With only a day to explore Manila before heading out to our dive resort for some scuba diving in the Philippines we opted to take a half day tour to visit some of the city’s most important attractions. Some of the most notable places we visited were located in and around Intramuros, the historic walled city.
Other places of interest in the area included Rizal Park and the National Museums but with only one day we didn’t have time to visit these. We did however see a few other places further afield.
Intramuros, a Manila must-see
No visit to Manila is complete without exploring Intramuros, the historic walled city. Built in the 16th century during Spanish Colonial rule, this fortress city stands as a testament to Manila’s rich past. The massive stone walls stretch 4.5 kilometers, and the area is best explored on foot. Within its stone walls you’ll find some of the city’s most important attractions such as Fort Santiago, Manila Cathedral, San Agustin Church, and Casa Manila.
Fort Santiago
Fort Santiago, a citadel that once served as a prison during Spanish Colonial times and WWII, is the most iconic structure within Intramuros. It was built in 1571 by Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi. It then served as the headquarters of Spanish military forces. Subsequently, during World War II, it was used by both American and Japanese forces during their respective occupations.
The fortress highlights include the Main Gate which features an impressive relief carving of Santiago Matamoros (St. James the Moor-slayer). Its original wooden doors are studded with spikes and iron plates.
Once inside you’ll see the Plaza Armas. This central courtyard was used for military parades during the Colonial Period.
The Dungeons were underground chambers used as storage and later as prison cells. Thousands of Filipino and American prisoners were imprisoned here and many died. These chambers would flood at high tide, drowning prisoners. Terrible!
See the White Cross marking the mass grave of as many as 600 American prisoners of war that died of starvation, heat exhaustion, and suffocation in the dungeons of Fort Santiago under the Japanese.
Another highlight of the fort is the Rizal Shrine, a museum which houses memorabilia such as books and clothing that belonged to José Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines.
Check-out the view of Manila and Pasig River from the rampart’s overlook.
Manila Cathedral
Originally built in 1571, this historic church has been rebuilt many times. A casualty of natural catastrophes. The first cathedral made of wood was damaged by a typhoon and then razed by fire in 1583. It was rebuilt using stone masonry, but the cathedral was nevertheless damaged and destroyed by earthquakes over the centuries. Finally, its façade was heavily damaged during WWII. So, the current structure is actually the eighth version of the cathedral.
The Manila Cathedral features beautiful stained-glass windows, intricate stone carvings, and a massive pipe organ. Pope Francis held mass here during his 2015 visit.
San Agustin Church
The historic San Agustin Church, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is another must-see in Manila. It showcases a magnificent baroque architecture and splendid wood doors with intricate religious carvings made from the Molave tree, a native hardwood species. Built in the mid-1500s, it’s the oldest church in the Philippines. The church remains active and is a popular wedding venue (for those who can afford it of course!).
Miraculously the church survived many earthquakes and the WWII bombardment when most of Intramuros was destroyed. Inside, you’ll find remarkable trompe-l’oeil ceiling frescoes. They actually look like real carvings! There is also a museum housing religious artifacts that tell the story of Christianity in the Philippines.
Casa Manila
Casa Manila is a museum that showcases the domestic life of the upper class in 19th Century Philippines. It features artifacts and décor that would have been in the home of an affluent Filipino family during the late Spanish Colonial period.
The tour takes you from one room to another including a surprising bathroom arrangement. There is also a lovely fountain in the courtyard.
Rizal Park
Well not really inside the Intramuros but located just next to it there is a sprawling urban park dedicated to José Rizal, the national hero. We didn’t have time to explore this park in depth, but we did drive by the Rizal Monument. With more time we certainly would have enjoyed strolling through the gardens and visiting a museum or two.
Rizal Park is home to some of Manila’s most important museums, including the National Museum of Anthropology, the National Museum of Fine Arts, and the National Museum of Natural History. All have free admission so anyone can visit and learn about the Filipino culture.
Further afield
Manila South Cemetery
Because our driver wanted to show us the real Manila, he started our tour by driving to Makati. He took us to the Manila South Cemetery. We’ve visited plenty of cemeteries before, but this one was truly unique.
This is where the living and the dead live together in a symbiotic relationship. The living take care of the grounds and tombs and in exchange live for free in the cemetery. (I’m not sure this is something you can visit on your own.)
Paco Park
During the Spanish Colonial days this was a municipal cemetery. It’s also where José Rizal was initially buried. Paco Park is now a public park with a small church on the premises, St. Pancratius Chapel.
A service was going on, so we only looked through the window not to intrude. The stone wall surrounding the small public park makes it a peaceful spot in the hustle and bustle of Manila.
San Sebastian Basilica
Built in a gothic style, San Sebastian Basilica was first opened in 1621 by Christian missionaries. By 1891, the Recollect friars were inspired to build a stronger, all-metal church. At first glance it looks like stone but upon a closer look we could see that it was metal.
The basilica is currently being restored to protect the metal. Corrosion due to the salted sea air is in part responsible for leaks and rust developing over time throughout the church.
Binondo (Chinatown)
Located just across the river from Intramuros you’ll find Binondo, the world’s oldest Chinatown. Established in 1594, its narrow streets are lined with traditional medicine shops, temples, and restaurants that serve authentic Chinese-Filipino cuisine.
Our time did not permit to explore this area more in depth. We only drove through, but I bet they have a great Dim Sum!
Quiapo Church
Quiapo Church is another popular site in Manila. The church is built in a baroque style and is home to the Black Nazarene, a revered 17th-century statue of Jesus. On the day we were there it was so crowded that we opted to skip it and head to visit some of Manila’s most important sites in the Old Walled City.
Manila city tour conclusion
Unfortunately, our tour didn’t turn out to be what it should have been because for some reason our driver decided to show us Makati instead of Manila ‘s most important attractions. Originally our tour of the Old City should have lasted 3 to 4 hours. It turned out into 6 with 4 hours of mostly driving around looking at shanty towns, shopping malls, embassies, universities, and those sorts of things.
In the end we hardly had any time to explore the city’s Intramuros area where most of Manila’s highlights are. In 2 hours we zipped through Fort Santiago, San Agustin Church, Manila Cathedral, and Casa Manila. This certainly wasn’t enough time to visit all these important attractions.
Our tour was supposed to include Rizal Park and the National Museum of Anthropology but there was no time. That’s too bad because we only had one day before heading out to our dive resort for our scuba diving vacation.
So if like us you are limited in time make it clear with your driver that you want to concentrate your visit in the Intramuros (Old Walled City) and Rizal Park museums. Better yet, hire a driver and let him know where you want to go. That’s what we did in Rio and we saw everything we wanted to see. Skip driving around to see the exterior of business and shanty towns. Nothing to see there!