Fort Santiago (Fuerza de Santiago)

I love Fort Santiago. It's special to me being the very first historical site I was able to visit in Luzon. And I love the fact that it's located in the heart of the city.

I have brought many friends to the fort every time I'm in Manila and the latest was last July with TravBuddies (minx2812, moonvera, nomaden and silenblack). We were there hours before the Philippine TravBuddy grand meet-up last July 17.

We each paid 50 pesos (1 US dollar) as entrance fee. From there, you can see souvenir shops on your left, a chapel, a golf course, the beautiful park, then the fort gate, memorial cross, the dungeons, the Baluarte de Santa Barbara, the Plaza Armas, the Rizaliana furniture and the Rajah Sulayman Theater. Well, that is what I have remembered so far. ",)


Fort Santiago or Fuerza de Santiago is a good way of rediscovering Manila. It holds significant historical value being 437 years old and a silent witness to the jouney and cry for freedom of the Filipino people -from pre-Spanish era to the Spanish colonization up to the American times, Japanese occupation (on which the fort was used as prison) and up to the present time.

Before the Spaniards came, it was the palace and kingdom of Rajah Suliman, then chieftain of Manila.

Fuerza de Santiago came into being on 1571 and had been destroyed and restored many times.

Jose Rizal, the country's national hero, was imprisoned here before his execution in 1896. When you visit Fort Santiago, you can see Rizal's final footsteps embedded in the ground to represent his final walk from his prison cell to the location of his actual execution.


Although ruined, the fort had been made into a park and when you're on top of the fort, you got a good view of the Pasig River, the china town, pier and Manila Cathedral along with other sites from the walled city of Intramuros.

Well, there are calezas you can hopped on to although they are a bit expensive at 200 pesos each (but at least you got a free ride and a guide).

What I missed in the fort are the food in the picnic grounds. They are no longer there. So, if ever you plan to tour the fort (which can be done in an hour or so) it would be helpful to bring your own water ;)

After the tour, you can alway opt to visit other sites in Intramuros (the walled city) such as the museums of Casa Manila, Bahay Tsinoy, walk-the-walls tour and more ;)


And oh, I almost forgot. Fort Santiago is within Intramuros of the city of Manila, a few meters away from Luneta, the Manila Hotel and Manila Ocean Park. The entrance to the fort is near the Embassy of Chile and behind the city' fire station ;) Hope this helps...