Must-see attractions in Philippines

  • Banca boats in the water at Coron Island.
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    Coron Island

    Coron Town

    This island, only a 20-minute bangka ride from Coron town, has an imposing, mysterious skyline that wouldn’t be out of place in a King Kong film. Flying…

  • Nacpan beach in El Nido.

    Nacpan Beach

    El Nido

    For an easy day trip out of El Nido, head north by tricycle or motorbike to this incredible, golden-hued, 3km-long beach. Development has arrived in…

  • Shadows of palm trees on Duli beach, a surfing spot at El Nido.
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Nature Travel Destinations Horizontal Outdoors Southeast Asia Philippines Blue Rippled Tropical Climate Wave - Water Surf Landscape - Scenery Palm Tree Island Sand Rock - Object Day Shadow Beach South China Sea Idyllic Palawan Coastline Incidental People Cloudscape Photography Developing Countries El Nido duli beach

    Duli Beach

    El Nido

    This incredibly beautiful, jungle-backed, stretch of golden sand toward the northern tip of mainland Palawan is the centre of El Nido's surfing community…

  • Craft store on historic Crisologo Street, Mestizo District.

    Mestizo District

    Vigan

    The Mestizo District, or Kasanglayan ('where the Chinese live'), is a grid of streets hemmed in between Plaza Burgos and Liberation Blvd and bisected by…

  • Tarsier in a tree at Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary.

    Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary

    Bohol

    In Canapnapan, a barangay of Corella, you can see saucer-eyed tarsiers in the wild at the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary. Over 100 of these territorial…

  • Main gate of Fort Santiago in Manila, Philippines.

    Fort Santiago

    Manila

    Guarding the entrance to the Pasig River is Intramuros' premier tourist attraction: Fort Santiago. Within the fort grounds is an oasis of lovely manicured…

  • People praying at the Basilica Minore del Santo Nino in Cebu, Philippines.

    Basilica Minore del Santo Niño

    Cebu City

    Cebu's holiest church houses a revered Flemish statuette of the Christ child (Santo Niño) that dates to Magellan's time. The church is no stranger to…

  • San Agustin Church at Intramuros, Manila, Philippines.

    San Agustin Church

    Manila

    The San Agustin Church was the only building left intact after the destruction of Intramuros in WWII. Built between 1587 and 1606, it is the oldest church…

  • Trail to the observation deck among the water at low tide at Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary.

    Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary

    Cebu

    Just 20 minutes from Mactan by public bangka, Olango Island is home to this important wildlife reserve. Taking in 1030 hectares of sand flats and…

  • Artwork on display inside the Pinto Art Museum.

    Pinto Art Museum

    Manila

    This fantastic museum in Antipolo, in the hills just east of Metro Manila, showcases some of the Philippines' best contemporary artists. There are six…

  • Chinese Cemetery in Manila, Philippines.

    Chinese Cemetery

    Manila

    As in life, so it is in death for Manila’s wealthy Chinese citizens, who are buried with every modern convenience in the huge Chinese Cemetery. It's far…

  • The Ayala museum at Makati city, Metro Manila, Philippines.

    Ayala Museum

    Manila

    This gleaming museum features four floors of superbly curated exhibits on Filipino culture, art and history. At the heart of the collection is a brilliant…

  • People enjoy White Beach at Boracay island, Philippines.

    White Beach

    Boracay

    With its glorious, powdered-sugar sand, White Beach is the centre of the action in Boracay and the only sight most visitors ever see. Beach locations are…

  • Museo Sugbo.

    Museo Sugbo

    Cebu City

    This excellent museum comprises several galleries in a sturdy old coral-stone building that was Cebu's provincial jail from 1870 to 2004. Rooms are…

  • People swimming in Kawasan Falls.

    Kawasan Falls

    Moalboal

    Located in Badian, 17km south of Moalboal, Kawasan Falls comprise a series of three waterfalls; the largest cascades 15m into a massive, milky-blue…

  • The National museum of Anthropology, Manila, Philippines.

    National Museum of Anthropology

    Manila

    Within a resplendent neoclassical building, this superb museum houses a vast and varied collection, including the skullcap of the Philippines’ earliest…

  • Sambawan island, Philippines

    Sambawan Island

    Eastern Visayas

    This idyllic, slender island with its crescent-shaped white-sand beach and turquoise water has excellent snorkelling and some of the best scuba diving…

  • Beach lined with palm trees at San Vincente's Long Beach.

    Long Beach

    Palawan

    San Vicente's signature attraction is a real beauty. It actually consists of three beaches – Long Beach 1, 2 and 3 – which combined yield about 14km of…

  • Front of the Clark Museum, Pampanga, Philippines.

    Clark Museum

    Around Manila

    On the edge of the former American parade grounds, this well-presented museum details the history of Clark from 1901 up to its development of the Freeport…

  • Graves at Manila American Cemetery.

    Manila American Cemetery

    Manila

    A poignant and peaceful spot, this sprawling war cemetery on a grassy, beautifully manicured plot is the resting place of 17,206 soldiers killed in battle…

  • Bounty Beach, Malapascua, Phillipines

    Bounty Beach

    Malapascua Island

    This glorious stretch of pale sand occupies almost the entire southern part of the island. It's lined with hotels, restaurants, dive shops and massage…

  • Limasawa Island

    Leyte

    Tranquil Limasawa Island, a place of historical and religious significance, is well worth a visit. The island has around 6000 inhabitants and five tiny…

  • Kuyawyaw Falls

    Palawan

    This is a series of three falls cascading into fresh pools 27km north of Taytay. There's a fun little 4m cliff jump at the second falls, which are less…

  • Ulan-Ulan Falls

    Eastern Visayas

    Ulan-Ulan means rain in the local dialect and these 25m-high falls, surrounded by dense tropical forest, are some of the most spectacular in Biliran. A…

  • Marcela Mariño & Felipe Agoncillo House

    Around Manila

    One of Taal's most engaging house museums, this was the home of Dona Marcela Mariño, who married local lawyer and independence activist Felipe Agoncillo…

  • Basilica of St Martin de Tours

    Around Manila

    Originally built in 1759, before being destroyed and rebuilt between 1849 and 1865, this truly massive baroque-style basilica is one of the largest and…

  • 500px Photo ID: 133312595 - Established in 1976, the Metropolitan Museum of Manila is the first Philippine art institution to offer a bilingual and pedagogical program. It is partially subsidized by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP or the Central Bank of the Philippines). In 1979 the 'Met' was incorporated into a foundation known as the Metropolitan Museum of Manila Foundation, Inc. officially changing the status of the Museum to an independent, private, nonsectarian, non-political and non-profit cultural foundation...The Museum is responsible for the conservation of some of the country's national treasures. The basement gallery showcases pre-Hispanic gold and pottery artifacts--proof of a flourishing pre-colonial Filipino society actively engaged in international trade and showcasing hallmarks of Filipino art and culture from the 8th to 13th centuries.

    Metropolitan Museum of Manila

    Manila

    The 'Met' is a world-class gallery tracing the evolution of Filipino art from the early 20th century to the present. Virtually all great Filipino painters…

  • 500px Photo ID: 136281609 - The main industry that Marikina is famous for – shoemaking – began in 1887 through the pioneering efforts of Don Laureano “Kapitan Moy” Guevarra. Kapitan Moy started experimenting with shoemaking when the soles of his own imported shoes broke. For want of a shoe repair shop nearby he tried to fix his shoes. At that time only the Chinese located in Manila were engaged in shoe repair and manufacture. Marikenos were already engaged in the limited production of slippers and clogs, or bakya, even before the coming of the Spaniards...Kapitan Moy separated the different parts of his shoes, studying closely the intricacies of how the shoe was put together. Tiburcio “Busyong” Eustaquio, a wooden clog maker, made a pair of shoe lasts for Kapitan Moy to help him in his experiments. The tools used in making the first Marikina shoes were borrowed from blacksmiths in Marikina and Pasig. Kapitan Moy, after several unsuccessful attempts, succeeded in making the first pair of Marikina shoes.

    Marikina Shoe Museum

    Manila

    A must for Imelda Marcos junkies is the Marikina Shoe Museum. There's the footwear of various Filipino luminaries on display here, but it's Imelda’s shoes…

  • MANILA, PHILIPPINES - 2014/03/11: Casa Manila Courtyard and Fountain - Casa Manila is housed in a Spanish era building that shows the colonial lifestyle during the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. Casa Manila is an imposing stone structure circa 1850, one of the grand houses in Barrio San Luis of Intramuros and across the street from San Agustin church. (Photo by John S Lander/LightRocket via Getty Images)

    Casa Manila

    Manila

    This beautiful reproduction of a Spanish colonial house offers a window into the opulent lifestyle of the gentry in the 19th century. Imelda Marcos had it…

  • MANILA - FEB 14: Jose Rizal Monument on 14 Feb, 14 in Manila. The monument dedicated for Jose Rezal, he is widely considered the greatest national hero of the Philippines.; Shutterstock ID 181608902; Your name (First / Last): Josh Vogel; GL account no.: 56530; Netsuite department name: Online Design; Full Product or Project name including edition: Digital Content/Sights

    Rizal Monument

    Manila

    Fronted by a 46m flagpole and guarded by sentries in full regalia, the Rizal Monument contains national hero José Rizal’s mortal remains and stands as a…

  • Bamboo Organ of Las Piñas

    Manila

    This famous organ, designated a national culture treasure, was built between 1816 and 1824 in the St Joseph Parish Church of Las Piñas on the southern…

  • Callao Cave

    North Luzon

    The most accessible part of the area's immense 25km limestone cave complex is the seven-chambered Callao Cave. The cave is reached by 184 slippery steps…

  • Malumpati Spring & Bugang River

    Panay

    One of the most striking natural features in western Visayas, the astonishing Malumpati Spring and Bugang River emerges from nowhere in the midst of the…

  • BenCab Museum

    Baguio

    This superb museum dedicated to the life, times and work of artist Benedicto Reyes Cabrera (BenCab) is as fascinating as the man himself. The gallery is a…

  • Rizal Shrine

    Manila

    The building where José Rizal was incarcerated has been turned into a shrine-museum dedicated to his life. There's a re-creation of his cell block, the…

  • Paoay Church

    North Luzon

    Nineteen kilometres southwest of Laoag is North Luzon’s most famous church. Unesco World Heritage–listed Paoay Church was built in classic earthquake…

  • St Louis University Museum

    Baguio

    This campus museum is run by Isekias 'Ike' Picpican, one of the country’s foremost authorities on the history and culture of the Cordillera people. You…

  • Miagao Church

    Iloilo

    Built between 1787–97, this impressive church, with its striking pyramidal towers, served as a fortress against Muslim raiders. Damaged over the years by…

  • Rizal Boulevard

    Dumaguete

    While Filipino cities aren't generally known for their beauty or charm, Dumaguete's waterfront promenade along Rizal Blvd is an exception to the rule…

  • Casa Mariquit

    Iloilo

    A massive banyan tree looms atmospherically over the entrance to this grand home built in 1803 by Philippines VP Fernando Lopez (Mariquit was his wife's…

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