Backpacking: Intramuros Manila, Philippines

Welcome to !

The yell Intramuros is taken from the Latin, intra-muros, literally "Within the walls", important within the wall enclosure of the city/fortress, it is also describes its construction equally it is surrounded yesteryear thick together with high walls equally defense strength structures during the Spanish colonial period. Intramuros together with Fort Santiago became a large component division of the Philippine history.

The common is good maintained, secure together with exterior Fort Santiago, you’ll run into 15th together with sixteen century buildings, structures designed which are even so known inwards Spanish yell within exterior of the walls of the park, yous tin stance golf game courses together with the amazing views of the city.

Activities together with attractions must run into inwards Intramuros.

Destination: Introducing Intramuros Manila!

Today, the fort bastions, together with the prison theatre dungeons for criminals used yesteryear the Spanish officials, are at nowadays component division of a historical common which also includes the Plaza Moriones together with several ruins. The common houses well-preserved legacies from the Spanish Colonial Period including memorabilia of José Rizal at the Rizal Shrine, a replica of his ancestral solid inwards Laguna province. The Intramuros Administration at nowadays manages the reconstruction, maintenance, together with administration of the fort since 1992. For guided tours of Fort Santiago, educational tours together with plain trips, yous tin asking from Intramuros Administration.

Opening Hours: Daily 8:00 AM-6:00 PM

Entrance Fee/Admission price: You tin buy the ticket inwards the entrance gate inwards their ticket booth.
Adults: 75.00 pesos
Children/students/teachers (valid IDs required); 50.00 pesos
Disabled together with senior citizens: Free Entrance fee

Parking: An opened upwardly automobile common is only beside the entrance gate of Fort Santiago alongside parking fee of 40.00 pesos per car. You may also common on General Moon expanse only about Plaza Roma inwards front end of Manila Cathedral.

How to acquire there:

By world transportation

Take a jeepney which has (Quiapo-Pier-Lawton) on its front end sign. Tell the driver yous desire to acquire off within walking distance of Fort Santiago. The minimum fare is 9.00 pesos.

By LRT (train)

The Central station halt volition live a walking distance towards Plaza Lawton going to Intramuros together with Fort Santiago.

By Taxi/Cab

This is the easiest together with at nowadays agency going to Intramuros. Tourist tin pay 250.00 +/- specially if yous are caught upwardly inwards traffic.

How to Get Around:

By Calesa

The famous together with the real old-fashioned agency to acquire only about Intramuros is yesteryear calesa. These 2 bicycle horse-drawn carriages are all over Intramuros together with are available for hire patch exploring only about Intramuros. It is best to negotiate the toll commencement earlier going around. The toll depends on the let on of passengers, how many stops together with how long the tour it volition be. Some volition accuse 350.00 pesos for iii passengers for thirty minutes ride.

On foot

Walking from i attraction to some other is also an pick to acquire only about Intramuros. Just article of apparel comfortable walking shoes together with takes some H2O alongside you. Some prefer to accept a ride so they won’t acquire lost during a tour. As ever proceed an oculus out of your belongings.

By Tricycle

The tricycle is a i agency to acquire only about if yous are lone or alongside children. They accuse yesteryear the hour, best to settle the charge per unit of measurement earlier begin together with gear upwardly the time. The cost starts from 25.00-40.00 pesos per person.

I. Intramuros Tour

A. Defensive Walls of Intramuros & Fortifications

The walls were made of rock together with receive got covered an expanse of 64 hectares (160 acres) of land, surrounded yesteryear 8 feet (2.4 m) thick stones together with high walls that ascent to 22 feet (6.7 m). An inner moat (foso) surrounds the perimeter of the wall together with an outer moat (contrafoso) surrounding the walls that aspect upwardly the city.

1. Nuestra Senora de Guia - was erected to defend the Earth together with body of body of water on the southwestern side of the city.

2. Baluarte de San Diego - This bastion, shaped similar an "ace of spades" is the southernmost indicate of the wall together with the commencement of the large bastions added to the encircling walls.

The 7 bastions (clockwise, from Fort Santiago) are the Bastions of Tenerias, Aduana, San Gabriel, San Lorenzo, San Andres, San Diego, together with Plano.  The bastions were constructed at dissimilar fourth dimension periods, thence the argue for the differences inwards style. As mentioned above, the oldest bastion is the San Diego Bastion.

3. Fort Santiago, Santa Clara (on the NW halt of Plaza Moriones). The onetime military machine headquarters of the Spanish colonial government. Although the fort sustained real heavy harm during the 1945 Battle of Manila, several fundamental portions of the chemical compound were later restored. It is at nowadays considered a major landmark together with i of Manila's nearly pop tourist attractions, partly because José Rizal - the national hero of the Philippines - was imprisoned hither prior to his execution on thirty December 1896.

4. Postigo del Palacio, Santa Lucia (a curt distance from the dorsum of the Palacio del Gobernador). Built inwards 1662, renovated 1782-83. On thirty December 1896, national hero José Rizal was taken through this gate en road to the house of his execution, inwards what is known today equally Rizal Park.

 

B. Buildings (Inside Colonial Intramuros)

1. Plaza Mayor (later known equally Plaza McKinley so Plaza de Roma)- The principal foursquare of the urban essence of Manila - Plaza de Roma is Intramuros' real ain plaza mayor (main square). At the centre of the plaza stands a monument to King Carlos IV of Spain, cast inwards 1808 together with erected inwards 1824 yesteryear a colonial authorities grateful for his having dispatched a shipment of smallpox vaccine to the Philippines.

2. Ayuntamiento (City Hall)- East of the plaza -Ayuntamiento, Andres Soriano (Aduana) cor. Cabildo (right adjacent to Plaza de Roma), Completely rebuilt inwards 1884 after the disastrous earthquake of 1863, the spot of Manila's colonial-era urban essence council i time had some of the grandest interiors inwards Intramuros. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 major reconstruction projection that started a few years agone is finally nearing completion, alongside the facade of the historic edifice at nowadays having regained much of its prewar glory.

3. Palacio Del Gobernador, General Moon (Calle Real del Palacio) cor. Andres Soriano (Aduana) (right adjacent to Plaza de Roma). This eight-story component division edifice was erected inwards the belatedly 1870s on the site of the Spanish Governor-General's official residence, which was destroyed inwards a powerful 1863 earthquake that also damaged many other structures inwards Intramuros.

C. Churches

Of the 7 principal churches that were located within its walls, exclusively 2 remain: San Agustin Church, the oldest edifice inwards beingness inwards Manila completed inwards 1607, together with the Manila Cathedral, the spot of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila, which was reconstructed inwards the 1950s.

1. San Agustin Church (Augustinians) built inwards 1607.

2. San Nicolas de Tolentino Church (Recollects) (TODAY: Manila Bulletin)

3. San Francisco Church (Franciscans) (TODAY: Mapúa Institute of Technology)

4. Third Venerable Order Church (Third Order of St. Francis) (TODAY: Mapúa Chapel)

5. Santo Domingo Church (Dominican) (TODAY: Bank of the Philippine Islands)

6. Lourdes Church (Capuchins)

7. San Ignacio Church (Jesuits) (TODAY: Ruins)

8. Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Manila Cathedral)

Destroyed together with rebuilt several times over, the Cathedral is the spot of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila together with i of the nearly of import churches inwards the Philippines. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 minor exhibit detailing the Cathedral's history tin live found inwards i of the side chapels nigh the entrance. Masses are scheduled daily; refer to the official website for a total schedule of liturgical services. Donations are appreciated.

D. Gates of Intramuros

Entrance to the urban essence was through 8 gates or Puertas namely (clockwise, from Fort Santiago) Puerta Almacenes, Puerta de la Aduana, Puerta de Santo Domingo, Puerta Isabel II, Puerta del Parian, Puerta Real, Puerta Sta. Lucia, together with Puerta del Postigo

E. Museums

1. Bahay Tsinoy
 

Address: 32 Anda cor. Cabildo Streets, Intramuros, Manila
Entrance Fee: 100.00 pesos for adults; 60.00 pesos for students together with children
Open Hours: Tues-Sunday 1:00 PM-5:00 PM.

A museum dedicated to the history together with contributions of the Chinese-Filipino community. Dedicated to the largest immigrant grouping inwards the Philippines, the Chinese, the Bahay Tsinoy recreates the Parian (now known equally Chinatown inwards Binondo). The museum has wax figures that depict the struggles of overseas Chinese workers, which resembles the life of the overseas Filipino workers. In the museum, guests volition learns how the Chinese people built a marketplace inwards Binondo together with blended amidst the Filipinos through intermarriage over the yesteryear centuries.

2. Casa Manila

Address: General Moon (Calle Real del Palacio) cor. Real (across the street from San Agustín Church) Intramuros, Manila

Entrance Fee: 75.00 pesos for adult; 50.00 pesos for student, teacher, senior citizen

Open Hours: Tues-Sunday 09:00 PM-06:00 PM.

Recreating the life of the Filipino elite course of instruction during the 17th together with 18th century, the museum shows the influence of Spain’s opulent lifestyle amidst the native Filipinos. More than only a walkthrough of the diverse artifacts together with antique memorabilia, Casa Manila aims to revive Filipinos’ buried yesteryear together with preserved the country’s rich history. The interiors are filled alongside antique furniture, artwork, together with other artifacts from the Spanish era, all carefully arranged to illustrate what life was similar for wealthy families of that period.

Governed yesteryear the Intramuros Administration, the museum edifice has a baroque design, alongside ornate high ceiling, Spanish flooring together with Victorian forest furniture. Like the other houses inwards Plaza San Luis Complex, the casa has commercial establishments on the basis flooring together with residential areas inwards its upper floors.

3. Light together with Sound Museum

Address: Santa Lucia cor. Victoria, Intramuros, Manila

Entrance Fee: 100.00 pesos per somebody for grouping of 10 or more; smaller groups are reportedly charged a higher per-person rate. Make certain to go hither inwards a large grouping because it is much cheaper.
Open Hours: Tues-Sunday 09:00 PM-06:00 PM.

The museum uses images sounds, together with animatronics, the museum takes visitors on a journeying through Philippine history nether Spanish rule. The facility is housed inwards a edifice whose facade reproduces the appearance of the old motherhouse of the Beaterio de la Compañía de Jesús, which stood on the site until its devastation during the Second World War.

4. Rizal Shrine, Fort Santiago
 

Address: Fort Santiago, Intramuros, Manila

Entrance Fee: 100.00 pesos per person; 75.00 pesos for student; 50.00 pesos for children

Open Hours: Tues-Sunday 08:00 PM-05:00 PM.

Located within the Fort Santiago, the Rizal Shrine Museum is a two-story edifice dedicated to the life together with heroism of the Philippine national hero MD Jose Rizal. The building, which contained Rizal’s prison theatre cell, originally housed the artillery companies of the Spanish army. The prison theatre cellular telephone on the basis flooring was the barracks pantry. Like the balance of the fort, it was destroyed during the World War II together with was later reconstructed inwards 1953 to go the museum.

 

Upon entering on the commencement room inwards the basis floor, i tin run into a mural yesteryear National Artist Carlos “Botong” Francisco depicting the Philippine hero’s execution. In the Chamber of Texts room, i tin run into excerpts of Rizal’s plant engraved on metallic plates together with other personal artifacts including his ophthalmologic instruments.

At the Garden Gallery is the small, windowless prison theatre cellular telephone where Rizal was imprisoned. It has a life-size statue of Rizal sculpted yesteryear National Artist Guillermo Tolentino. History has it that this was where Rizal saw his woman parent for the lastly fourth dimension together with gave to his sis Trinidad the alcohol burner where he hid the lastly poetry form he had ever written, the “Mi Ultimo Adios” (My Last Farewell).

5. San Agustín Museum

Address: General Moon (Calle Real del Palacio) cor. Real (right adjacent to San Agustín Church) Intramuros, Manila

Entrance Fee: 100.00 pesos for adult; 80.00 pesos for senior citizen; 50.00 pesos for college student; 45.00 pesos for high schoolhouse student; 40.00 pesos for child.

Open Hours: Daily 08:00 PM-06:00 PM.

Adjacent to the San Agustín Church, is the San Agustin Church Museum. Connected to the centuries-old church building through a passageway from the balcony, the San Agustin Museum preserves the church’s ecclesiastical relics together with artworks such equally wooden together with ivory statues, Dominican paintings together with sculptures, renditions of the galleon ships, the church’s 3400-kilogram bell together with other architectural emblems of Spanish Catholicism. It also has some touches of Filipino together with Chinese designs equally evident inwards the octagonal-shaped, gold-gilded linings together with pineapples decorating the pulpit. Italian artisans also incorporated trompe de l’oeil on the ceiling.

Having survived many bombings together with weathered earthquakes together with other natural calamities, its walls are will to the rich Filipino history. Probably the principal highlights of the tour are the is the bamboo organ, featuring a five-organ piano, on the church’s balcony together with the mausoleum at the parent left of the church building altar which houses the remains of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the Spanish Governor who named Manila equally Spain’s colony.

F. The Ruins

1. Intendencia (Aduana), Andres Soriano (Aduana) cor. Muralla (not far from the riverbank), Built inwards the 1820s together with reconstructed after the 1863 earthquake. This edifice i time housed the Spanish colonial government's customs offices together with other administrative units. It was damaged during the state of war but survived to re-enter authorities service - at i indicate housing the Central Bank of the Philippines - exclusively to autumn victim to a 1979 strength out that caused massive destruction. There are plans to restore the edifice (whose exterior walls receive got survived to a greater extent than or less intact) for the role of the National Archives.

2. San Ignacio Church, Arzobispo cor. Anda,. Built yesteryear the Jesuits together with consecrated inwards 1889, the church's magnificent interiors were completely destroyed inwards 1945. There are plans to restore the ruined edifice for role equally an ecclesiastical museum.

Happy Travels!

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