HomeAsiaPhilippinesVisayasIloiloSouthern Iloilo Road Trip By Marcos Detourist on December 26, 2009If you have a whole day to explore Iloilo and would want to venture outside the city, Southern Iloilo is one of the best routes to take since the main attractions are just along the highway and the road conditions are very good. The towns along Iloilo’s southern coast include (from nearest to farthest): Oton, Tigbauan, Guimbal, Miagao, and San Joaquin. It takes a little more than an hour to get to San Joaquin from Iloilo City. Discover the different sights in Southern Iloilo!I was with Eric and Junelle on my most recent road trip to Southern Iloilo. Me and Eric first went to Oton to meet up with Junelle, who lives in this town. I took Eric to see the surviving ruins of the old Oton Church, which is now being used as a grotto.Oton Church RuinsQuick Coffee and Siomai in Reynaldo’s Cafe and Snack Bar Oton CPT MallOton has a number of fine beach resorts like Nes and Tat’s and Anhawan but we decided to skip them and move on to the next town, Tigbauan, instead. Oton is also the home of Nang Palang’s Buko Pie, which is a favored pasalubong item in Iloilo.Tigbauan ChurchFrom afar, the Tigbauan Church does not look very special. Upclose you will see the intricate bas relief of this Spanish Colonial Church built in Churiqueresque style.Tigbauan Municipal HallSoutheast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC)Tigbauan hosts one of SEAFDEC’s Aquaculture Development facility. The 40-hectare complex includes various research laboratories, hatcheries, and broodstock tanks. Visitors can go see FishWorld, a museum-aquarium-visitor center dedicated to science and environment education about aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity, aquaculture, fisheries, ecotourism, and the aquatic sciences. The entrance fee and tour for FishWorld is P10.Fish HatcheriesWe also got to visit the other facilities of SEAFDEC that are not covered by the tour thanks to Rex.AbaloneSeahorseLunch in South Park GrillThey have tasty crablets (only for P50 per serving) and other seafoods. The prices are affordable.After lunch we decided that instead of going to Guimbal next, we’re going straight to San Joaquin instead and visit the other towns on the way back.San Joaquin CemeterySan Joaquin PlazaSan Joaquin Municipal HallSan Joaquin ChurchBas Relief of the Battle of Tetuan, SpainUnderconstruction cross / pilgrimage site in one of San Joaquin’s hills.San Joaquin also has some nice beaches and diving spotsMiagao Church RestorationThe Miagao Church is definitely the most visited attraction in Southern Iloilo. This beautiful church is included in UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites. The Miagao Church is currently being restored by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and National Museum of the Philippines in cooperation of the Archdiocese of Jaro.Miagao CemeteryWe didn’t get to take pictures of Guimbal since the lighting was too harsh. it would have been nice to take pictures of the Guimbal Church, Guimbal Plaza and Municipal Hall, Bantayan Watchtower, RACSOS Wildlife Resort, and Garin Farm in Guimbal.Don’t leave yet. There’s more!My Vote for Visayas Blogger's Choice Award - Explore IloiloDingle, Iloilo Road TripAdventure trip to the enchanted Isla de Gigantes in Carles…A Heritage NeglectedIloilo Dinagyang Festival 2010 Next Week!15 Days Eastern Visayas & Sorsogon ItineraryComments flip saysDecember 27, 2009 at 1:41 amwow! great pictures…made me want to visit Iloilohappy holidays Marco-flip chymera00 saysDecember 27, 2009 at 6:41 pmthanks flip ^_^ jon saysJanuary 7, 2013 at 4:14 pmIm planning to do the same thing when i visit my folks this january! anyway is it better to use public transportatiin or rent a vehicle? im trying to do this the cheapest way. Anyway great blog man just bookmarked it. Very inspiring. Marcos saysJanuary 8, 2013 at 12:13 pmRiding the jeep is very convenient. You could visit everything in one day. Start all the way to San Joaquin and work your way down towards Iloilo City. Posting of new comments is disabled temporarily.Connect with Marcos on:Detourista.comMarcosDetourist.comFacebookInstagramTwitterDetourista.comDiscover more travel guides and blogs about the Philippines and beyond by Marcos DetouristChoose your next destination: Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
flip saysDecember 27, 2009 at 1:41 amwow! great pictures…made me want to visit Iloilohappy holidays Marco-flip
jon saysJanuary 7, 2013 at 4:14 pmIm planning to do the same thing when i visit my folks this january! anyway is it better to use public transportatiin or rent a vehicle? im trying to do this the cheapest way. Anyway great blog man just bookmarked it. Very inspiring.
Marcos saysJanuary 8, 2013 at 12:13 pmRiding the jeep is very convenient. You could visit everything in one day. Start all the way to San Joaquin and work your way down towards Iloilo City.