A city rich in culture and heritage, Vigan City is a haven for history buffs and wandering tourists alike. From its vibrant heritage to its colorful festivities, one cannot deny that this UNESCO World Heritage City has a lot to offer. I was born and raised in Vigan City. So it’s always been my pride to showcase what this city has to offer. Whenever friends visit the city, I serve as their tour guide, and we do all the things to do in Vigan City.
This Ilocos Sur capital has a lot of things in store for tourists and travelers alike. While Calle Crisologo is the most famous attraction, there are other things to do and experience here. In this article, I am going to discuss ten things to do in Vigan City. Everything here is from the perspective of someone who grew up here.
Walk along the Cobblestoned Streets of Vigan
The poblacion area of Vigan City has several cobblestoned streets to wander around. The most popular cobblestoned street to walk along is the Calle Crisologo. Several ancestral houses, also known as “bahay na bato” stand grandiosely with their ornate facades and balconies. These structures showcase a fusion of Spanish, Chinese, and Filipino influences. Most of these houses have already been converted into cafes, hotels, and souvenir shops. However, there are still some private houses within Calle Crisologo.
For someone who constantly walks along Calle Crisologo, I guarantee you that the experience is different when you explore the street during the day and at night. While I appreciate the charm it exudes during the day, I love how the street transforms into picturesque scenery at night. The ambience – complete with the sepia lights, outdoor dining, and the evening breeze – makes the experience better.
If the Calle Crisologo seems too busy for you, there are still other cobblestoned streets along Vigan to walk along. Some of these streets include Calle Plaridel and Calle Florentino. Even the path surrounding Plaza Salcedo and Plaza Burgos have cobblestones. Walking along these cobblestoned streets, combined with the sound of calesas roaming around, makes it seem that you are being transported to a bygone era.
Fun fact: According to Vigan.ph, there are 187 ancestral structures in Vigan. Hence, walking along the streets of Vigan would make it seem that you are exploring a living museum. Moreover, the street has been used as filming locations for period films and shows such as Maria Clara at Ibarra and Jose Rizal.
Ride a Calesa
When visiting Vigan, it is inevitable not to see a calesa passing through the city’s streets. It is one of the distinct features that you don’t see in most Philippine cities. These horse-drawn carriages were a mode of transportation introduced to the Filipinos during the Spanish colonization of the country. While most cities have adopted modern modes of transportation, the city remains rooted in its past, with calesa still reigning supreme as the main mode of transportation (besides the tricycles, of course).
Tourists may ride a calesa for a tour around the city for a certain fee. A kutsero (calesa driver) would gladly take you to different tourist spots around Vigan and nearby attractions. If you want to ride one, you can find them parked near Plaza Burgos. Other calesas along Calle Crisologo take passengers, too. For tourists, I do think that your Vigan experience wouldn’t be complete without a calesa ride.
Go Museum-Hopping
After roaming Calle Crisologo, you can go museum-hopping. Vigan is home to several museums that portray the heritage of the city. Some of these destinations are near poblacion, so you can walk going to these places with ease.
- The first on this list is the National Museum of the Philippines Ilocos Complex. These museums, which include the Old Carcel Museum and the Burgos Museum (both of which are found within Vigan), showcase the rich culture and history of Ilocos Sur.
- The Crisologo Memorabilia exhibits mementos of the former congressman Floro Crisologo and his family. These include vintage photographs, personal belongings of the family, and several artifacts.
- Syquia Mansion showcases a collection of personal memorabilia and artifacts that provide insights into the life and history of former Philippine president Elpidio Quirino and his family. Due to the damages that the July 2022 earthquake caused to the mansion, it is currently not open to tourists.
- Learn about Vigan City’s rich history and heritage at Vigan Conservation Complex. It houses three museums: a repository of archives, a dormitory, and a conservation school.
- Hotel Luna is the first museum hotel in the Philippines. It houses several artworks by prominent artists in the country, including Juan Luna and Carlos “Botong” Francisco. This hotel also features luxurious rooms, a swimming pool, a comedor, and a rooftop bar overlooking Vigan.
- Arzobispado Palacio de Nueva Segovia serves as the official residence of the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia. According to Vigan City website, the museum houses antique portraits of bishops, ecclesiastical artifacts, and other archdiocesan articles.
Read more about the museums in Vigan here: Museums In Vigan City: Exploring The City’s Rich Heritage
Immerse yourself with Vigan’s festivals
What better way to experience the culture and tradition of Vigan than to immerse yourself to its myriad of festivals. There are currently four festivals in Vigan, each one celebrated at different times of the year.
Kicking off the list of festivals is the Vigan Longganisa Festival held every January of each year. To celebrate the feast of the conversion of St. Paul, the city’s patron saint, several cultural and gastronomic activities are held, including street dancing, longganisa cook fest, and the grand city parade.
Binatbatan Festival of the Arts coincides with the feast of Apo Lakay (Crucified Christ), who was said to have miraculously saved Vigan from any disaster. Activities during this festival include a calesa parade, carabao painting, and street dancing. Inabel is the star of the festival, so you can see ancestral houses clad in inabel fabrics during this time.
Vigan also celebrates with other world heritage cities around the world through the UNESCO World Heritage Cities Solidarity Day Festival. It is an annual festival held every September to celebrate the rich heritage of the city. Several traditional contests and events are held during this festival, including Zarzuela Ilocana (a traditional comedy play), Daniw (a singing contest), and Historia Oral.
Set every last week of October, the Raniag Twilight Festival showcases lights set through different activities, including an electronic light parade, street dancing (held at night), and sky lanterns.
Immersing oneself with the different festivals of Vigan is surely a top-notch Vigan experience.
Watching the Dancing Fountain
One of the most talked about attractions in Vigan is the Ilocos Sur dancing fountain. Set at the quaint and historical Plaza Salcedo, the dancing fountain showcases a stunning set of fountains “dancing” to popular anthems. The choreography of the fountain is further enriched by the lights and lasers that would change its color depending on the music. Usually flocked by tourists and locals, the dancing fountain show runs every night for about thirty minutes. Your Vigan trip will be missing a huge puzzle piece if you do not experience watching the dancing fountain.
Trivia time:
Plaza Salcedo was the place where Gabriela Silang, the first Filipina to lead a revolt during the Spanish colonization and a native of Santa, Ilocos Sur, was executed here in 1763.
Moreover, before it was a dancing fountain, Plaza Salcedo used to be a lagoon with a walkable bridge in the middle. The map of the Philippines in front of the Rizal monument used to be a large relief of the Philippines. As a kid, I was always in awe whenever I got to see this relief.
Finally, I never got to see this, but my father once told me that the Plaza Salcedo used to be a sunken garden. After their classes in the 1960s, he would hang out here with his friends. I can confirm the sunken garden because of photos from yearbooks I once saw.
Creating traditional burnay pottery
A journey to Vigan would not be complete without trying out the traditional way of making burnay. An earthenware jar, a burnay is created by hand using locally-found clay while being aided by a spinning potter’s wheel. The craft of making burnay takes its roots from Chinese immigrants who settled in Vigan before the Spanish colonizers came.
You can visit these pottery shops at Pagburnayan, the barangay in Vigan aptly named after this industry. The craftsmen demonstrate the process of making one. But what makes your visit to this place worth it is if you try crafting your own burnay. You should prepare yourself though, because it is going to be dirty. But after you have made your own burnay, all efforts would be worth it.
Eating the best of Ilocano cuisine
Probably one of the best reasons why I love being an Ilocano is the array of cuisines we offer. What makes Vigan City a wonder is its menu of gastronomic dishes. Because of the number of dishes to try, I don’t think you can try them all after spending just a day in Vigan.
Probably the most popular is the Vigan empanada, a deep-fried dish made of rice flour stuffed with papaya or cabbage, egg, and Vigan longganisa. What makes Vigan empanada different from other empanadas is the crust. It has a distinct yellowish thin crust, a far cry from the common orange crust of other empanadas. You can dip it with Ilocos vinegar and shallots.
Other common cuisines include bagnet (crispy pork belly), longganisa (spiced pork sausage with lots of garlic), and pinakbet (a vegetable dish cooked with bagoong). However, some of my favorite dishes aren’t that popular with tourists.
If you want soup-based cuisines, you can try lomo-lomo. It is a soup dish consisting of pork innards and pork meat. While they usually serve it as an entree for lunch, I personally love eating lomo-lomo for breakfast. Toss in some hot rice and a malasado sunny side up, and you have the perfect Ilocano breakfast.
Vigan miki is also another soup dish to try. It is an egg noodle soup with flavorful broth and annatto (achuete). I recommend topping it with kutchay (chives). Pipian is a lesser-known soup that is a Vigan original. It is a tk
There are other cuisines such as sinanglao (beef meat and innards soup), dinengdeng (vegetable dish), igado (pork meat and innards), and dinuydoy (pressed squash dish), among others, but talking all these Ilocano cuisines would be better as a separate article.
Watch the Sunset at Mindoro Beach
Watching the sunset at Mindo Beach can be a mesmerizing and unique experience. Mindoro Beach is found at the coastal barangay where the beach takes its name from – Brgy. Mindoro, Vigan City. Not a lot of people know about the beach, but I think it’s one of the hidden gems in Vigan if you ask me. I used to go here every weekend, but adulting made it tough for me to schedule a time.
Anyways, the contrast between the dark sand and the vibrant colors of the setting sun creates a stunning visual display. Mindoro Beach stretches out before you, with the rhythmic crashing of waves providing a soothing soundtrack to your experience.
The atmosphere at Mindoro Beach is tranquil, and a sense of awe washes over you. Personally speaking, watching the sunset here is an experience that engages all the senses. The unique setting, the contrast of colors, and the serene ambiance combine to create a memory that will stay with you long after the sun has set.
Be One with Animals at Baluarte Zoo
Be one in nature in a sanctuary where exotic animals thrive in an environment that embraces conservation and longevity. Baluarte Zoo, located at Tamag in Vigan City, is situated on a sprawling hill, providing a spacious environment for various creatures. As you explore the zoo, you will encounter various animal exhibits. Each of these enclosures mimics the natural habitats of the organisms. They are also spacious as well, allowing the animals to roam freely around in an area that closely resembles their original habitats.
Baluarte Zoo also offers a range of activities and attractions that allow visitors to have first-hand encounters with animals. They have shows that could provide you with an opportunity to hold exotic animals, such as pythons and macaws. You can also take a photograph of a Bengal tiger. These are unique opportunities to gain insights into the world of these fascinating animals.
Throughout the zoo, there are also dedicated areas for bird watching and butterfly gardens. Conclude your visit to the Baluarte Zoo by exploring the Safari Gallery, a repository of taxidermied animals.
Purchase Damili Crafts
Unbeknownst to most tourists, Vigan is also home to another pottery product – dinamili or damili. Yes, burnay is not the only form of pottery in Vigan. According to Vigan.ph, damili crafts are terra-cotta crafts (red clay crafts), and damili production is one of the traditional industries of Vigan. It has been around since the 19th century. Damili crafts range from plant pots to cooking pots.
The makers of these crafts use Bantog clay, a specific type of clay that is abundant around the hills of Vigan – where the barangays that create these crafts are situated. At present, you can find damili pottery shops in barangays Ayusan Sur, Bulala, Barraca, and Paoa, although most pottery shops are found in Barangay Bulala. You usually pass by these shops when you go to Hidden Garden, a popular tourist spot in Vigan.
Wrapping Up
For a small, quaint city, Vigan has more to offer to tourists who wish to try out new things. There is no question as to why Vigan is declared as one of the new seven wonder cities of the world. Spending a day sightseeing around Vigan is a must. But if you really want to experience what the city has to offer, you can do all the things to do in Vigan that I have presented above. Enjoy your visit to Vigan! I hope you will enjoy the city I always consider my home.
