Intramuros

Intramuros (Spanish for "within the walls") is the original Manila — a 64-hectare walled city built by the Spanish in the late 1500s, with cobblestone streets, baroque churches, and stone gates. It's the only district in Manila that retains a real sense of pre-American Philippines.

The two essential stops are Fort Santiago (the citadel where national hero José Rizal was imprisoned before execution) and San Agustin Church (a 1607 baroque church, UNESCO World Heritage site, the oldest stone church in the Philippines).

The walk between them passes the Manila Cathedral, several smaller museums, and the Casa Manila living museum (a recreated 19th-century mansion). The cobblestones make sneakers necessary.

Visit early morning (8-10 AM) to avoid heat and the worst of the tour group crowds. Bambike tours offer guided bamboo-bike rides through Intramuros — a popular way to cover more ground without exhausting yourself.