Exploring Calle Crisologo, A World Heritage Village

Vigan, a city located northwest of the largest island in the Philippines (Luzon), is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The historical town is said to have been established and built in the 15th century during the Spanish era in the country. The city is home to many preserved ancient churches, rustic mansions, towers, etc.

Our family visited the place in December and after the New Year's Eve dinner plus a quick rest at our hotel, we headed for a stroll at around 9 pm. The older ones opted to stay so it was only us, the young ones😅 who explored the famous Calle Crisologo (declared as a Unesco Heritage Village) which is just some blocks away.

The Calle, a pedestrian-only zone (no vehicles are allowed in most sections), boasts cobblestone-paved streets and centuries-old Spanish Colonial and Chinese embellished houses. History states that most of the ancestral homes there were owned and used by scions of Spanish settlers and also by rich Chinese who migrated to the place and set up businesses back then.

The architecture is a blend of multicultural including European influences. Aesthetic lamps illuminate the street which makes it feel a bit more magical at night. (Forgive me for the poor shots though).

Accordingly, there are about 200 structures there and most have been converted into inns or lodges, souvenir shops, restaurants, cafes, and what else. We even noticed a bank and a cinema during our walk.

And yep, even Starbucks found its way there!

Anyhow, there were not many people when we got there. We did meet some - a father and his kid in a stroller, a few couples, and some families too. We noticed a few Kalesas (horse-drawn carriages) passed by, with tourists in them. We thought of having a ride too but we haven't had the chance because there were very few of them.

Christmas decorations were still seen in some shop frontage. And except for a very few open diners, most of the establishments were closed. It was New Year's Eve after all so who would be working at those hours?

Anyway, we walked further and found ourselves along the Vigan Home Hotel. It was really quiet in that area like we were the only ones around.

We ventured a few more blocks and we arrived at the plaza where we saw more people. It turned out there was a mass going on in the nearby park.

So we went closer, took our seats in front of the snack stands, and joined in. Our feet badly needed some rest at that point so it was perfect timing.

After a while, we decided it was time to go back to our hotel. We walked by the bell church tower which was full of scaffoldings. The structure may have been damaged during the strong magnitude of the earthquake some months back. I wonder if they will be able to restore it, or it would be the same with the Bantay Bell Tower which became one to be admired from afar.

We also passed by along the street decorated with lots of lights and colorful festive banners.

It was quieter along the Aniceto Mansion but inside may have been filled with late-night diners. We even encountered some of our town folks coming out from the restaurant. The husband was thrilled that he spent the whole walk chitchatting with one of the guys.

We walked back to our hotel, passing through Calle Crisologo once more. It was a nice experience exploring that street. It felt like we traveled back through centuries with all those things that we sighted.

We did notice that some of them were already dilapidated and badly needed restoration works like this one. It must be challenging for the city (budget and all), but we believe they can maintain the place for people's safety and enjoyment.

I think it would be nice to explore the place again in the daytime for a better view and perhaps experience being inside of those ancient structures. We hope to set foot in that city again someday...

_{This by the way is my participation in April InLeo and Tattoodjay's WednesdayWalk initiative.}

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Photos are my own, courtesy of the husband. 03042024/20:20ph

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