HomeAsiaPhilippinesLuzonIlocos SurFirst Night in Ilocos Sur – hello Vigan and Bantay! By Marcos Detourist on October 11, 2011It’s the seventh day on my trip across Northern Luzon and I’ve arrived in the World Heritage City of Vigan, Ilocos Sur.Vigan is one of those places that immediately enters my mind whenever I think about “Traveling in the Philippines.”It’s the pinnacle of Spanish-colonial heritage tourism in the country. In my opinion, there are grander structures elsewhere but there’s no other place in the Philippines where a considerable part of the city still has its old structures intact.Walking along the cobblestone streets of Vigan’s Calle Crisologo have long been a dream of mine. A wish come true for me! Ilocos Sur Tourism Information Center, my first stop in ViganArrival in ViganThe bus from Laoag to Vigan took 3 and a half hours. Upon arrival, I decided to visit the tourism information office to ask for advice on cheap places to spend the night in the city.I couldn’t find any solo traveler friendly accommodations mentioned in travel blogs. I was hoping the tourism officers could help me.They showed me a list of hotels with their corresponding rates. Almost all of them had rates P500 up, which was a bit out of my budget. Being a popular tourist spot, I expected to find at least one hostel at the P200 price range.I jotted down Vigan Hotel, which was the cheapest on the list. Since it was just a block away, I decided to check it out. Signage of Vigan Hotel, Aristocrat of the NorthThe cheapest room at the Vigan Hotel was P350 per night. It was at the upper spectrum of my budget but still within reach.When they showed me the upstairs area and the room. I couldn’t resist. Sleeping at an old Spanish-colonial house has been one of my fantasies :)Despite its daunting tagline, Vigan Hotel wasn’t glammed up like the other hotels and B&Bs in Vigan. The rooms were pretty basic and the hallways didn’t look like a hotel. I liked it better since the ambiance was quite homey.I forgot to take a picture of my room unfortunately. It was pretty spacious for a single room. Had a fan and tv. They had common bathrooms at Vigan Hotel.I guess P350 isn’t so bad, especially coz they offered free WIFI.Update: Found out much later after the trip that there’s a “Socio Pastoral Center” located beside the Archbishop’s Palace. They offer aircon / non-aircon dormitory style beds (with common TB) for budget travelers. Not sure how much it costs though.Calle CrisologoWent out to Calle Crisologo at around 3PM. Calle Crisolo is the famous street lined from end-to-end with Spanish-colonial houses. Most of these old houses have been turned into hotels and shops catering to the tourist flock.Calle Crisologo was so beautiful. Experiencing it in real life doesn’t compare to just seeing it in photos.I knew I just had to spend another night in Vigan so I could take photos of Calle Crisolog at different times of the day.In the mid afternoon light, the shadow of the buildings on one side have already crossed over to the other side of the narrow street. Wasn’t satisfied with the resulting photos so I decided to visit nearby structures and return to Calle Crisologo during sunset / dusk.Vigan CathedralThe Vigan Cathedral caught the sunset light magnificently. The present structure was finished in 1800 and follows a Baroque architectural design. The small spires and separately built bell tower remind me of the Laoag Cathedral in Ilocos Norte and the Jaro Cathedral in Iloilo. Vigan Cathedral (Saint Paul Metropolitan Cathedral) Passing calesa in front of the Vigan CathedralPlaza SalcedoPlaza Salcedo is the main plaza of Vigan. Following the typical Spanish-colonial urban planning, it is surrounded by the centers of Government and Roman Catholic Church. There was supposed to be a lagoon at Plaza Salcedo but it was drained during my visit :( Plaza Salcedo Monument with the Vigan Cathedral Facing the Ilocos Sur Provincial Capitol Miniature sculptures of the world’s famous landmarks … items on my bucket list when I save enough money to go backpacking outside South East Asia.Statue of former President Elpidio Quirino, a native of Caoayan, Ilocos Sur Archbishop’s Palace of Nueva Segovia. Bantay Church Bell TowerThe town of Bantay is just a couple of minutes away from Vigan City Center. Hopped on a tricycle to get there from Plaza Salcedo for P30. Found out on my way back that it was very near Vigan Hotel. The fare should just be P10. Facade of the Bantay ChurchBantay WatchtowerBantay is well visited because of the Bantay Bellfry, built on a hill a couple of meters from the church. The imposing structure doubles as a watchtower defense during the Spanish-colonial times.Today, it doubles as an excellent view deck of the surrounding landscapes. Bantay was a beautiful place to visit in the late afternoon. Bantay Belfry built on top of a hillOld Structures near the Bantay ChurchBantay Municipal HallShortly after taking this photo, a police guy started walking towards me.I noticed him from the distance because he blatantly looked startled seeing me taking shots of the Bantay Municipal Hall. It was hard to miss his comical tough guy police walk.My attention has been called a few times before by police people. Apparently, they get concerned seeing people with big SLRs take photos of the municipio, which incidentally also houses the PNP headquarters.Maybe the police guy thought that I was a snooping media reporter or something. I was surprised, nonetheless, to get this treatment at a very popular tourist destination.I told him that I was a tourist and had noticed the charming municipal hall building after visiting the Bantay Belfry. Unsatisfied with my answer, he insisted to see my ID.Such an inconvenience to be delayed like that when I was hurry to get to Calle Crisologo before the golden sunset glow died down. Statue of Filipina poet Leona Florentino. She is celebrated as the Mother of Philippine Women’s LiteratureCalle Crisologo SunsetCalle Crisologo looks even better during the sunset. Its romantic old world charm really does start to come out during the late afternoons.Unfortunately, it was also hard to capture a flawless photo because of the tourist fanfare.Calle Crisologo at DuskI waited at the roadside until the sky cooled down to a dim blue. It was beautiful to witness the street lights slowly illuminate the textured facade of the buildings.Each passing hour seemed to take the feel of Calle Crisologo in different dimensions.Calle Crisologo at NightAs the night crept in, so did the crowd start to empty Calle Crisologo. Not so great taking photos with the pitch black sky and scarce lighting.The best part of Calle Crisologo at night was the feeling of being transported back to the past. To a time when Vigan was still a sleepy colonial town.Just when I thought my night couldn’t get any better, it rained lightly for a few minutes. I loved the orange tinted reflections on the damp cobblestone street.Street DiningAte dinner at one of the street dining restaurants called “Los Majitos.” Ordered Pinakbet w/ Bagnet with rice and iced tea for P205. Kinda pricey especially since the food tasted so average.By 8 to 9pm, most of the shops have already closed down. There were only a handful of other people in Calle Crisologo. The street was silent save for the echoing sounds of the occasional passing Calesas.This scene was totally what I hoped to experience in Vigan!Don’t leave yet. There’s more!2 Days Ilocos Sur Itinerary - Vigan, Bantay & Santa Maria…11 Days Northern Luzon Itinerary - Cagayan, Ilocos & Baguio…Vigan Walking Tour - Calle Crisologo, Ilocos Sur DIY Solo…Good morning Vigan! Empanada and Sinanglaw BreakfastStill Wandering in OctoberEntry to Laoag City and Sarrat, Ilocos NorteComments Jherson Jaya saysOctober 11, 2011 at 12:55 pmIve been here last year…this pictures makes me wanna go back =) Marcos saysOctober 12, 2011 at 7:28 amsame here :D Gladys | ByahengBarok.com saysOctober 11, 2011 at 2:07 pmgreat photos! from morning to night, you captured the greatness of Vigan. i won’t get tired of going back to Vigan over and over. it’s just a great place to simply take pictures :) Marcos saysOctober 12, 2011 at 7:24 amThanks glady. Me too. I’d love to go back to Vigan! Francois Paolo saysOctober 12, 2011 at 3:25 amHello. great blog! ahm Nueva Segovia is not the old name of Vigan..hehe its Ciudad Fernandina de Vigan.. btw thanks for visiting our city.. Marcos saysOctober 12, 2011 at 7:18 amThanks for the correction. Nueva Segovia is just the diocesan name then, got confused. Your city is so beautiful. For sure, I’ll be coming back. Francois Paolo saysOctober 12, 2011 at 7:54 amyeah.. our diocese, i appreciate your photos truly. u must also include visita iglesia here. many magnificent churches scattered here in ilocos sur etc. santa maria, santo domingo, sn vicente etc… im sure u’ll get good pics from them… gracias kim lim saysFebruary 15, 2013 at 11:11 ami love so much your blog. keep it up..my thumps for u.. Marcos saysFebruary 16, 2013 at 5:54 pmThank kim :D 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
Jherson Jaya saysOctober 11, 2011 at 12:55 pmIve been here last year…this pictures makes me wanna go back =)
Gladys | ByahengBarok.com saysOctober 11, 2011 at 2:07 pmgreat photos! from morning to night, you captured the greatness of Vigan. i won’t get tired of going back to Vigan over and over. it’s just a great place to simply take pictures :)
Francois Paolo saysOctober 12, 2011 at 3:25 amHello. great blog! ahm Nueva Segovia is not the old name of Vigan..hehe its Ciudad Fernandina de Vigan.. btw thanks for visiting our city..
Marcos saysOctober 12, 2011 at 7:18 amThanks for the correction. Nueva Segovia is just the diocesan name then, got confused. Your city is so beautiful. For sure, I’ll be coming back.
Francois Paolo saysOctober 12, 2011 at 7:54 amyeah.. our diocese, i appreciate your photos truly. u must also include visita iglesia here. many magnificent churches scattered here in ilocos sur etc. santa maria, santo domingo, sn vicente etc… im sure u’ll get good pics from them… gracias