Recognized as one of the New Seven Wonder Cities, Vigan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that will certainly take you back in time.
Aside from its famous cobblestone walkways, kalesa, and “Earthquake Baroque” mansions, Vigan has so much exciting things to offer other than the ones you read in History books. Certainly, this 16th century town will not bore you.
Here are five exciting things you can do in Vigan.
1. Travel back in time in Calle Crisologo.
By Ronbassmaster (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Your stay in this iconic Philippine city would not be complete without exploring Calle Crisologo, which is the major attraction in Vigan. You can find Spanish-style mansions from yester years in the popular cobblestone street of Vigan. Furthemore, you can buy souvenir items like woven products, antiques, and local delicacies in this street.
2. Feast on Ilocano delicacies.
A trip wouldn’t be complete without trying the local food. In Vigan, you can try authentic Ilocano food like Vigan longganisa, bagnet, chichacorn, empanada, and royal bibingka. My personal favourite is the sinfully delicious bagnet which is probably the crispiest pork belly that deliciously melts in your mouth.
3. Ride a Kalesa.
Although you can probably ride a horse-drawn carriage in some cities in the Philippines including Intramuros, riding a kalesa in the Heritage City gives a one-of-a-kind experience probably because you won’t run out of interesting things to see. In addition, most of the kalesa drivers or kutsero are friendly enough to give you a brief history of the different sites to see in Vigan.
4. Learn how to make a burnay, Vigan’s traditional clay jar.
I’m not really crafty but getting my hands dirty to learn how to make a burnay was so worth it. You can check out Ruby Burnayan, which is a local term for pottery.
5. Get in touch with the wildlife in Baluarte.
Manong Chavit Singson probably wanted tourists to appreciate Vigan more than its historical sites so he built Baluarte or The Fortress. This free facility contains a mini-zoo which houses Bengal tigers, lions, monkeys, ostriches, peacocks, camels, crocodiles, and several other birds and reptiles. Singson also displayed his collection of stuffed wild animals which he hunted.
You’ll find Vigan on the fifth spot in the Top 10 Travel Destinations for Summer in the Philippines.