ZAMBOANGA CITY | 50 THINGS TO DO & TOURIST SPOTS TO VISIT 2023
Saturday, August 05, 2023
Every afternoon after our kid wakes from his nap, we’d quickly go out of our hotel, ride a jeep to pueblo, walk along the old downtown area of Zamboanga City, and be transported back in time. In our mind, this was probably how Manila looked and felt, back in the day. The view would then open up to the sea. We’d buy some snacks, sit beside the breakwater, and along with school kids out with their friends, and wait for the sun to say adios. Those are my memories of our trip to Zamboanga.
We spent four days in and around the city, exploring not only its downtown area, but a few of its outlying islands and islets as well. It is, surprisingly, very walkable, and more importantly, very safe. Besides our usual afternoon jaunt to Paseo Del Mar, we were able to do quite a lot of things and were able to visit more than a few sights in Zamboanga City. With its numerous tourist spots, a weekend trip is definitely not enough to see everything.
| WHAT TO SEE & DO IN ZAMBOANGA CITY TABLE OF CONTENTS ~ WHAT’S INSIDE?
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PUEBLO / DOWNTOWN ZAMBOANGA
This is the heart of Zamboanga City. The downtown area, dubbed in Chavacano—the local language in the city—as Pueblo. It is located right beside the sea, on the southern part of the peninsula. This is where it’s all happening and also the gateway to Zamboanga’s Pink Sand Beach in Sta. Cruz Island.
Let’s start our steps from one of the most iconic places in Zamboanga City, Fort Pilar and move westward from there.
Fort Pilar
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| INSIDE THE WALLS OF FORT PILAR |
A National Cultural Treasure, Fort Pilar is a military stone fortress constructed by the Spaniards in the 1600s. It was used as defense against pirates and Moro raiders from Jolo, and its cornerstone marked the founding date of Zamboanga as a city. It was built with the help of Mexicans and Peruvians, leading to the development of the Zamboangenos creole language, Chavacano. Visitors are allowed to access its courtyard and climb its fortifications.
ADDRESS: N.S. Valderosa St., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.901139, 122.082225
Entrance Fee: Free
OPENING HOURS: 8:00AM to 5:00PM, Monday to Saturday
Our Lady Of The Pillar Shrine
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| THE FORT PILLAR OUTDOOR SHRINE |
Built on the outer eastern wall of Fort Pilar is a shrine dedicated to Our Lady of the Pillar of Saragossa. It was built in 1734 after the Virgin Mary was reported to have appeared in front of a soldier along the city gates. It’s now used as an outdoor church where mass is held daily.
ADDRESS: N.S. Valderosa cor. Lustre St., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.901288, 122.082646
Entrance Fee: Free
OPENING HOURS: 9:00AM to 5:00PM, Daily
National Museum Western Southern-Mindanao
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| ENTRANCE PORTAL TO THE ZAMBOANGA NATIONAL MUSEUM |
Fort Pilar now houses the National Museum Western Southern-Mindanao regional museum. It has a permanent exhibit of the 18th century Griffin Shipwreck, rock collections from around the Philippines, weavings from Yakan, Subanun, and Sama tribes, the Lepa houseboat, and over 400 species of marine life from Zamboanga, Basilan, and Sulu.
ADDRESS: N.S. Valderosa St., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.901392, 122.082141
Entrance Fee: ₱20.00, ₱10.00 for seniors and children
OPENING HOURS: 8:00AM to 5:00PM, Monday to Saturday
Paseo Del Mar
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| AFTERNOON AT PASEO DEL MAR’S FOOD STALLS |
Situated beside Fort Pilar and right by the sea is Zamboanga City’s hang out place, Paseo Del Mar. The plaza has numerous restaurants and stalls hawking everything from sticks of fish balls to plates of curachas. It also has a massive playground complete with a skate park and a dancing fountain. The ferry terminal to Sta. Cruz Island is located here.
ADDRESS: N.S. Valderosa St., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.900753, 122.081361
Entrance Fee: Free
OPENING HOURS: 6:00AM to 12:00AM, Daily
ZSCMST Bird Sanctuary
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| INSIDE ZSCMST’S BIRD SANCTUARY |
If you don’t know it, you couldn’t tell that there’s a small lake located just beside Fort Pilar. Situated inside the Zamboanga State College of Marine Sciences & Technology (ZSCMST) compound, the lake is a sanctuary for migratory and non-migratory birds. It’s a welcome and unexpected sight after visiting the popular Fort Pilar tourist spot.
ADDRESS: Lustre St., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.902486, 122.084644
Entrance Fee: Free
OPENING HOURS: 6:00AM to 7:00PM, Daily
BPI Zamboanga Museum
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| UTHE MOST UNIQUE BPI IN THE PHILIPPINES |
Along one of downtown’s main avenues stand the old BPI Zamboanga building. It’s a normal functioning BPI branch, only it looks like a house, is made of wood, and is distinguished as BPI’s second branch in the Philippines. But more than that, it has a museum on its second floor. The building used to be the residence of a wealthy Chinese trader, Don Francisco Barrios before it became General John J. Pershing’s house when he was assigned to suppress insurrections in Mindanao.
ADDRESS: 26 N.S. Valderosa St., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.902486, 122.084644
Entrance Fee: Free
OPENING HOURS: 9:00AM to 4:30PM, Monday to Friday. Inquire inside for museum access.
Zamboanga City Hall
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| THE STATELY ZAMBOANGA CITY HALL |
Walk a few more steps and you’d pass by the stately Zamboanga City Hall. Constructed in 1905 by the US Government in Filipino colonial design, it used to serve as the residence of the US Military Governor of the Moro Province. The building, built from stone and wood, is open to the public—as all normal city halls are.
ADDRESS: N.S. Valderosa St., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.904023, 122.076357
Entrance Fee: Free
OPENING HOURS: 8:00AM to 5:00PM, Monday to Saturday
Rizal Park
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| RIZAL’S MONUMENT AT PLAZA RIZAL |
Right in front of the Zamboanga City Hall is a small park dedicated to the Philippine National Hero, Jose Rizal. The plaza features a tower with a statue of Rizal at its top facing the city hall. The park is surrounded by hedges with cannons overgrown with blooming flowers.
ADDRESS: N.S. Valderosa St., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.904603, 122.076397
Entrance Fee: Free
OPENING HOURS: 24 Hours, Daily
McDonald’s & Jollibee Zamboanga
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| ADAPTIVE REUSE OF A HERITAGE STRUCTURE IN ZAMBOANGA |
Across the street from Rizal Park are two of the country’s most popular fast food chains. While, these aren’t usually tourist spots, the ones in Zamboanga City’s downtown are quite curious since they are housed on colonial-style structures. McDonald’s occupies a repurposed Victorian neo-classical building that used to house the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China in 1928. Jollibee, on the other hand, is housed in a faux bahay na bato structure reminiscent of those in Vigan City.
ADDRESS: Maria Clara St., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.904535, 122.076501
Entrance Fee: Free
OPENING HOURS: 6:30AM to 7:00PM, Daily
Plaza Pershing
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| ZAMBOANGA CITY’S PLAZA PERSHING ~ PHOTO BY BERNARD ILARDE FROM WIKIMEDIA |
Another famous park within the area is Plaza Pershing. It’s a pocket park with a neo-classical gazebo named after the American Governor that once lived at the second floor of BPI Zamboanga. The park actually hosts small trade fairs among other things. During one of my visits, the park was full of stalls selling cactuses and other ornamental plants. I even bought some as pasalubong for my mother-in-law.
ADDRESS: Don Pablo Lorenzo cor. I. Magno St., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.904535, 122.076501
Entrance Fee: Free
OPENING HOURS: 24 Hours, Daily
R.T. Lim Boulevard / Cawa-Cawa Boulevard
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| SUNSET AT R.T.LIM BOULEVARD |
From the Zamboanga Public Market near the city hall, ride a jeep to R.T. Lim Boulevard or Cawa-Cawa Boulevard. Zamboanga’s baywalk is a popular place for locals, especially during the afternoons and early evening. The seaside park is clean and very safe. It’s a good place to walk or jog as it stretches for about 600 meters. It’s also one of the best spots to watch the sunset while munching on street food. On the far end of the boulevard, tables and chairs are set for balut, penoy, and beef chicharon—the accompanying vinegar, which range from mild to very spicy, is a must try.
ADDRESS: Gov. Lim Avenue., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.908116, 122.064305
Entrance Fee: Free
OPENING HOURS: 24 Hours, Daily
JMDN Seaview
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| THE JMDN SEAVIEW SUNSET PANORAMA |
A couple of meters from the end of R.T. Lim Boulevard is another sunset viewpoint, JMDN Seaview. This place, however, has no benches, or anything else for that matter. It’s just a vacant lot where people traveling on cars and motorcycles park to see the view of the setting sun.
ADDRESS: Gov. Lim Avenue., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.910023, 122.061902
Entrance Fee: Free
OPENING HOURS: 24 Hours, Daily
Zamboanga Cathedral
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| ZAMBOANGA METROPOLITAN CATHEDRAL’S MODERN AND MASSIVE FACADE |
About a kilometer away from R.T. Boulevard is Zamboanga City’s Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Concepcion. Its curving modernist façade somehow reminds me of Le Corbusier’s Notre-Dame du Haut church. It replaced the old cathedral located near Rizal Park which was bombed during the Second World War.
ADDRESS: La Purisima St., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.909019, 122.075922
Entrance Fee: Free
OPENING HOURS: 6:00AM to 6:00PM, Daily
PASONANCA PARK
Located on the northern part of Zamboanga City in Barangay Pasonanca is a park designed by an American parksman in 1912. Being on a higher elevation, some people refer to the area as Zamboanga’s Little Baguio.
Pasonanca Swimming Pools
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| THE CHILDREN’S POOL AT PASONANCA PARK |
One of the main attractions of the park are its free-flowing public pools—an Olympic-sized pool, The Rotary Pool, and Children’s Pool which has four slides. These are surrounded by trees, giving it shade, and has picnic areas and cottages that can be rented out.
ADDRESS: Brgy. Pasonanca
GPS MAP: 6.9525692,122.0747515
Entrance Fee: ₱10.00
OPENING HOURS: 8:00AM to 4:00PM, Friday to Tuesday
Pasonanca Tree House
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| ZAMBOANGA’S ICONIC TREEHOUSE |
Who doesn’t dream of staying on a tree house as a kid? Well, Pasonanca Park has its very own tree house, which was originally built in 1960 as a Youth Citizenship Training Center. It’s free to access by everyone, but the best part is, you can actually rent it for a night.
ADDRESS: Brgy. Pasonanca
GPS MAP: 6.9525692,122.0747515
Entrance Fee: Free
Rental Fee: Contact the admin
OPENING HOURS: 24 Hours, Daily
Pasonanca Science Museum
Think The Mind Museum in BGC with less tech, but no less fun. The Zamboanga City Science Park or Parque de Ciencia de Zamboanga features more than fifty interactive exhibits, catering mostly to kids. It is the largest regional science museum in the Philippines.
ADDRESS: Brgy. Pasonanca
GPS MAP: 6.954197, 122.072308
Entrance Fee: ₱130.00, ₱65.00 for seniors, Free for children below two years old
OPENING HOURS: 9:00AM to 4:30PM, Daily / TEMPORARILY CLOSED
El Museo De Zamboanga
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| A CANNON RELIC INSIDE EL MUSEO DE ZAMBOANGA |
Situated beside the science museum, El Museo De Zamboanga narrates the history of Zamboanga City in photos, artefacts, and dioramas. If you want a quick overview of the city’s roots, this is the best place to brush up on it.
ADDRESS: Brgy. Pasonanca
GPS MAP: 6.9532029,122.0731422
Entrance Fee: Free
OPENING HOURS: 9:00AM to 5:00PM, Monday to Saturday / TEMPORARILY CLOSED
Butterfly Garden
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| THE BUTTERFLY SANCTUARY IN ZAMBOANGA ~ PHOTO BY WOWZAMBOANGACITY FROM WIKIMEDIA |
Pasonanca’s Butterfly Sanctuary is one of the more popular destinations in Pasonanca Park. It’s located in a small area near the La Jardin de Maria Clara Lobregat, a garden named after the city’s former mayor. Well, who doesn’t love colorful butterflies?
ADDRESS: Brgy. Pasonanca
GPS MAP: 6.953276, 122.072101
Entrance Fee: ₱10.00
OPENING HOURS: 6:00AM to 6:00PM
Camp Limbaga
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| BOY SCOUT TENTS AT CAMP LIMBAGA |
Then there’s the Boy Scout huts at Scout Limbaga. This is actually a real camp site for Boy Scouts and where the organization started in Mindanao. Most tourists in Zamboanga come up here to pose for a photo along the tents.
ADDRESS: Scout Limbaga Road, Brgy. Pasonanca
GPS MAP: 6.952484,122.0748105
Entrance Fee: Free
OPENING HOURS: TEMPORARILY CLOSED
Abong-Abong Park
For the faithful, Abong Abong Park is a pilgrimage destination especially popular during the Holy Week. Going up Mount Pulong Bato, its fourteen Stations of the Cross, each one about 50 to 75 meters apart, lead to a giant white cross dubbed as Cruz Mayor.
ADDRESS: Mount Pulong Bato
GPS MAP: 6.964652, 122.076147
Entrance Fee: Free
OPENING HOURS: 24 Hours, Daily
Pasonanca Trails & Viewing Decks
Further out of Pasonanca Park is the Pasonanca Natural Park. The protected area has trails for hikers and high grounds with magnificent views of the surrounding areas. With an area of 12,107 hectares, it serves as a major watershed in the Zamboanga Peninsula.
Entrance Fee: Free
OPENING HOURS: 24 Hours, Daily
AROUND ZAMBOANGA CITY
Here are some of the tourist spots around Zamboanga City that aren’t located in downtown or even the Pasonanca Park. Some of these are just a few minutes from the city center, while others are quite far and might require a full day visit.
Rainbow Mosque
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| THE UBER COLORFUL RAINBOW MOSQUE |
The most colorful mosque you’ll probably ever see is located at Barangay Sta. Maria, a jeepney ride away from Zamboanga’s downtown area. Formally called Masjid Al-Islamia, it has since been dubbed as the Rainbow Mosque due to its ultra-colorful façade. But it wasn’t always like this, its rainbow hues were painted on its white walls after the Marawi Siege as a call for peace and unity.
ADDRESS: Tumaga Road (Veteran’s Extension), Brgy. Sta. Maria
GPS MAP: 6.930399, 122.078478
Entrance Fee: Free
OPENING HOURS: Daylight Hours
Yakan Village
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| BEAUTIFUL TAPESTRIES MADE AT THE YAKAN VILLAGE |
Located about seven kilometers away from the city hall, off the west coast of Zamboanga City is a small colorful village populated by Yakans, a group of people who originated from Basilan during the seventies. And what colors their village are the textile weavings they do by hands. Traditionally, they weave semmek dresses for wearing, but now, they’ve included bags, table runners, blankets, and even shoes into their repertoire.
ADDRESS: Upper Calarian, Labuan-Limpapa Road
GPS MAP: 6.910023, 122.061902
Entrance Fee: Free
OPENING HOURS: 8:00AM to 8:00PM, Daily
Taluksangay Mosque
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| THE HISTORIC TALUKSANGAY MOSQUE ~ PHOTO BY TRAVEL TRILOGY |
On the east coast of Zamboanga, about half an hour drive from downtown, lies one of the more important mosques in the city. The Taluksangay Mosque was built in 1885 and is the oldest mosque in Western Mindanao. It is where Islam first spread in the Zamboanga Peninsula.
ADDRESS: Brgy. Taluksangay
GPS MAP: 6.9507456,122.1792455
Entrance Fee: Free
OPENING HOURS: 8:00AM to 8:00PM, Daily
Merloquet Falls
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| THE MASSIVE MERLOQUET FALLS ~ PHOTO BY TIMOJO508 FROM WIKIMEDIA |
On the border of Zamboanga City and Zamboanga Sibugay lies one of the grandest waterfalls in Zamboanga Peninsula. Merloquet Falls is a two-tiered waterfall, rising to a height of about fifteen meters with a width of ten to fifteen meters. It is quite far from downtown Zamboanga, but it’s an excellent destination if you have a free day to spare in the city.
ADDRESS: Brgy. Sibulao
GPS MAP: 7.310163, 122.213463
Entrance Fee: ₱5.00
OPENING HOURS: Daylight Hours
SHOPPING IN ZAMBOANGA
Those who travel to shop won’t be disappointed with Zamboanga. The city has a good combination of modern malls and local and traditional shops. Be sure to get enough baggage allowance for your flights back.
Canelar Barter Trade
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| COLORFUL WARES AT THE CANELAR BARTER TRADE CENTER |
One of the best places to shop in Zamboanga City is at the Canelar Barter Trade. It’s a open-air dry market selling mostly Malaysian textiles, clothes, and food stuff. Be sure to bring home batik shirts, colorful scarves, unique instant noodles, egg udang noodles for making mee goreng at home, Malaysian white coffee, teh tahrik, and Apollo chocolates.
ADDRESS: Wee Siu Tuy St., Brgy. Camino Nueva, Canelar Trading Center
GPS MAP: 6.913952, 122.074112
ENTRANCE FEE: Free
OPENING HOURS: 8:00AM to 5:30PM, Daily
Plaza Pilar
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| AFTERNOON AT PLAZA PILAR |
Located right across Fort Pilar, Plaza Pilar is a small area surrounded by a colonnade selling souvenirs, local foodstuff, and religious items. Be sure to get a bunch of apa, a crispy wafer-like rolled treat, when you visit. It’s also a good place to have a photo of the Fort with a foreground of flying pigeons—as there are lots in the area.
ADDRESS: N.S. Valderosa St., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.901990, 122.082111
ENTRANCE FEE: Free
OPENING HOURS: 8:00AM to 8:00PM, Daily
Magay Zamboanga Public Market
Near the Zamboanga City Hall is the hustle and chaos of the Zamboanga Magay Public Market. If you like market places, this is the most massive this side of the city. It’s a good place to see and buy local wares, and the cheapest place for street food.
ADDRESS: N.S. Valderosa Annex St., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.904784, 122.074419
ENTRANCE FEE: Free
OPENING HOURS: 4:00AM to 7:00PM, Daily
Pettit Barracks Night Market
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| CHEAP UKAY UKAY FINDS AT THE PETTIT BARRACKS NIGHT MARKET |
As evening arrives, Rizal Street closes to vehicular traffic and stalls upon stalls of ukay ukay clothes start to line the road. This Zamboanga night market stretches for two blocks, with food stalls hawking local street food like mee goreng on the rear part, perfect for after-shopping snacks. It actually reminds me of Baguio’s Harrison Road Ukay Ukay.
ADDRESS: Rizal St., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.903054, 122.079123
ENTRANCE FEE: Free
OPENING HOURS: Evening Hours, Daily
Shopping Malls
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| INSIDE KCC MALL IN ZAMBOANGA ~ PHTO FROM WIKIMEDIA |
Zamboanga is a bustling city and most people from the neighboring islands of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi do their shopping here. And like all big cities, there are numerous shopping malls in the area—KCC Mall, SM City Mindpro, Southway Mall, South Supermall, Gaisano Grand Mall, CityMall Tetuan, to name a few.
OPENING HOURS: Most open at 9:00AM and closes at 7:00PM to 9:00PM
ZAMBOANGA STA. CRUZ ISLAND TOUR
One of the most popular tourist spot in the city is the Zamboanga Pink Beach—one of only a handful in the world. And this is located in Sta. Cruz Island, which is just some minutes by boat away from downtown Zamboanga.
• Subic Pink Sand Beach
• Komodo Island Pink Beach
Little Sta Cruz Island & Sandbar
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| LITTLE STA. CRUZ ISLAND’S SANDBAR ALSO HAS A PINK HUE |
The first place tourists visit when going to Zamboanga’s Sta. Cruz Island is the sandbar that extends from Little Sta. Cruz Island. This is a small islet before the main island. Tourists are not allowed on the island, but they can go down on the sandbar if the tide is low and the sandbar is above water. Swimming is prohibited though, as the area has riptides which can sweep swimmers away.
Sta. Cruz Island Mangrove Lagoon
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| EXPLORING THE MANGROVE FOREST ABOARD A BOAT |
Before heading to the beach, a side-tour to the mangrove forest of Sta. Cruz Island is a worthy experience. You transfer to a smaller paddle boat, and ride around the mangroves where you can enjoy the scenery, have a taste of the freshest seagrapes or lato, and experience handling stingless jellyfishes.
Vinta Ride
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| RIDING A REAL VINTA BOAT |
One of the highlights of a Sta. Cruz tour is their vinta ride—those colorful boats you only see on textbooks. After the lagoon tour, a small vinta awaits visitors—one which you can actually paddle and ride around on.
Zamboanga Pink Beach
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| ZAMBOANGA CITY’S FAMOUS PINK BEACH |
And finally, the main event of a Sta. Cruz Island tour, Zamboanga’s Pink Beach. The beach is actually not as pink as Barbie pink, but it only has a hint of pinkness when viewed on a certain angle, especially on the foreshore area where the sand is wet. This is due to crushed red corals that mix with the sand. Swimming and snorkeling is a good activity here, just be aware of the strong current.
Seafood Picnic Lunch
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| SEAFOOD GALORE BY THE BEACH |
Depending on the tour you availed, it may or may not have a seafood lunch bundled with it. We booked ours with iTravel Tourist Lane and it does have an excellent seafood lunch on a cottage by the beach. Shrimp, crabs, roasted fish and squid, chicken barbecue, and fruits—it was one of the best meals I’ve had in Zamboanga.
Badjao Cemetery
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| THE OLD BADJAO CEMETERY AT STA. CRUZ ISLAND |
Before going back to mainland Zamboanga, we dropped by the Badjao Cemetery in Sta. Cruz Island. The burial ground was used by the Badjao and Sama Bangingi tribes even before Sta. Cruz Island became famous as a tourist spot. The graves are small and are usually adorned with gravestones made of wood and small wooden boats—reflecting the Badjao’s seafaring way of life.
Scuba Diving at Sta. Cruz Island
Another activity that can be done in Sta. Cruz Island is scuba diving. The whole Sta. Cruz Island is actually surrounded by a reef wall, but diving isn’t allowed there due to very strong rip tides. The only approved diving site is located near the Little Sta. Cruz Island where there’s also a reef wall.
As of the moment, there’s no dive operator or shop accredited by the LGU since the pandemic happened. I will update this once diving resumes in Sta. Cruz Island.
ONCE ISLAS ZAMBOANGA
One of the newest tourist spots in Zamboanga can be found in Barangay Panubigan, the Once Islas Island Hopping Tour. It is located about an hour away from downtown, but the travel time is very much worth it. I found the beaches here to be even better than at Sta. Cruz Island. While there are eleven islands in the vicinity, only three islands are open to tourist.
Bisaya Bisaya Island
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| CLEAR WATERS AT BISAYA BISAYA ISLAND |
The most adventure-filled island on the tour is Bisaya-Bisaya Island. It has a trail that circles around the half the island with beautiful rock formations, a natural tidal pool off one of its islets which you can reach by walking on a sandbar during low tide, and a pretty fine beach to boot too.
Sirommon Island
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| SIROMMON ISLAND HAS A SANDBAR DURING LOW TIDE |
The island best for snorkeling is Sirumon Island. And there’s actually a raft that can take you to the best snorkeling spot. But if the tide’s too low, snorkeling a few meters from the shore is not that bad too. Plus, it has a sandbar too. The beach is also super fine.
Baung Baung Island
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| BAUNG-BAUNG ISLAND IS NAMED AFTER THE COCONUT SHELL |
The final island on the list is Baung Baung Island. I like this island best for its waters, absolutely no current—a real pleasure to swim on. It also has a view deck that can be hiked up through 248 steps.
ZAMBOANGA FOOD TRIP
The food scene in Zamboanga City is really good. Point in fact, I gained weight after visiting the city. For a dedicated article for Zamboanga’s food scene. Check these out.
Moro Cuisine
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| A MENAGERIE OF MORO CUISINE |
Zamboanga’s culinary landscape is very different from most of the Philippines. Some of the best places to try these are at Andi’s Special Satti, Bay Tal Mal Restaurant, and Dennis Coffee Garden.
Seafood
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| CURACHA LATHERED WITH ALAVAR SAUCE |
The city is famous for its curacha or spanner crab and there are several restaurants you can try to get the best out of it. A few of the famous ones are Alavar Seafood Restaurant (their Alavar sauce is a must) and Vista Del Mar Restaurant.
Malaysian Food
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| ONE OF THE BEST MEE GORENG WE TRIED WAS FROM OLE OLE RESTAURANT |
Being so close to Malaysia, their food has seeped in to the tables of Zamboangeños. We hunted for the best mee goreng and other Malay dishes this side of the Philippines and found them at Ole Ole Restaurant, Tinis Restaurant, and on makeshift stalls selling mee goreng along the streets.
Street Food
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| A SAMPLE OF ZAMBOANGA;S STREETFOOD |
Zamboanga street food is also very unique. Be sure to try their local fishballs, coconut sugar-laden taho, crispy salvaro and apa, okoy, pastil, and experience having balut, beef chicharon, and mee goreng along the breakwater of R.T. Lim Boulevard.
Everything In Between
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| ZAMBOANGA’S FAMOUSE KNICKERBOCKER DESSERT |
And if you want something less adventurous, Zamboanga City also has the usual fast food chains, plus restaurants serving traditional Filipino and Western fares—if you want Chinese, they have those too. We tried some of the best at Bar Code, Country Chicken Restaurant, and Hacienda De Palmeras Restaurant.
ZAMBOANGA HERMOSA FESTIVAL
The best time to visit Zamboanga City is during the month of October when they celebrate the Zamboanga Hermosa Festival. Here are some of the festival highlights.
Regatta De Zamboanga
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| VINTA RACE AT REGATTA DE ZAMBOANGA |
This is the ultimate vinta boat race in Zamboanga City. Multitudes of vintas race across the waters fronting R.T. Lim Boulevard using only hand power or paddling.
ZAMPEX
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| DELICIOUS FOOD PRODUCTS DISPLAYED AT ZAMPEX |
The ultimate in shopping in Zamboanga City. ZAMPEX or the Zamboanga Peninsula Expo features the best of what the region offers—textiles, clothes, shoes, bags, accessories, furniture, and most importantly food products! This is usually held at a convention center, and the last one I attended was held at the Palacio del Sur, the event hall of Marcian Garden Hotel.
Asao Lechon Festival
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| ROASTING FOR THE ASAO LECHON FESTIVAL |
Part of the Zamboanga Hermosa Festival is the Asao Lechon Festival where lechoneros from all over Zamboanga City compete for the best lechon in the city, parading them, and letting everyone have a taste—for free! By the way, Asao is not a place but rather a chavacano term for grilled or roasted food.
Mascota De Zamboanga
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| THE GRANDEST OF THE GRAND GOWNS CAN BE FOUND AT MASCOTA DE ZAMBOANGA |
The most beautiful terno gowns—inspired by opulent ladies during the Spanish era in Zamboanga City—competes for the annual Mascota De Zamboanga. Local artists sometimes take a year to create these masterpieces.
Zamboanga Hermosa Street Dance
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| THE REVELRY OF ZAMBOANGA HERMOSA’S STREET DANCING COMPETITION |
The Zamboanga Hermosa Festival climaxes in a street dancing competition by various barangays in the city. The dancing spreads through the streets of the city before culminating at the Paseo Del Mar for their final performance.
iTravel Tourist Lane Zamboanga Tours
Address: Mayor Jaldon St., Canelar, Zamboanga City
Contact Number: (0917) 724-3199
Email: info@itraveltouristlane.com
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