Fort Santiago, Manila (must see)

Established by the Spanish in 1571 under Miguel López de Legazpi on the site of an earlier settlement ruled by the Muslim ruler Rajah Sulayman, Fort Santiago occupied a strategic position at the mouth of the Pasig River. Named after Saint James, the patron saint of Spain, it became the headquarters of Spanish military power and played a vital role in protecting Manila and the lucrative galleon trade between Manila and Acapulco, Mexico.

The fortress has witnessed many of the defining events in Philippine history. During the British occupation of Manila between 1762 and 1764, it served as the base of operations for the Royal Navy before returning to Spanish control. Following the Philippine-American War, the fort became the headquarters of the U.S. Army in the Philippines. During the Japanese occupation in the Second World War, it was converted into a prison, and hundreds of prisoners lost their lives in its dungeons from starvation and suffocation. After Philippine independence in 1946, Fort Santiago came under national control and was declared a Shrine of Freedom in 1950 before undergoing extensive restoration.

Visitors enter through the imposing Fort Santiago Gate, adorned with the carved coat of arms of the Spanish monarchy. After crossing the Moat Bridge and passing through the Main Gate, follow the fort's main pathway all the way to the far end of the complex. It leads directly to the Rizal Shrine Museum, housed in the reconstructed Rizal Barracks. Just beyond the museum, on the riverside, is the Santa Barbara Bastion, while a staircase beside the bastion descends to the historic dungeon. Returning from the museum, the broad Arms Square lies immediately alongside the main path, and the Rajah Sulayman Theater stands just beyond it near the Pasig River.