Iloilo Tourist Places to Visit in Iloilo, Philippines, Asia
Iloilo is the capital city of Iloilo province in Philippines geographically positioned at 10°43′ N 122°34′ E. Iloilo is surrounded by Pavia town to the north, Oton on the west, Iloilo Strait towards east and south. The Zip code of Iloilo is 5000.
Iloilo is the industrial, commercial and trade centre of Western Visayas region with an industries of telecommunications infrastructure and utilities, retail trading and banking and finance. BPO and IT Industry of Iloilo is highly emerging in recent years. The major landmarks in Iloilo include Jaro Cathedral, Central Philippine University and Iloilo Mission Hospital.
Geography and Climate of Iloilo:
Highly urbanized city of Iloilo covers an area of 78.34 sq. km. and metro city occupies an area of 972.3 sq. km. Iloilo is positioned at an altitude of 2 meters, about 600 kms southeast of national capital Manila.
Iloilo features a tropical wet and dry climate and enjoys soggy season from June to November and dry season from December to May.
History of Iloilo:
Iloilo was founded in the year 1581 as La Villa de Arevalo and formed as a city on 5 October 1889 by Spanish Queen Regent Maria Cristina.
Connectivity to Iloilo:
Iloilo is a highly urbanized city well connected with air, sea and roadways with major cities of the country and overseas. Iloilo International Airport is situated 19 kms away from the city centre with scheduled flights to Singapore, Hong Kong, Seoul and main destinations of Philippines.
There are two seaports in Iloilo, one is Iloilo Domestic Port used to reach Manila, Bacolod, Cebu, Zamboanga and Cagayan de Oro. Another one is Iloilo International Port and this is very helpful to reach surrounding countries regions.
Taxi, Buses and Tri-Cycles are the best ways to travel within the city.
Culture, Food and Shopping in Iloilo:
The common language spoken by the natives is Hiligaynon and other languages include English, Karay-a and Spanish. Dinagyang Festival (January), Jaro Fiesta (February), Paraw Regatta (February) and Chinese New Year are grandly celebrated festivals in Iloilo.
The best restaurants in Iloilo are:
- German Bavaria Restaurant
- MO2 Restobar
The shopping centres in Iloilo include:
- Gaisano Capital
- SM City Iloilo
- SM Delgado
- Robinsons Place Iloilo
Places to see in Iloilo:
El Dorado Water Park:
El Dorado Water Park is placed in Mandurriao of Iloilo City. It is a favorite spot of both kids and adults and is open from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
Jaro Cathedral:
Jaro Cathedral is the first cathedral in Western Visayas devoted to St. Elizabeth of Hungary. It was constructed in the year 1864.
Archbishop’s Palace:
Archbishop’s Palace is the house of the Archbishop of Jaro situated in the vicinity of Jaro Cathedral and Jaro Plaza.
Molo Church:
Molo Church is situated approximately 3 kms away from Iloilo city centre, built during 13th century. It is popularly called as “Church of Women”.
Jaro Evangelical Church:
Jaro Evangelical Church is the 1st Baptist Church in the country islands constructed by the Northern Baptists.
Other tourist attractions near Iloilo are:
- Vincent Ferrer Seminary
- Angelicum School Iloilo
- Central Philippine University
- Distrito Jaro
- Iloilo River Esplanade
- Museo Iloilo
- Calle Real
- Arroyo Fountain
- Muelle Loney
- La Villa Rica de Arevalo
Best time to visit Iloilo:
From October to May is the ideal time to holiday Iloilo.
Accommodation Options in Iloilo:
AC, Hot Water, TV, WIFI in cafe, free LAN internet in room and room service are the common facilities available in the hotels of Iloilo and generally hotels charge ₱450 for single and ₱650 for double with AC per night. The prominent hotels and resorts in Iloilo are:
- Iloilo Corporate Inn
- Northview Inn
- Circle Inn
- Anhawan Beach Resort & Spa
- Century 21 Hotel
- Highway 21 Hotel
- Days Hotel Iloilo
- Eon Centennial Plaza Hotel
- Iloilo City Inn
- MO2 Restobar
- MO2 Westown Hotel Iloilo
- Sarabia Manor Hotel and Convention Center
- Riverside Inn
- Hotel Del Rio
- Four Season Hotel