Baluarte is a zoological park and animal sanctuary located Vigan, Ilocos Sur. It is owned by governor of Ilocos Sur, Chavit Singson. One of the best parts of visiting this park is there’s no entrance free. It means you can enjoy the whole Baluarte Park experience for FREE!
It is a well-known fact that Gov. Singson loves tigers. So those animals can’t be missing in his zoological park. Just outside the park, you can see the tigers in their individual cages. I wish I weren’t too scared when I went there so I could take more close-up shots.
Inside the park they have these cool statues of dinosaurs.
Just near the entrance, you will see the parrots. They did wing clipping on them so they don’t fly even if they’re not inside a cage. You can actually put a parrot on your shoulder and take a photo with it. The staff will usually ask for a tip for assistance.
The Grassland
There’s a wide grassland inside where they put some of their animals and let them eat, play, and run freely.
They have a camel and you are free to feed it with grass.
On the grassland, you can also see alpacas, ponies, deer, and ostriches. If you want to see them closer or go near them, you can ride the pony-drawn carriage. This ride is also free but it’s up to you if you want to give a tip to the carriage driver.
Aside from the grassland, you can further explore Baluarte and see their perfectly built landscape designs and other animals.
Looks like Santa was here last Christmas because one of his reindeers was left here.
They also made a cute pond for their flock of ducks.
Baluarte Zoological Park has a lot more animals like snakes, peacocks, monkeys, iguana, and some endagered animals.
If you want to have a look at their animals, just visit the park on your free time. It’s just a ten minute ride from Vigan City if you have your own vehicle. Alternatively, you can ride a horse-driven carriage since there are a lot of carriages in Vigan. Payment starts from 200 pesos. The carriage driver will wait for you so they can bring you back to Vigan.