7 Things To Do In Vigan, One of the New 7 Wonder Cities
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| Calle Crisologo |
Vigan was recently hailed last December 8, 2014 as one of the New 7 Wonder Cities by New7Wonders. With this new title or distinction plus the fact that this is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Vigan should be in your itinerary for 2015.
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| Screen Capture from New7Wonders.com |
Let your nose decide as you plan your visit. Here are the top 7 olfactive tips that will make your nose love you.
1. Enjoy the smell of history along Calle Crisologo
Feel the historical and nostalgic vibe strolling along this street as it showcases the fusion of European and Asian architectural design. Except for a handful of souvenir shops, the place’s visual integrity and architectural heritage were very well kept and still intact. Stroll along at dusk or dawn to have picture perfect shots. Detect the smell of old wood, adobe stones, and barbecue.
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| Truly divine and picture perfect |
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| Sephia filter will add some more history to this place |
2. Continue down the memory lane and church hop
There are a lot of churches in Vigan but two are quite close to Calle Crisologo or at least accessible by tricycle - Cathedral of Vigan (St. Paul) and St. Augustine.
The Cathedral of Vigan was built in 1641 by the Spanish. The church was damaged by earthquake in 1619 and 1627 and by fire in 1739.
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| Cathedral of Vigan |
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| St. Augustine Church |
3. Smell old bell at the Bantay Bell Tower
Adjacent to St. Augustine Church is the Bantay Bell Tower. Climb up inside to get a view of Vigan’s cemetery. The bell is still operational so you can strike it up and let your wishes come true (not a wishing bell but you can do so as no one will stop you).
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| Bantay Bell Tower |
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| Cemetery view from the top |
4. Smell the distinct culture of Vigan through its museums
You can check out the National Museum (Padre Burgos House) and understand the heritage and history of Vigan and of the Philippines. Padre Burgos was one of the priest triumvirate killed during the time of Spaniards (GOMBURZA - Gomez, Burgos and Zamora). Their death inspired Jose Rizal's novel El Filibusterismo.
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| Padre Burgos House - National Museum of Vigan |
Other notable museums to visit include Crisologo Museum, Religious Museum, Leona Florentina Ancestral House.
5. Relax and unwind in their parks and ancestral houses
Savour in the rich aroma of street food - of grilled meat, emapanada, Vigan longganisa - and relax while watching the people do their everyday business.
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| Padre Burgos Park |
Parks include Plaza Burgos, Plaza Salcedo, Hidden Garden, and Fil-Hispanic Friendship Park. You can also check the Syquia Mansion.
6. Drop by the beach on the way there.
On the way to Vigan, you’ll pass by Suso beach, in Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur. Not really sure if you could dip in but it’s very picture perfect not to stopover and have your pictures taken. At early morning you’ll see fishermen gracefully floating and throwing their nets around to harvest the bounty from nature.
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| Suso Beach |
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| Picture Perfect Suso Beach |
7. Satisfy both your gustatory and olfactory senses - EAT!
One of the places in the Philippines that offer unique food selection that is truly and proudly Filipino is Vigan. Sample their dishes like bagnet (deep-fried pork), dinengdeng (mixed vegetable with fermented fish), and pakbet (mixed vegetable). These dishes go well with steamed rice.
Don’t forget to eat Vigan longganisa (sausage) for breakfast. It will be commonly served with sunny side up egg and garlic rice.
Sample the Vigan empanada, filled with Vigan longganisa, with egg, cabbage and that special vinegar sauce wrapped in orange-colored flour. It is deep-fried to perefction. Best eaten when freshly cooked.
And for dessert, try out Royal Bibingka, a sweet rice-based dessert.
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| (Clockwise) Lady preparing emapanada; Pakbet; Raw Empanada; Bagnet |
Going To Vigan
The best way is to catch a bus from Cubao (Partas, Dominion, RCJ Lines, etc.) going to Laoag. It is most likely a 5-6 hour drive from Manila and will take the NLEX, SCTEX, TPLEX route.
Or you can take a 45-minute plane ride from Manila to Laoag airport and would need another 2 -3 hours drive from the airport to Vigan. Both Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific have daily trips from and to Laoag.
You can rent a car or hire a van to bring you there. I am not sure about the daily rate for the car rental AND the driver. If you have a friend who is willing to drive, then ask him/her to accompany you there. Having your own vehicle is a lot safer and easier if you wish to go to Vigan by land.
Now, you have an idea or at least an understanding why Vigan was named as one of the 7 New Wonder Cities category. Enjoy!
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