Visiting Intramuros: Going Within the Walls of Manila's History

It was a goal of ours to absorb some history and culture during our trip to Manila this time around. On Sunday, Nov. 14, my cousins and aunt were nice enough to - at the suggestion of one of my cousin's friends - take us to Intramuros, located along the southern bank of the Pasig River.

It was built by the Spaniards in the 16th century and is Manila's oldest district. Its name, in Latin, literally means "within the walls" and refers to the wall enclosure of the city/fortress and describes its structure as it is surrounded by thick, high walls and moats.

During the Spanish colonial period, Intramuros was considered Manila itself. It served as the centre of political, military and religious power of the Spaniards during the time that the Philippines was a colony of Spain.



Located within the walled city is Fort Santiago, a defense fortress which also imprisoned political advocate and national hero Jose Rizal before his execution in 1896. Today, Rizal's spirit lives on through a shrine and exhibit that ensures his work and ideals live on for future generations to learn about.



Also located within the area is the Manila Cathedral (above) and other buildings (below) that preserve the Spanish-era architecture, which I loved.



We did enjoy our short visit a lot and leisurely walked through the beautiful gardens, trying to stay cool as the afternoon sun beated down on us and the humidity slowing down our pace. The city definitely tried to keep the memory of the old times alive, with guards dressed in old military garments and the calesa (horse on carriage) offered as a means to get around the grounds. I'm glad we made this visit.

We ended our 1-day stopover in Manila with a dinner with my uncle's family - and two other cousins - and then walked around the newly opened Eastwood Mall (below). New malls seem to sprout like coconut trees in the city, but it's nice to have seen that history lives on within the walls of Intramuros.