Review ｜ Baluarte de San Diego ★★★★★
Baluarte de San Diego, and its connected garden, at the southern end of Intramuros, seems to be skipped by most tourists. It’s a bit of a head scratcher since it’s at least equal to Fort Santiago. I suppose it just doesn’t have the name value, but I enjoyed my time here more than Fort Santiago, partly because there are less tourists around. If you plan on walking the total of Intramuros, you might as well drop into sight on your way out.
The tower was built by the Spanish in sixteenth century, leveled by an earthquake, buried, and finally excavated in the 1970s. The circular foundations that remain today make for interesting view with the modern cityscape of Manila in the background. Visitors can also get an up-close look of the walls of Intramuros here. A golf course hugs the outer walls of Intramuros, which was an interesting choice for the city to go with. It certainly adds an absurd element to the area. The gardens in the lower part of the sight are worth a few minutes as well.
Since Manila is so short on historical sights, this should be on your list especially if you’re exploring Intramuros. A half hour should be enough to explore and take some interesting photos. Don’t forget to check out the Japanese cannon from WWII that is just south of the garden. It’s free to see and missed by most people.
Need more information about the Philippines?
Mill over our full write up on Manila HERE.
Read our full write up on Angeles City HERE.
Check out our full write up on Cebu HERE.
Look at our full write up on Laoag HERE.
View our full write up on Vigan HERE.
Peruse our tips on Palawan HERE. (Coming soon)
Contact & General Information
Price: ₱75
Hours: 8am – 5pm
Website: Baluarte de San Diego (official website)
Location: Google
