Bantay Bell Tower

The bell tower at Bantay stands on a low hill apart from the church of St Augustine below it, and the separation was deliberate: bantay means watch or guard in Ilocano, and the tower functioned as a lookout over the coastal plain and the Abra River approach as much as a belfry, giving warning of raids from the sea. It is a squat brick structure with a small octagonal upper stage added later, and from its top - when the stairs are open - the view runs over Vigan's roofs, the fields and the sea beyond. The church below, damaged repeatedly and rebuilt, holds the image of Our Lady of Charity, a significant Marian devotion in Ilocos. Bantay sits minutes from Vigan's heritage core, so the tower is usually a short stop on the way in or out, best at the end of the afternoon when the light is on the brick and the plain below.

What you actually see

• The brick tower - the squat watchtower belfry on the hill.
• The octagonal stage - the later upper section.
• The plain view - Vigan, fields and the sea from the top.
• St Augustine church - the parish and its Marian image below.

When to go

November to May. Late afternoon for light and cooler climbing. Interior access to the stairs is limited and not guaranteed - check on arrival.

Honest expectations

The tower is often closed to climbing. The stairway is narrow and steep when open. It is a short stop, and there are no facilities on the hill.

Nearby

Vigan's Calle Crisologo and heritage centre are five minutes away; Santa Maria church is about forty minutes south.