Simala Shrine

The Monastery of the Holy Eucharist at Lindogon in Sibonga - Simala to everyone - was begun by Marian monks in the late 1990s and grew into one of the largest pilgrimage sites in the Visayas, built as a sprawling castle-like complex of turrets, arched galleries, terraced gardens and stairways climbing a hillside, in a style that has no precedent in Philippine church architecture and divides opinion sharply. The draw is the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary said to have shed tears in 1998, credited by devotees with healings and answered petitions; the galleries are lined with letters of thanks, discarded crutches and offerings left by pilgrims, which is the most affecting part of the visit. Crowds are heavy at weekends and on Marian feast days, and a dress code covering shoulders and knees is enforced at the gate. It is two hours from Cebu City on the southern road.

What you actually see

• The castle complex - turrets, galleries and terraced gardens.
• The Marian image - the figure at the centre of the devotion.
• The letters and offerings - petitions and thanks left by pilgrims.
• The hillside stairs - the climb through the terraces.

When to go

Year-round; weekdays for a calmer visit. Weekends, Marian feasts and the 13th of each month bring very large crowds.

Honest expectations

The dress code is enforced - shoulders and knees covered, no shorts. There are many stairs. It is a devotional site, and the architecture is modern pastiche rather than heritage. Weekend crowds and traffic are heavy.

Nearby

Argao's church and heritage plaza are south; Oslob and the whale-shark coast are further on.