A Visit to Fort San Pedro in Cebu
An Interesting Historic Building and Museum in the Philippines
Sep 9, 2009
On the island of Cebu in the tropical Philippines a landmark of world history rests near the sea. The stories of several countries are tied to the heavy stone walls of Fort San Pedro.
The History of Fuerza de San Pedro
A destination that every cab driver on the island of Cebu knows, Fort San Pedro (Fuerza de San Pedro) stands as a memory of the multicultural heritage of what is the modern Philippines. The varied cultures of Spain, America, Japan and the native Filipinos have all had their time in Fort San Pedro.
The fort was begun in 1565 when Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi had it built for the military. Named in honour of his ship the ‘San Pedro’ the fort went virtually unknown until around 1739 when it was finally finished after 2 centuries of construction.
From that time Fort San Pedro or ‘Fuerza de San Pedro’ was at points throughout history: barracks, a prison, a zoo, a classroom, a Japanese prison camp, a hospital, offices of government agencies and now a monument and museum. By the late 1960s the fort was in need of a major renovation. To uphold the original design coral stones were brought from the ocean around Cebu. The walls stand 20 feet high and a formidable 8 feet in depth.
Overlooking the Sea
Fort San Pedro is on A Pigafetta Street in the area of the Plaza Independencia near Pier 1 facing the ocean on two sides. With dramatic views surrounding the fort it is an incredible tourist site. The interior gardens are lush with tropical foliage and flowers bloom near the ancient canons. Inside the walls is a make shift museum of antiques and remnants from throughout the history of Fort San Pedro.
Entry to Fort San Pedro is around 10 PHP (about $0.25 CAD) which is a steal to spend the day in such a treasured historical site with amazing natural features at every turn. The fort is open for visitors from about 9am to 7pm. Unfortunately the site does not have a tourist office to contact for more information but once at Fort San Pedro the locals are very helpful and interested in tourists.
Across from Fort San Pedro the Plaza Independencia is a large green space where visitors can see the core of Cebu city across a very busy crisscross of streets. The Plaza is a great place to people watch and check out the local transportation including colourful Jeepneys (a kind of inner city bus) and bicycles with sidecars built on.
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