The Random Bibliophile

by Renee Alexis

Renee Alexis
20-something Filipina, an introvert who loves young adult fiction, brush pens, Taylor Swift, and BTS. Coffee runs in my bloodstream.

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Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, Philippines

Vigan City | The Famous Calle Crisologo


Ah, Vigan City, home of the famous street known as Calle Crisologo and is included in the list of the UNESCO's World Heritage Sites in the Philippines. A lot of tourists and local TV personalities have come here and flaunted their gorgeous photos on Instagram. But what does this street have that had made it so famous all over the Philippines? Why it's Spanish-era feel of course. 


With its mestizo district filled with Spanish-style houses that evoke a bygone era, Calle Crisologo became one of the major attractions of Vigan. For visitors who want to experience being transported back to this period in Philippine Spanish colonial time, a walk or a calesa ride through Vigan’s Calle Crisologo (or Mena Crisologo Street) is a must. Your rented calesa will guide you through four blocks of cobblestone streets lined with heritage houses of the families of the Filipino-Chinese traders who rose to prominence during that time of vigorous trading in abel cloth, indigo, gold, tobacco and other goods that were transported to Vigan from all over the North. - www.vigan.ph

For more history about this place, please read this blog. He explains it better :D
We headed to this historic street after lunch and gladly took the moment to click some photos while it was still not crowded. Walking through, I thought I'd really feel like I'm taken years back. I was disappointed that Calle Crisologo was just what it was - a street. A busy street where flocks of people just pass by going about their businesses, a street where a couple of vendors put up stalls to sell pasalubongs for visiting tourists like us.


While it was a picturesque view of cobblestones and old Spanish-style houses, the experience leans more towards the mundane. Nothing fancy to be noteworthy here, just the typical scenic view of the old times.


Nonetheless, I loved having to experience this part of the city with the company of my friends. Having them made the tour a lot more fun. I will not forget this memory but I'm sure I will have more of it with them. ❤️


One thing of note here, though, is this street vendor's dirty ice cream. After a few minutes of exploring under the sun, we felt hot and needed to have something refreshing. We came upon this Manong who was selling ice cream and bought some. It was a delicious treat! A sugar cone filled with chocolate, mango and avocado ice cream - the latter being the tastiest, ugh, it was such a delight and it's only for 20 pesos!



Overall, it was a pleasure to have visited Calle Crisologo. I would love to see how it looks at night, so in the future, I might visit it again. ðŸ˜Š


Have you been to Vigan City? If you have, how was your experience? If you still haven't, do you have plans to go? Tell me your thoughts in the comments section below. ðŸ˜‰


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