# Fort Santiago, Philippines: what it is and when to go > Fort Santiago is a citadel built by Spanish conquistador for the city of Manila, Philippines. Interests: History. The best time to visit is December to April. In June there are 12 h 52 of daylight, and in December, 11 h 08. It has articles in 12 Wikipedias: it is one of the fifty best-known places in Philippines on this site. Here is what it is, where it lies, when to come, how to get there and what else is nearby to turn it into a trip. - Address: https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/filipinas/fort-santiago/ - Reviewed on: 2026-10-08 - Language: en ## In a nutshell - **What it is:** Citadel built by Spanish conquistador for the city of Manila, Philippines · History - **Where:** Philippines · 1002, Manila - **Best time:** December to April. - **Nearest airport:** MNL Manila (Pasay), 11 km as the crow flies - **Opening hours:** Mo-Su 8:00-21:00 - **Run by:** Intramuros Administration - **Coordinates:** 14.59387, 120.97072 ## What it is and where Fort Santiago is a citadel built by Spanish conquistador for the city of Manila, Philippines. It has articles in 12 Wikipedias: it is one of the fifty best-known places in Philippines on this site. It is in [Manila](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/filipinas/manila/), where this site lists 67 more places to see, 1.7 km from the centre. Its coordinates are 14.59387, 120.97072; the nearest main airport is Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL, Manila (Pasay)), 11 km as the crow flies. How to get around Philippines (train, car, bus) is covered in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/filipinas/#moverse). - [Where it is](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=14.593865%2C120.970724) - [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=14.593865%2C120.970724) - **Run by:** Intramuros Administration It is one of the [History](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/filipinas/historia/) places in Philippines. In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) it is already on your trip map next to the places you save yourself, and it goes into a day's plan with one tap. ## When to go The best time to visit Fort Santiago is **December to April**. | Mes | Época | Hours of daylight | | --- | --- | --- | | January | Best time | 11 h 13 | | February | Best time | 11 h 32 | | March | Best time | 11 h 54 | | April | Best time | 12 h 20 | | May | Possible | 12 h 41 | | June | Better not | 12 h 52 | | July | Better not | 12 h 47 | | August | Better not | 12 h 29 | | September | Better not | 12 h 05 | | October | Better not | 11 h 40 | | November | Possible | 11 h 19 | | December | Best time | 11 h 08 | In June there are 12 h 52 of daylight, and in December, 11 h 08. Daylight hours are calculated from the site's latitude for the 15th of each month; when planning a full day on foot they matter as much as the weather. When to go to Philippines in general, with its festivals and peak seasons, is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/filipinas/#cuando-ir). ## Before you go to Philippines To enter Philippines there are 9 things to sort out before you leave, starting with “Passport with six months' validity and two blank pages”: they are all, with their deadlines, in [the Philippines checklist](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/filipinas/#antes-de-salir). Currency: Philippine peso (PHP); plugs: Type A, B and C · 220 V · 60 Hz (European voltage with American sockets: you need an adapter); emergencies: 911 for everything. In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) you tick off the checklist inside your trip, and each item reminds you when it is time to do it. ## What is nearby - [Manila Cathedral](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/filipinas/catedral-de-manila/): Roman Catholic basilica located in Manila, Philippines · 407 m - [Binondo–Intramuros Bridge](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/filipinas/binondo-intramuros-bridge/): Road bridge in Manila, Philippines · 462 m - [Museo de Intramuros](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/filipinas/museo-de-intramuros/): Ecclesiastical museum · 513 m - [Bahay Tsinoy](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/filipinas/museo-de-los-chinos-en-la-vida-filipina/): Mansion in Manila, Philippines · 570 m - [Casa Manila](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/filipinas/casa-manila/): History museum · 670 m Distances are as the crow flies. Everything else is in [the Philippines guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/filipinas/). ## More in Philippines: History - [San Agustin Church](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/filipinas/iglesia-de-san-agustin/): Roman Catholic church in Intramuros, Manila, Philippines - [Paoay Church](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/filipinas/paoay-church/): Roman Catholic parish church in Paoay, Ilocos Norte, Philippines - [San Sebastian Church](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/filipinas/iglesia-de-san-sebastian/): all-steel church in Manila, Philippines - [Miagao Church](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/filipinas/miag-ao-church/): Roman Catholic parish church in Miagao, Iloilo - [Fort Drum](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/filipinas/fort-drum/): islet in the Philippines - [BRP Sierra Madre](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/filipinas/brp-sierra-madre/): 1944 LST-542-class tank landing ship Every Philippines place under History, each with its season, is on [its page](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/filipinas/historia/). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is Fort Santiago? It is a citadel built by Spanish conquistador for the city of Manila, Philippines. It has articles in 12 Wikipedias: it is one of the fifty best-known places in Philippines on this site. ### When is the best time to visit Fort Santiago? December to April. In June there are 12 h 52 of daylight, and in December, 11 h 08. ### How do you get to Fort Santiago? The nearest main airport is Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL), 11 km as the crow flies. From there, [directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=14.593865%2C120.970724) opens the route on the map, and how to get around Philippines is explained in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/filipinas/#moverse). ### How do I add it to my trip? With one tap. In Kokai it is already on the Philippines map, next to the places you save yourself: add it to a day's plan, give it a time and, if you like, get a reminder when you pass nearby. ### What else is around here? Nearby you have [Manila Cathedral](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/filipinas/catedral-de-manila/), [Binondo–Intramuros Bridge](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/filipinas/binondo-intramuros-bridge/), [Museo de Intramuros](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/filipinas/museo-de-intramuros/). The rest is in [the Philippines guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/filipinas/). Data from [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/331784458), licensed under the ODbL, and from [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q478181), CC0. More about Fort Santiago on [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Santiago). Daylight hours are calculated from the latitude. More in [credits](https://kokai.app/en/aviso/#creditos).