Vigan City

By wanderlust

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Calle Crisologo

St. Paul Cathedral

Full of old world charm, the city of Vigan has has the distinction of being a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is the oldest surviving Spanish colonial city in the Philippines, a country that had been under Spanish rule for over 300 years. It also serves as the capital of Llocos Sur province.

Cobblestone streets and colonial European architecture characterize this sleepy town. It is composed of more than 180 ancestral homes, administrative buildings, religious structures, public squares and other historical landmarks built during the 18th and 19th centuries. Enjoy a calesa (horse carriage) ride around these sites:

Calle Crisologo – One of the narrow streets in the Mestizo district - identified as the Chinese quarters during the Spanish colonial era - where old colonial houses can be found side by side. The massive brick and plaster houses with red tiled roofs were built to withstand earthquakes.

St. Paul Metropolitan Cathedral - Built by the Augustinians in distinctive "Earthquake Baroque" architecture, this remains standing since 1790-1800. It has three naives, twelve altars, and a choir loft; plus an octagonal church belfry located 15 meters south of the cathedral.

Palacio de Arzobispado - Built in 1783, it is the official residence of the Archbishop of Nueva Segovia and later became headquarters of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, the first President of the Philippines.

Vigan is not only rich in cultural history, but known for culinary delights as well. In addition to bagnet (crispy pork) that is popular in the Ilocos region, it has its trademark Vigan Longganisa (sausage) and Vigan Empanada (pie).


By Land:
Vigan is about 400 kms. from Manila and takes seven hours or more along the scenic Llocos Highway. There are several bus lines offering regular routes to Vigan or Laoag.

By Air:
The nearest airport is in Laoag, about 1½ hours away from Vigan. There are regular flights to and from Manila aboard Philippine Airlines or Cebu Pacific.




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