Vigan, the heritage city of Ilocos Sur

Map of Ilocos Sur (photo from the web)

One of the many interesting places worth visiting and recently pinned the Philippines across the globe as one of the “New Seven Wonders Cities of the World” last December 2014 is the heritage city of Ilocos Sur - Vigan City, the provincial capital of this particular province in northern part of the archipelago. 

Among the striking feature and major attraction of the place is its best preserved Spanish colonial district which encompasses the preservation of Spanish-style residential, institutional, commercial and religious structures that earned Vigan’s inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Traversing Vigan’s Calle Crisologo, a cobblestone-covered street wizened with heritage houses and the hub of this illustrious district is like a transitory spell, a glimpse in the distant past and a brief affair of reliving history. Visitors can find sizable collection of cultural treasures like centuries-old paintings and sculptures and repository of mementos in the old mansions turned museums along this celebrated street. Beyond doubt, the city inscribes and imparts the rich history of the country.

 

old church in Vigan City (photo from the web)

 

 

Other must-see attractions in Vigan City are the equally interesting old churches, the Bantay Belfry which is built in 1591 and said to be the locals’ watchtower, and the Buluarte Vigan, a privately-owned mini zoo that houses animals endemic in the country. The city also offers must-try food like the mouth-watering, crunchy “bagnet” and a tasty delight street food “empanada” a turnover with vegetable and meat filling.

"bagnet" (photo from the web)

"empanada" (photo from the web)

Visiting the heritage city of Ilocos Sur is easy with the scheduled land trips from Manila and a transit point Laoag City, an hour and a half drive which has airport that has scheduled flights from Manila or Cebu.