VIGAN - A VERY VIBRANT CITY

Location:  Ilocos Sur, Region I, Philippines

The Calesa Parking Lot beside Vigan Cathedral

Established towns during the Spanish period in the Philippines followed the same architectural pattern where the church is the center of the town and fronting the church is a plaza. Other structures like the church convent, the municipal hall, parochial school, the market and other public domain structures are just within this vicinity and the residential houses are already on its periphery. Vigan City is one type of town that followed this design.

Vigan Cathedral and its bell tower

The Church and its fastfood vicinity

Part of the Plaza Burgos

Thus, Vigan Cathedral even at present still remains the center of activities of the city. Fronting the cathedral are fastfood outlets like Jollibee and McDonalds bearing fancy and dramatic architectural design. The right side of the cathedral is the queue of “calesas” waiting for tourists for an exhilarating ride in the city.

Just after a sumptuous lunch at Cafe Leona

Tourists are delighted with an array of delectable local cuisine that you will find in the city. In fact, you will not only feast on the attractions that you will see around but also with the fine and dining restaurants as well.

Cafe Leona's Signage

Our group had tried to dine at Café Leona for our sumptuous lunch. We gave the restaurant an overall rating of excellent to include the service, the ambiance, the facility not to mention their highly appetizing gourmet served. It was like a party where there is no tomorrow.

Daddy Jay and Mommy Josie savoring yummy empanada

For our snacks, we tried Vigan’s pride, the empanada in Irene’s Empanada just within the vicinity of the Heritage in which this empanada is emphasized to be the celebration of the Ilocos Sur cuisine.

The historic Plaza Salcedo

Plaza Salcedo is fronting the Vigan Cathedral and on other sides are the City Hall, Jose Burgos Museum and the prominent structure of McDonald and Jollibee.

A lavish dinner at Uno Grill of Grandpa's Inn

Dinner was even great as we dine in at the Uno Grill of Grandpa’s Inn. It was like a big feast where we brought the house down with scrumptious seafoods, We really savored charcoal grilled specialties of fish, seafood and vegetables though they also have grilled pork, chicken and beef. Indeed, that dinner of ours can be considered as real gastronomical treat for all of us. The ambiance was great as it is housed in an original brick wall with a relaxing atmosphere in a garden setting with so many ornamental plants planted in terra cotta jars (burnay).