Cathedral. Built by Augustinians around 1790, this cathedral features a unique design intended to minimize earthquake damage, called "earthquake baroque". Look out for the brass communion handrails forged in China, complete with Chinese characters scrawled by its ancient installers (if you look closely). The eight-sided bell tower is just south of the cathedral. Its position was actually the safety measure of the earthquake baroque style: it was built separately from the church so that it would not topple into the church in the event of an earthquake. Its eight-sided design reflects its Chinese feng-shui influences. If you look closely inside the cathedral, you can find the tombstone of the great Ilocano poet Leona Florentino (in the column near the entrance facing Plaza Burgos). Admission free. (updated Apr 2018)
• Just adjacent to the Cathedral is the Archbishop's Palace of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia, which dates from the 16th century during the Spanish era - the oldest archbishop's residence still in use in the Philippines. It was completed in 1793 after 7 years of construction. It features sliding capiz windows and cut-out decorations with floral motifs. It has a back entrance that leads to the nearby Govantes Dike. The palace has a collection of priceless ecclesiastical artifacts and relics from other Ilocos churches.
• Govantes Dike is a body of water connected to the Archbishop's Palace which was once a docking port for water craft. It is now a place for boating, similar to the lake in Burnham Park in Baguio.
• 🌍 Plaza Salcedo (Luneta Park Musical Dancing Fountain), Quezon Avenue corner Burgos Street. 7AM–7:30PM. west of the cathedral features a 17th-century monument to Juan de Salcedo, and was also the site of resistance leader Gabriela Silang's public hanging in 1763. Also within the site at the lagoon is the Vigan Dancing Fountain. This Korean-engineered attraction is the first of its kind in the country, and rivals the Bellagio Water Fountains in Las Vegas, Nevada. Free. (updated Oct 2020)
• 🌍 National Museum/Padre Burgos House. Open from 8:30AM to 11:30AM then 1:30PM to 4:30PM. also known as the Ayala Museum, this showcases the memorabilia of martyred priest Jose Burgos. Behind the house is the national museum (formerly the Ilocos Sur Provincial Jail), housing other ethnic and Ilocano artifacts such as artifacts, weapons, kitchen utensils, basketry, costumes, jewellery and Burgos memorabilia. There are also some dioramas showing important events in the history of Ilocos Sur, and a mini library. It just so happens to be where the Philippines' first Ilocano president, the late Pres. Elpidio Quirino, was born. admission fee is ₱10 for adult and ₱5 for 12 years old and below. (updated Oct 2020)
• 🌍 Plaza Burgos. is a favorite hang out for locals and is also used for staging major public events. It has also food stalls selling local snacks, especially the empanada. It is next to Vigan Cathedral and dedicated to the memory of Father Jose Burgos. Depending on the weather, the streets surrounding it (except for the street adjacent to the Empanadaan) are closed off to motorized traffic every Saturday and Sunday to allow people to walk the streets freely. It is a popular skateboarding venue among the locals. (updated Oct 2020)
• 🌍 Crisologo Museum. used to be the home of the late Congressman Floro Crisologo and wife Carmeling, former governor of Ilocos Sur. It contains memorabilia of the late congressman. (updated Oct 2020)
• 🌍 Syquia Mansion, Quirino Boulevard, ☏ +63 77 674 1643. Used to be the Vigan residence of President Elpidio Quirino. There are memorabilia inside the residence, including a campaign portrait of Quirino. (updated Apr 2018)
• 🌍 Calle Crisologo. It is what Vigan City is known for — streets lined with Spanish Era ancestral houses (with ancient tile roofs, massive hardwood floors, balustrades and azoteas in varying Spanish, Mexican, and Chinese architectural styles) and cobblestone streets, which led to Vigan's inscription in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Tourists can buy souvenirs or even ride a calesa (horse-drawn buggy). This street is also known as Vigan Heritage Village. (updated May 2016)
• 🌍 Barangay Pagpartian. Where the great conquistador Juan de Salcedo landed when he arrived in Vigan through the Mestizo River. Also the site of the city slaughterhouse, built during the Spanish Era (for which the barangay is named). (updated May 2016)
• 🌍 Hidden Garden (Barrio Bulala). A wonderland of greenery, with a mini-snack bar nestled in the middle. (updated May 2016)
• 🌍 Quema House. The residence of the Quema family, considered by sociologist Fernando Zialcita as most representative of 18th-century Philippine architectural style. (updated May 2016)
• 🌍 Mindoro Beach. The only seaside location in the city, just adjacent to Vigan Airport. (updated May 2016)
• 🌍 Simbaan A Bassit, Quezon Avenue. This cemetery chapel found at the southern end of Quezon Avenue has a bell-gable design, the only one of its kind in the Ilocos Region. The chapel's name is an Ilocano term meaning "small church." (updated May 2016)

• 🌍 Donato House, De Los Reyes Street. Ancestral house. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Museo Nueva Segovia, Bishop's Palace, N. Segovia Street. 8:30AM–4PM. (updated Sep 2023)

• Take a swim at the nearby Mindoro Beach Resort.
• Visit Baluarte, the governor's fortress. It also features a mini zoo with exotic animals and you can get a free ride with the small horses. It is also a popular venue for special events such as seminars and conferences. The Baluarte is owned by former Ilocos Sur Governor Chavit Singson.
• Try your hand at pottery. Vigan's Pagburnayan makes burnay jars which are made of carabao-kneaded clay and fire-blasted in a huge kiln.
• Ride a calesa, a horse-drawn carriage, around Vigan and the surrounding towns.
• Witness old women weave abel at Camangaan.
• Visit St. Augustine Church in nearby Bantay and climb up its belfry to get a breath-taking view of the town.
• Join the Viva Vigan, Kannawidan, and Binatbatan Festivals when it happens.
• Try the Heritage River Tour, with its main base at Celedonia Garden in Beddeng Laud.

There are dozens of antique and souvenir shops dotted about the city, particularly on Crisologo and Plaridel Streets in the mestizo district. Although most of the antiques are only reproductions, you'll still enjoy browsing odd items, religious paraphernalia (look out for the toddler Jesus figurines) and some unique foods. You can also buy hand-rolled cigars, sold in packs of three.

You can buy native handwoven abel cloth at the Vigan Public Market, as well as delicacies like longganisa (native pork sausages) and bagnet (deep-fried crispy pork) at its Meat Section.

• 🌍 Vigan Public Market. Visitors can purchase delicacies like Vigan Longanisa (native pork sausages) and bagnet (deep-fried crispy pork); and Ilocano handwoven abel cloth. (updated May 2016)
• 🌍 Vigan Central Park - XentroMall, Quezon Avenue, ☏ +639062737998. 9AM–8PM. (updated Jun 2023)
• 🌍 JTC Mall, Marcos Highway, Bantay. 9AM–7PM. (updated Jun 2023)

Popular snack stands along Plaza Burgos serve up a variety of local treats, including:

• sinanglao (soup made from beef innards)
• arroz caldo (rice soup with chicken)
• miki (flat noodles in a thick soup with meat bits and sometimes drizzled with eggs)
• empanada (turnover with a filling of eggs, Vigan longganisa/sausage and vegetables wrapped in a rice flour crust/shell)
• okoy (a pancake made with local shrimp).

Nobody should leave Vigan without tasting their empanada. It is a different concoction from the flour-based empanada that is more widely known.

Royal Bibingka is very popular at Tongson's Royal Bibingka, #8 Florentino St., Vigan City--just a street away from Plaza Burgos.

Also, try the Vigan longganisa, which is spicy unlike its Pampanga counterpart which is sweetish.

There is also a delicacy called tinubong, a sticky sweet rice cake that's sold in bamboo tubes, and you have to break the bamboo to eat the sticky sweet rice inside. They are usually sold in the Heritage Village in bundles of three to five.

Fried tasty corn (cornick) can also be bought in the various stalls. It comes plain or flavored.

Sugar is made in surrounding towns and barangays of Vigan in the form of tagapulot (molasses) and balikutsa (a very hard sugar concoction shaped into scrolls).

Also try the Basi, a local wine (native rum) made from sugarcane.

• 🌍 Insiang's Empanada, Salcedo corner De Los Reyes Street, ☏ +63 917 139 8558. 9AM–9PM. Insiang's is a small street side empanadahan with a couple of tables set up by the sidewalk. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Vigan Longganisa & Bagnet by Dang Arce, Liberation Blvd, Pagpartian. 8AM–9PM. For take out only. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Diversion Food Bazaar, Diversion Road. 3–10PM. A variety of food is offered: from local dishes to Korean style, desserts and shakes. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Calle Brewery, Encarnacion Street. 10AM–11PM. Cool place in the centre of Vigan serving craft beer and food. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 First Sinanglaoan, A. Reyes Street, ☏ +63 906 482 0445. 5:30AM–2PM. Filipino beef broth soup, must try! (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Six Bros. Bar and Grill, #12 Gen. Luna Street. Open 24 hours. Great Filipino home-cooked meal. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Casa Vicente Restaurant, V. De Los Reyes and Bonifacio Streets, ☏ +63 917 658 6797. 10AM–midnight. Casa Vicente serves fusion dishes of International and Ilocano cuisine. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 MILA'S Empanada and Okoy, Abaya Street, Brgy. Pagpandayan. 1PM–7PM. serving empanada & okoy. ₱. (updated Sep 2023)