This walking tour of old Manila will take about five hours in total. From Binondo, walk across Jones Bridge over the Pasig River from where there is a fine view of the imposing Post Office building.
The original building dates from 1926 but it was heavily damaged during the war and had to be rebuilt in 1946.
Nearby is the Manila Metropolitan Theatre building. Completed in 1931, this interesting art-deco beauty only had a working life of 10 years before it was severely damaged during World War Two.
Since then, it has undergone a number of renovations and half-completed restorations interspersed with long periods of disuse and decay. At one time it served as a boxing arena but it is currently abandoned again and its fate is uncertain.
Filipino influences were incorporated into the stain glass windows and the capiz shell lamps flanking the entrance to the theatre.
Five minutes’ walk away is one of the entrances to the walled city of Intramuros where Spain built its first fortifications over 400 years ago.
The quiet narrow streets within its thick stone walls contain a number of restored heritage buildings and points of historic interest.
San Agustin Church (below) was one of the first stone-built churches in the Philippines, completed in 1606 and renovated in 1854. Shortly afterwards, the earthquakes of 1863 and 1880 demolished the left-hand bell tower which accounts for its lob-sided appearance.
It was the only building left standing in Intramuros after the US liberation of Manila. For that reason alone, it deserves its status as a Unesco World Heritage site.
By this point of the walking tour, you’ll probably be in need of some refreshment, and the elegant Ristorante delle Mitre, immediately facing the church, served an excellent meal. Many of the dishes are named after bishops who are said to dine there regularly.
Next is the Manila Cathedral. This building, completed in 1958, is the sixth cathedral on this site, its five predecessors having been destroyed by typhoon/fire, earthquake, earthquake again, earthquake yet again and WWII respectively.
It does not seem to be a lucky site – will it survive the next earthquake?
The banner on the cathedral says “Do we need the RH Bill? No!” which presumably refers to the Reproductive Health Bill.
At the northern tip of Intramuros sits the bastion of Fort Santiago which overlooks Pasig River and once controlled all approaches to the city. It has a long and bloodthirsty history.
Until 1570 it consisted of a wooden stockade occupied by Rajah Sulaiman who ran the Muslim kingdom of Manila on behalf of his relative, the Sultan of Brunei.
Then the Spanish arrived and a great deal of negotiating, skirmishing and treachery on both sides took place but the outcome was that in 1571 King Philippe of Spain ordered Adelantado Miguel Lopez de Legazpi to colonise the country.
“What shall we call the colony your Majesty?” asked Legazpi. “How about naming it after me” replied King Philippe. “Jolly good idea sir.”
The fort was strengthened, damaged, destroyed and rebuilt numerous times over the next couple of centuries by the Spanish and even the British who occupied it for two years from 1762.
It later became headquarters for the US army during their administration of the Philippines.
During WWII the Japanese military committed a great number of tortures and executions in the fort’s dungeons which are now mostly closed off to the public.
The Fort also contains a museum commemorating Jose Rizal, the national hero who led the country to independence from the Spanish.
From the ramparts of Fort Santiago, you can grab a good view of Pasig River looking back over Binondo.
Despite the progress, slum areas remain in the Tondo district where life may not have improved much since the old postcard below was issued.
To round off the walking tour, exit the Intramuros and take a quick look round the neighbouring Rizal/Luneta Park area.
The grand Manila Hotel, built in 1909, is still there and little changed from the view in this vintage postcard (except the stars and stripes no longer flies above it and nowadays there is a high-rise extension).
You can stay in the three-bedroom MacArthur suite, which was the residence of General MacArthur from 1935-1941, if your pockets are deep enough.
Next to the hotel is the Quirino Grandstand, scene of dramatic events when a disgruntled ex-cop hijacked a bus load of Hong Kong tourists and a number of them were killed in a bungled police rescue attempt.
Alongside Rizal Park are two impressive looking classical buildings, The National Museum and the Department of Tourism. The walking tour ends here.
This article first appeared on Thrifty Traveller.