Fort Santiago in Manila

Location: The fort is located in the city within the city of Manila, the specific address is Muralla St, Intramuros, Manila, 1002 Metro Manila.
Opening hours: The fort is open every day, from 8 am to 11 pm.
Entrance fee: The ticket price of the fort is 75 Php (US$1.36)/person, students and seniors can enjoy a preferential price of 50 Php per person (need to show a valid ID).
Reasons to visit: It’s an important attraction in Manila, and a great place to enjoy the views of the Pasig River and Manila Bay.

Fort Santiago is one of the fortifications of Intramuros, the walled city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It witnessed the colonial era and the independence movement of the Philippines, and it was also the last prison and execution site of Jose Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines. Here, you can admire the magnificent architecture of the fort, explore the life and achievements of Rizal, and enjoy the beautiful views of the Pasig River and Manila Bay.

History of the Fort

The history of Fort Santiago can be traced back to the 16th century, when Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, a Spanish navigator and governor, chose this tongue-shaped land where the Pasig River flows into Manila Bay, as a very strategic location to establish Manila, a new city. He built a wooden fort here, replacing the bamboo and mud wall of the local chief Sulayman. The fort was named Santiago, in honor of the patron saint of Spain.

Unfortunately, the fort was destroyed by the attack of the pirate Limahong in 1574. Later, the Spaniards rebuilt the fort with stone, and completed the construction between 1590 and 1592. The fort underwent several destructions and restorations due to earthquakes, wars, and fires in the following centuries, becoming the main defensive fortification and government headquarters of Manila.

Fort Santiago was not only a military stronghold for the Spaniards, but also their prison. Many Filipinos were imprisoned, tortured, and executed here, among whom the most famous was Jose Rizal, who was the national hero of the Philippines, as well as a writer, doctor, educator, and reformer. He was accused of participating in the anti-Spanish revolution in 1896, and was confined in a hut in the fort, and then taken to the nearby Rizal Park and shot.

In the 20th century, Fort Santiago was occupied by the British, the Americans, and the Japanese. In the Battle of Manila in 1945, the fort was destroyed by the American artillery fire, leaving only some ruins. After the war, the fort was returned to the Philippine government by the United States, and was repaired and rebuilt. Today, the fort serves as a museum and a park, open to the public.

Sceneries of the Fort

Fort Santiago is in the northwest of Intramuros, the walled city of Manila. Outside the wall, there is a moat, which connects the Pasig River and Manila Bay, and there is a bridge for pedestrians to cross. Across the bridge over the moat is the gate of the fort, the iconic entrance of Fort Santiago. The wall, which is 10 meters thick, has towers and gun mounts, and these buildings and furnishings with distinctive features of the times, make people feel like they have entered the time tunnel of Philippine history.

In front of the fort, there is a spacious square, called Plaza de Roma, named after the Spanish governor Moriones. This was once a bullring, and the parade ground of the fort. Around the square, there are some barracks and warehouses of the soldiers, which have been transformed into tourist centers, souvenir shops, and cafes.

A wide golf course is built on the land outside the city walls. The prison cell where countless Filipino patriots were held has now been turned into the Jose Rizal Monument for visitors to visit. To commemorate Rizal, the father of the Philippines, the Filipino people cast a bronze statue of Rizal imprisoned in the iron fence prison in Fort Santiago, and cast a string of bronze footprints from the prison to the gate of the fort.

Inside the fort, there is a museum dedicated to Jose Rizal, called the Rizal Shrine. It displays Rizal's life and achievements, relics, manuscripts, clothing, furniture, etc., as well as his cell and trial scenes. On the floor, there are some bronze footprints, marking the last steps of Rizal from his cell to the execution site.

At the farthest end of the fort, there is a three-sided bastion, called the Baluarte De Santa Barbara, built in 1662, which was part of the seaside defense of the city within the city. As it is close to the Pasig River bank, you can walk around or sit down and enjoy your leisure time. You can also overlook the beautiful scenery of the Pasig River and Manila Bay from the bastion. In addition, you can also take a boat tour along the Ganarao River near the fort to enjoy the surrounding and Pasig River scenery.

How to get there

Metro: Take the LRT and get off at United Nations station, walk 20-25 minutes to reach the walled city. The fort is in the northwest of the walled city. 
Taxi: Taking a taxi to Fort Santiago is convenient and fast, and the drivers are very familiar with this road.
Jeepney: Take a jeepney along Bonifacio Drive to get there.