Inside Intramuros — the Walled City at the Heart of the Philippines

Manila, the capital of the Philippines, has been accused of being many things — polluted, frenetic and burdened with some of the worst traffic in Asia. Leave too quickly, though, and you risk missing one of South-East Asia’s most extraordinary historical time capsules.

Hidden within the vast modern metropolis is Intramuros — a fortified Spanish colonial city that has survived a conquest, earthquakes, siege and the devastation of the Second World War. Today it remains not merely a relic of the past but a living district where four centuries of Philippine history can still be experienced in stone, cobbles and cathedral bells.

Founded in 1571 by the Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi on the southern bank of the Pasig River, Intramuros — Latin for “within the walls” — served for more than three centuries as the administrative heart of Spain’s empire in Asia. The district covers just 0.67 square kilometres, yet its narrow streets, plazas and baroque churches contain the layered story of colonial Manila. Entry to Intramuros itself is free, though individual attractions charge modest admission fees.