By air
Laoag International (LAO), ~1.5 h by road
Southeast Asia · Philippines
Vigan, Philippines
A preserved Spanish colonial town
Getting there
Best time to visit
November to April — dry season
Don't miss
Calle Crisologo
Vigan Cathedral
The Bantay Bell Tower
The Syquia Mansion
Things to do
Calesa (horse cart) rides
The Pagburnayan pottery yards
The nightly dancing fountain
Where to eat
What to pack
Light clothes, walking shoes
A quieter corner
Calle Crisologo at dawn, before the horse carts
Questions travellers ask
Which months are best for Vigan?
November to April, the dry season. Wear light clothes and walking shoes.
Which airport serves Vigan?
Laoag International (LAO), about 1.5 hours away by road.
What is there to see and do in Vigan?
Calle Crisologo, Vigan Cathedral, the Bantay Bell Tower and the Syquia Mansion. Add a calesa (horse cart) ride, the Pagburnayan pottery yards and the nightly dancing fountain.
When should I walk Calle Crisologo?
At dawn, before the horse carts. Then refuel with Vigan empanada, longganisa and bagnet.
About Vigan
- Riverside
- Coastal
Where it is
Vigan is the capital of the province of Ilocos Sur, on the north-west coast of Luzon in the Philippines, near the mouth of the Abra River.
History
Chinese, Japanese and other traders came to Vigan by river before the Spanish conquistador Juan de Salcedo founded a town here in 1572. Vigan became a prosperous trading centre where Chinese, Ilocano and Spanish cultures merged, and in 1999 UNESCO listed it as the best-preserved example of a Spanish colonial town in Asia.
People
Vigan's people are Ilocanos who speak Ilocano as well as Filipino and English, and many families descend from the Chinese mestizo merchants who built its mansions. Traditional crafts include burnay pottery and abel, the hand-woven cotton cloth of the Ilocos.
Known for
- Calle Crisologo's cobbled street
- Horse-drawn calesa rides
- Burnay jars from the Pagburnayan kilns
- Vigan Cathedral and the Bantay Bell Tower
- Vigan longganisa and empanada
Did you know?
In 2014 Vigan was chosen as one of the New7Wonders Cities in a worldwide public vote.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.