Walk the Walls of Intramuros

Intramuros, the walled city at the heart of old Manila, covers about 64 hectares inside its fortifications. The walls are about 6.7 metres high and 2.4 metres thick, with Fort Santiago guarding the northern tip where the Pasig River meets the bay. Walking along and around them is the best way to understand the shape of the old city and to see parts of Intramuros that most visitors miss.

There were eight original gates. Moving clockwise from Fort Santiago they were Almacenes, Aduana, Santo Domingo, Isabel II, Parian, Real, Santa Lucía and Postigo. Five have been restored or rebuilt: Isabel II, Parian, Real, Santa Lucía and Postigo, and each is worth stopping at. Seven main bastions punctuate the circuit, among them San Gabriel, San Andrés and San Diego.

The most interesting stop is the Baluarte de San Diego, the southernmost point of the walls and the first of the large bastions added to the circuit, with a distinctive ace-of-spades shape. It is open daily from 8am to 5pm, with last entry at 4pm, and its gardens are a pleasant place to rest. Along the outside of the walls, the old moats were filled in during the American period and now form the Club Intramuros golf course, which gives the walls their green surroundings.

You cannot yet walk the full perimeter on top of the walls, but walkways now span several of the gaps, and the Intramuros Administration plans to complete the circuit. In practice, most visitors combine stretches on the walls with sections at street level. Allow two to three hours for a relaxed walk with stops. Go early in the morning or in the late afternoon, as there is little shade on the ramparts, and bring water, a hat and sunscreen.

The Centro de Turismo Intramuros has a visitor desk open daily from 9am to 6pm, which is a good first stop for maps and advice. Intramuros was largely flattened in 1945, and much of what you see has been rebuilt under strict rules that require new buildings to follow Spanish-era styles. The walk links easily with Fort Santiago, Manila Cathedral, San Agustin Church and Casa Manila, and it suits walkers, photographers and anyone interested in military history.