Last year, for our 18th anniversary, Nino and I wanted to take a road trip.
Making the decision to go to Vigan was easy. Nino and I figured that we could take a long road trip of this caliber because it would just be the two of us. Traveling this far without stopping is much easier without the kids, and since it was our anniversary we wanted to try something new but do something with some Filipino history as well.
If you research all the different sights to visit while in Vigan, you will surely see that there is a long list of things to see.
We tried to make use of the good weather, when the sun was shining, but the weather didn’t always cooperate with us. Even if there were some showers, we didn’t let that stop us…
“VIGAN is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in that it is one of the few towns left in the Philippines whose old structures have mostly remained intact, and it is well known for its cobblestone streets and a unique architecture of the Philippine colonial era which fuses Native Philippine and Oriental building designs and construction, with colonial Spanish architecture. Former Philippine president Elpidio Quirino, the sixth President of the Philippines, was born in Vigan, at the former location of the Provincial Jail (his father was a warden); he resided in the Syquia Mansion.” -Wikipedia
Here are some of the places we visited last year in Vigan:
Calle Crisologo
I have a confession.
I probably asked Nino to take 10,000 photos of me in different places all up and down this road.
It’s perfect for IG. Perfect for OOTD’s.
Perfect for shoefies, and so much more.
But the history behind this little street is even more interesting than the pockets of IG worthy photos.
Bantay Bell Tower
This Bell Tower is right beside the St. Augustine Church. As with many of the churches that were established during the Spanish colonization, they were always built on higher ground. This means that the towers, be it the belfry, attached to the churches or not, were often built in a way so that the Spanish friars could get a lay of the land (and any possible attacks) when traversing to the top.
The Bell Tower is just a short kalesa ride from the main square and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Nino and I visited the Bell Tower on the same day that we arrived, together with quite a few other local sights. It was easy to move from place to place via kalesa.
In fact, I liked the idea of traveling by kalesa because of the novelty…
Crisologo Museum
Floro S. Crisologo was the patriarch of the clan and a congressman. He not only made life better for his constituents in Vigan, he also bettered the country with laws that provided education, and he helped establish the Social Security System.
Entrance to the museum is free and once inside visitors can view antiques, memorabilia, and other prized possessions such as cars, kalesas, his wedding carriage, and his clothing.
Pagburnayan
This was a super simple stop on our list of things to see, but it was totally worth it. We picked up affordable pots for small plants, and some fun small pots for the kitchen, that I now use for my salt and pepper pots when cooking our meals.
Ilocos Weaving Houses
There are a few different weaving houses you can visit if you have the pleasure of visiting this area. I love their simple blankets (most often I end up buying white) that are light enough to use here in the Philippines as a bed cover, and heavy enough to keep warm during spring or fall if you live in an area with four seasons.
Two of the most popular places to visit for these traditionally woven blankets, placemats, and table runners are:
and
There are quite a few other items that were on our list to visit, but since we only had a few days to explore Vigan and the surrounding areas, I figured that we could focus on some of the museums, and of course some of the great places to eat.
If Vigan is on your bucket list of places to visit in the Philippines, I would definitely make sure to visit at least these 5 places not just for the photo opportunities, but for the rich culture that embodies how Pinoys bringlove and life into everything they do.
Actually, I would love to go back to this area again, and explore some of the other places with the kids.
Hmmmm, now, when can we plan a little get away?
