Top 12 Things to Do in Corregidor Island


Corregidor Island, a small rocky island famous for its war-ravaged ruins & historic batteries, is located 48 kilometers west of Manila which is strategically located at the entrance of Manila Bay. It's tadpole-shaped island about 6.5 kilometer long, about 2 kilometer wide at its widest with a total land area of about 2,200 acres. 

During World War II, Corregidor Island was the site of two costly battles —the first during 1942, and the second in 1945 —between the Imperial Japanese Army and the US Army.


Now, this island fortress stand as a memorial for the courage, valor, and heroism of its Filipino and American defender who bravely held their ground against the overwhelming number of invaders.

I've actually visited Corregidor Island back in July of 2013 courtesy of a clothing brand. Last week, I visited it again not just for a day tour but for an overnight stay! 😄 Here are the top 12 things to do in this island:

Ride the “Tranvia” Replica for the “Historical Tram Tour”


You have many options touring the island: walk, bike or just ride their “tranvia!” It's actually a bus that is a replica of Corregidor's electric trolley system (public transport) during its heyday. Its a 4-hour tour of Corregidor's Memorial War Zone onboard a tranvia covering the topside, middleside, and bottomside or tailside of the island.

Sun Cruises, Inc. has 10 tranvia buses that cater to the regular guided tours and can accommodate up to 280 tourist at any given time.

Watch the “Malinta Tunnel Light and Sound Show”


The historic Malinta Tunnel, the last stronghold of the joint Philippine and American military prior to the Japanese takeover during the World War II, is now home to an audio-visual presentation by National Artist Lamberto V. Avellana of the events that took place on the island, including the reluctant departure of General Douglas MacArthur and the evacuation of the President Manuel L. Quezon and his family to unoccupied areas of the Philippines and eventually in exile in the US.

See the Remnants of a Volcanic Crater


Corregidor and Caballo islands are actually remnants of a volcanic crater called the Corregidor Caldera, which was last active about one million years ago. However as of 2013, the “Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology” still classifies Corregidor as a potentially active volcano.

Take a Photo with the Old Corregidor Island Lighthouse


This lighthouse constructed in 1853, is the second oldest lighthouse established in the country after the lighthouse at the mouth of Pasig River. During the fight for liberation from the Japanese in 1941, Corregidor was heavily bombed leaving every building in the island in ruins. The lighthouse did not survive the bombardment. Around the 1950s, the lighthouse was rebuilt using some of the original stones from the ruins but using a different design.

Stroll at the “Japanese Garden of Peace”


This small garden was built as a memorial to the Japanese soldiers who served and died on the island during World War II. The park includes a praying area, shrines, markers and a small pavilion that houses photographs and memorabilia.

Swim at “South Beach”


Yup, you can swim at the south side of this island! The water are crystal clear and you can also rent a two seater kayak for P500 an hour. What I like about their beach is they maintain the cleanliness of the place though at the other part of the islands, trash are present coming from Manila Bay and nearby places. We saw people who collect these garbage washed away to the shore of Corregidor. I hope we all do our part to keep our environment clean. 

Feel Amazed by Massive Batteries Scattered in the Islands


There are more than 20+ artillery batteries scattered all through out the island. On the standard tour, you will get to visit the major batteries. There were 23 batteries installed on Corregidor, consisting of 56 coastal defense guns and mortars. In addition, Corregidor had 13 anti-aircraft artillery batteries with 76 guns (28 3-inch and 48 .50-caliber) and 10 60-inch Sperry searchlights. The longest-range coastal pieces were the two 12-inch (305 mm) guns of Batteries Hearn and Smith

Stay at the Corregidor Inn


Sun Cruises, Inc. operates the 31-rooms Corregidor Inn that also houses the La Playa Restaurant. Rates starts at P5,250 (for Single Room) that includes the following: Complimentary Round-trip Ferry Transfers, Overnight Accommodation at Corregidor Inn, Shrine and Island entrance fees, Full board Meals & Day Tour Kit. They also have Corregidor Hostel, a fully air-conditioned dormitory for student and budget conscious tourist.

Join the “Night Lateral Tunnel Tour”


Perfect for group tour, “Night Lateral Tunnel Tour” inside the historical Malinta Tunnel is not for the faint-hearted and not suitable to those afraid of the dark and claustrophobic. The whole tour was fun nonetheless, just don't come alone inside. This tunnel was initially used as a bomb-proof storage and personnel bunker, but was later equipped as a 1,000-bed hospital. 

The main tunnel, running east to west, is 831 feet (253 m) long, 24 feet (7.3 m) wide and 18 feet (5.5 m) high. Branching off from this main shaft are 13 lateral tunnels on the north side and 11 lateral tunnels on the south side. Each lateral averaged 160 feet (49 m) in length and 15 feet (4.6 m) in width.

Visit Cine Corregidor


USAFFE personnel of the garrison along with their family enjoyed watching movies at Cine Corregidor before World War II broke out. The last movie that was shown here was “Gone with the Wind.” Corregidor Cinema used to be the most prestigious one in the Philippines, even better than the ones which were already screening in business along the Avenida area in Manila. In fact, films are screened and shown in Cine Corregidor a week before it’s even shown in the capital.

Pray at the San Jose Chapel


On our way to the South Beach, we saw this simple looking old Roman Catholic church called San Jose Chapel we get to go inside and it looks like they don't use the place for mass anymore. The place is well maintained though, but the chapel doors have seen better days. This chapel used to be the church that served Barrio San Jose residents in Corregidor during the pre-war times. 

Watch the Sunset/Sunrise at the “Topside”


The cliff at the topside, behind the Eternal Flame of Freedom is the perfect spot for sunset and sunrise watching since this is the highest peak on the island. Those who availed of the daytour package wouldn't get to see this picturesque spot upclose since they have to leave in the afternoon.

See the Ruins of Mile-Long Barracks


The Mile-Long Barracks (Topside Barracks) is the “world’s longest military barracks” with a length of 1,520 feet. General Douglas MacArthur’s office/headquarters was also said to be located in this building.  It's a 3-storey hurricane proof of reinforced concrete built in 1914 and destroyed in December 1941.


Sun Cruises, Incorporated is currently the sole Transport and tour operator in Corregidor. It started in 1988 and at present continues to provide historical & adventure tours to local & foreign tourists all year round. It is under Magsaysay Shipping and Logistics Group.

Sun Cruises operates two vessels namely M/V Sun Cruises II which caters the daily Corregidor trips. M/V Spirit of Manila caters their “Sunset Manila Bay Dinner Cruise”

RATES: 

Corregidor Historical Tram Tour” inclusive of Island entrance fee, Buffet lunch, Island tour, RT Ferry, Day Tour Kit is ₱3,358.00 on weekdays and ₱ 3,629.00 on weekends. Overnight stay for 1 person at CORREGIDOR INN starts at ₱5,250.00 inclusive of Complimentary Round-trip Ferry Transfers, Overnight Accommodation at Corregidor Inn, Shrine and Island entrance fees, Full board Meals and Day Tour Kit.

Reserve your tickets through this link: http://corregidorphilippines.com/book-now.

JL Santiago Aquino

A millennial lifestyle blogger from Caloocan City who adores trying new things. ✨ Email: blog.ph7@gmail.com. Follow @JayL_Aquino on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok & Facebook.

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