Philippines: Manila – Intramuros
Intramuros is the oldest part of Manila, the capital of Philippines. It literally means Walled City in Spanish and was built as a fortress in the 16th century when Philippines was an important outpost of the Spanish Empire. At the north of the Intramuros is Fort Santiago with imposing walls and guns and towers. The walls everywhere else are equally as thick, especially in the south where you can climb on top and see a panoramic view of the skyscrapers and parks beyond the walls. Roaming around Intramuros – there are several historic buildings, and impressive UNESCO listed San Augustine Church (next post), Manila Cathedral, ruins of several other churches, and many monuments. The town is laid out as a grid inside the Intramuros walls. You can spend half a day or more roaming around here.
