Cheap Flights to Vigan

The town of Vigan in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines, dates back to the early days of Spanish rule. The town was planned well and well preserved too, rich in history and culture. This place with streets of cobblestones truly deserves a visit.

There is a small airport with little activity. An hour and a half hour away is the bigger Laoag Airport with daily flights from the capital city of Manila. Inquire about cheap flights to Vigan with the Philippine Airlines or the Cebu Pacific. To reach Vigan by car from Manila will take about 10 hours. An option is to take air conditioned buses. Travel time is long but the ride is comfortable with well-paved roads. Visitors who choose to fly in can take cheap flights to Vigan during the early morning.

In Vigan, take a horse-drawn carriage that is a carry-over from the old days to make the round of historical sites. The Mestizo District is a collection of ancestral houses of Asian and Spanish architecture. The centuries old St. Paul’s Metropolitan Cathedral of the Augustinian order is of earthquake baroque style with Chinese Feng-shui influences. Nearby is the Archbishop’s Residence also centuries old, and a short walk away is the Plaza Salcedo with a 17th century monument of the Spanish conquistador Juan de Salcedo. To get a glimpse of Ilocano (the ethno linguistic group of the region) culture, go to the Ayala Museum with its artifacts and native handicrafts.

Tourists have plenty to do in Vigan. They can go swimming in a nearby beach resort, ride a small horse in a mini zoo, try their hands in pottery, take a river tour and join festivals.

In the mestizo district are shops with antique reproductions, religious paraphernalia, native products and other unique souvenir items.

The native delicacies include Sinanglao made of beef innards, arroz caldo which is a kind of rice soup with chicken, the okoy made of shrimp, the Vigan longganisa (pork sausages), the crispy bagnet (deep-fried pork), and the famous empanada.

There are nice hotels in Vigan. Some are actually charming residential houses with large storage areas converted into rooms and old ancestral homes with wooden floors of the Spanish and American era. Modern comforts and facilities include air-conditioned rooms, cable TV and WiFi, hot and cold showers and restaurants with native and international cuisines.