Iloilo, a province in the Philippines, boasts a rich history dating back to pre-colonial times when it was known as Irong-Irong. Back in the 16th century, Spanish colonizers arrived, influencing its culture and architecture.

Due to the history, Iloilo today is a historic city that still has a lot of historic sites and characterized architecture from the Spanish era. Iloilo is also a center of commerce, education, and culture. When we visit, we are going to see how they combine their strong heritage with modernity.

Curious enough? Why don’t you pick Iloilo Philippines as your next holiday destination? Here, we have listed you about what to do in Iloilo Philippines for an unforgettable holiday!

Location: Iloilo City Proper, Iloilo City, 5000 Iloilo, Philippines
Opening Hours: 9 AM - 5 PM (Closed every Sunday)

So, what to do in Iloilo Philippines? First thing first, let’s get to know about this city through the museum that will tell everything about it, Museo Iloilo. You can find what you want to know in Museo Iloilo related to cultural heritage.

Get ready to see some fossils, jewelry, potteries, war mementos, and even some beautiful arts inside the museum. They frequently run some workshops and cultural events to get more visitors to come. If you’re lucky enough, you’ll find an event that matches your holiday schedule, so you can pay a visit.

If you’re here with the family, you can come when you have older children, especially teenagers that have special interest in history. But please, reconsider if you have little children, due to the fragile collections inside (and the thought that it might be not as exciting for them as it is for us).

Location: Plaza Libertad Zamora St, Iloilo City Proper, Iloilo City, 5000 Iloilo, Philippines
Opening Hours: 9 AM - 5 PM (Closed every Monday)

What to do in Iloilo Philippines next? Let’s explore another site from the Spanish era, Plaza Libertad. It’s a historic public space located exactly in the heart of the city.

It’s not also famous for being a great place to relax due to its lush greenery, but also because of the iconic statue of General Martin Delgado, the important person of the Philippines Revolution against Spanish.

But yes, the reason why people love this spot so much is because it’s a perfect place to enjoy the weather and breathe the fresh air. Plaza Libertad is full with trees, colorful plants, and the landscape is very well-maintained too. For the locals, it’s a nice spot to escape for a while from the hustle bustle.

Also, we want to offer you an idea! How about booking a nearby hotel from Plaza Libertad? That way, it’s easy to decide what to do in Iloilo Philippines next, since it’s located in the middle of the town. Plus, you can live like the locals and go jogging in Plaza Libertad!

Location: 132 San Pedro St, Molo, Iloilo City, 5000 Iloilo, Philippines
Opening Hours: 9 AM - 12 PM, 3 - 5 PM (Closed every Monday and Friday)

Iloilo has plenty of churches. Of course this is highly related to the fact that Iloilo was one of the earliest areas to accept Catholicism. Now, talking about the architecture of the churches, they are mostly influenced by the Spanish era, so the characteristic is strong. It’s beautiful too.

That is why, the answer on what to do in Iloilo Philippines is church-hopping. One of the most famous churches among all in Iloilo is Molo Church. If you’re a Catholic, you are most welcome to enter and pray together.

Molo Church is also known as the Santa Ana Mari Parish Church. From the outside, it feels so majestic with its gothic architecture. People that already went inside will say that it’s breathtaking inside, especially with the sculptures of the saints.

Anyway, Molo Church is located in MOLO Plaza where in front of it is an open space. You can find so many food stalls around, or if you want, you can walk to the nearby Filipino restaurant to taste the authentic Philippines dishes.

Every city has its own authentic dish that you must try. Hence, what to do in Iloilo Philippines now is exploring the culinary side of the city.

Iloilo is the home to several tasty foods. The most iconic one is La Paz Batchoy, noodle soup made with pork offal, chicharrón (pork cracklings), beef loin, and garnished with garlic, scallions, and sometimes a raw egg. For the locals, La Paz Batchoy is the comfort food.

The next one on your culinary list is the savory Kansi, made from beef shanks, bone marrow, and batwan fruit. There’s more to taste, such as Ilonggo Empanada (the empanadas in Iloilo are quite different from other places, you can compare if you have eaten one before), Pancit Molo (dumpling soup), and Talaba (oysters).

Anyway, if you are not too open to taste various foods that are a lot different from your own comfort food, don’t worry, you can search for some regular seafood stalls in Iloilo. Since it is a coastal city, the seafood will be so fresh!

Last but not least, what to do in Iloilo Philippines is visiting this gem: Islas de Gigantes or Gigantes Island. It is located at the northern part of Iloilo Philippines, offering a breathtaking view and inviting you to do island-hopping with your loved ones.

There are so many islands around, like Cabugao Gamay Island (the iconic one, with emerald green waters!), Bantigue Island, Tinagong Dagat, Antonia Beach, and Tangke Saltwater Lagoon. Every spot has their own characteristic and ambience, the reason why island-hopping is highly recommended. You can stop where you want, have a beach picnic, and watch the sun go down.

The activities that you can do while you’re island-hopping are fun and various too. You can join a boat tour, snorkel and dive in Antonia Beach, and even enter some caves available in Islas de Gigantes, like Pawikan Cave or Bakwitan Cave.

Now that you know what to do in Iloilo Philippines, all you have to do is search for the best hotel in the Philippines and book it via Traveloka! Have the best deal for flight and attraction tickets too!