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Fort Santiago

Gen Luna St | Intramuros, Manila, Luzon 1002, Philippines
63 2 527 1572
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As featured in Manila for free
Ranked #8 of 78 attractions in Manila
Type: Historic Sites, Parks
Fee: No
Recommended length of visit: 1-2 hours
Owner description: This museum and public park was built as a stone fortress at the turn of the 17th century and marked the beginning of the walled city's riverside... more » Owner description: This museum and public park was built as a stone fortress at the turn of the 17th century and marked the beginning of the walled city's riverside barricades. « less
Useful Information: Activities for older children
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185 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
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Date Rating
Manila, Philippines
Contributor
14 reviews 14 reviews
6 attraction reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 19 May 2013 NEW

I visited Fort Santiago when I visited Intramuros. Since im already in the area I tried visiting as many places as possible in order to satisfy my passion - Traveling. Since I cant really go out of town, I decided to just explore Manila and enjoy the pieces of history that is attach to it. When I enter the gate,... More

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See 10 more reviews by mhik30 for Manila
Alajuela, Costa Rica
Top Contributor
97 reviews 97 reviews
54 attraction reviews
Reviews in 31 cities Reviews in 31 cities
15 helpful votes 15 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 May 2013

I am not the biggest fan of old forts, etc. Most of this fort was bombed out in the war, but you do see foundations and remnants of walls. It is a notable historical site in war annals of the Philippines and has been the war headquarters of several different countries. Over 600 people were executed and/or left to die... More

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See 8 more reviews by costaricajoan for Manila
Cotabato City, Philippines
Senior Contributor
31 reviews 31 reviews
10 attraction reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 17 May 2013

The first time I visited Fort Santiago many many years back when I came close to the statue of our national hero, with real hair and eyelashes, seeing him holding his pen, writing, I really had that eerie feeling, that my hair almost stood on its end. I felt sad and I almost cried looking at him. The latest visit... More

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See 5 more reviews by Ester J for Manila
Coron Palawan
1 review
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 17 May 2013

history told and untold. architectural design and its strategic location and the present tenants or occupants inside the fort.

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Dublin
Senior Contributor
24 reviews 24 reviews
9 attraction reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 May 2013

Fort Santiago is within Intramuros and well worth a visit. There are a number of attractions within the fort. A guided tour is unnecessary as you can see everything you wish by yourself. The park houses well-preserved legacies from the Spanish Colonial Period including Jose Rizal memorabilia at the Rizal Shrine.

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See 2 more reviews by Irishman_on_tour for Manila
Carlisle, United Kingdom
Top Contributor
52 reviews 52 reviews
24 attraction reviews
Reviews in 23 cities Reviews in 23 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 10 May 2013

I liked Fort Santiago in comparison to the rest of Manila's tourism opportunities, the writings of Rizal are extremely interesting to read and the park area is well maintained. Any tourist guide will tell you Manila is not a wealth of places to visit but if you have a day to spare you may as well visit Fort Santiago.

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See 3 more reviews by Hannah C for Manila
Top Contributor
229 reviews 229 reviews
88 attraction reviews
Reviews in 72 cities Reviews in 72 cities
100 helpful votes 100 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 9 May 2013

Maybe there are parts you can walk around for free but we paid to get in. There's not much else historical so it's worth visiting this place. Nice ruins, a bit of historical information, the Rizal Shrine is there and you have views over the stinky river.

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See 3 more reviews by mrdom for Manila
Hong Kong
Senior Contributor
27 reviews 27 reviews
12 attraction reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
15 helpful votes 15 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 9 May 2013

I had previously been here more than two decades ago so I was pleasantly surprised to see the information and atmosphere is now good and quite conducive to a reasonably informative visit. The location on the river is potentially spectacular but the fort is still rather "scruffy" at the edges and could benefit from some peripheral improvements. The Rizal information... More

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See 2 more reviews by LPfans for Manila
Southampton, United Kingdom
Senior Contributor
24 reviews 24 reviews
14 attraction reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 May 2013

Manila is limited for historical sights so this is as good as it gets. Only about 20 people visiting while we were there so you can escape the crowds here

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See 4 more reviews by James B for Manila
Makati
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
4 attraction reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 May 2013

It just makes you appreciate and be proud of all the heroic deeds and martyrdom of Jose Rizal and the other rebels of way back. Too bad that there were buildings that were now condemned and deemed dangerous to tread on. I just hope that this fort would still be there for a long time and maintained well. I also... More

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