Ilo-ilo Travel Guide

Iloilo province is located on the southwestern tip of Panay Panay Island between the Iloilo river and the Guimaras strait. Iloilo is composed of 42 municipalities and a competent city, It is readily accessible to the different regions of the country.

Iloilo is the cradle of early Philippine civilization. The telltale marks of such cultural influences live on in the century-old houses, the period churches, the colorful festivals, and in the enterprising bloodline of its people. Iloilo has a glorious past as the land’s great sugarbowl and the locale of the haciendas of the old rich - whose scions and daughters turned down the centuries into the dons and donas of powerful economic dynasties.

How to get to Iloilo

By Air

Major cities have regular flights to Iloilo daily. You can check Philippine Airlines or Cebupacific for Flight schedules

By Boat

There are regular shipping lines plying the Iloilo route for schedules you can visit Negros Navigation and WG&A Superferry

Things You Need To Know In Iloilo

Iloilo is the gateway to the world renowned Boracay Island, You can travel by bus or rent a van to visit Boracay.

Every January Ilongo’s celebrate Dinagyang Festival, a local Mardigras held every January in honor of infant Jesus

Places of Interest In Iloilo

Museo Iloilo
Address: Bonifacio Drive, Iloilo City 5000 Iloilo, Western Visayas
Open Hours: 9:00am - 5:00pm (Monday to Friday)

Museo Iloilo is a public owned foundation that illustrates socio-cultural and tourism awareness in Iloilo province. It was currently managed by Iloilo Cultural Research Foundation, Inc.

The museum displays a collection of archeological, historical, ethnographical craft and tribal folk arts relating to Western Visayas. Some of the relics and antiques in the collection were donated by the Ilonggos who are passionate about their province’s rich history. The museum also has a collection of priceless cultural artifacts like unique religious images and relics, silver pieces and church vessels that depict the Panayanon religious spirits.

Jaro Cathedral

The Jaro Cathedral is the seat or cathedral for the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Jaro. It is located in district of Jaro in Iloilo City, in the province of Iloilo, on the island of Panay, in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. It is known as the shrine of Our Lady of Candles and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, as well as the parish of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary.
There are two distinctive features of the Romanesque revival architecture Cathedral. First, it is a site of devotion to the Virgin Mary due to a reportedly miraculous statue which is located above the main door of the structure. The statue was canonically crowned by Pope John Paul II during his visit to the parish in 1982. A marker placed by the National Historical Institute of the Philippines on the cathedral states that Filipino hero Graciano Lopez-Jaena was baptized there

Fort San Pedro

Fort San Pedro in Iloilo was built around 1616 to protect Iloilo from the Dutch forces and from occasional Moro Pirates invasion. Numerous wars, earthquakes and storms battered the fort until it was reduced to mere shambles. In it’s place stood the Fort San Pedro Park.

Janiuay Cemetery

Built in 1875, this famous Spanish-Filipino cemetery is made of cut stone and fossil rocks and features three imposing stairways and two Gothic doors. Its is 32 kms. from the city.

Calle Real

Calle Real is the manifestation of Iloilo’s glorious past. The street itself is a museum of old edifices that survived the onslaught of war, elements and time. Old establishments still stand up to this very moment, still vibrant with commercial and vehicular traffic.

Miag-ao Church

Miag-ao Church. The Miag-ao Church is one of the Philippines’ architectural and religious gems. It is 40km soutwest of Iloilo City and can be easily reached by jeepneys within 45 minutes

Sicogon Island
Five kilometers away from the Estancia town proper is this 1,104-hectare palm fringed island with while sand beaches.