Iloilo

Finished in sandstone in 1797, one of the four Baroque Churches of the Philippines on the UNESCO list. On the facade St Christopher carries the Christ child and grips a palm. Raised up on a hill, its front only fits one frame from the steps below.

A Gothic church dedicated to St Anne, nicknamed the women's church because only female saints line its pillars. Across the plaza the Molo Mansion, built in the 1920s, has been restored, and since a souvenir shop fills the inside it can be walked into as well.

Our Lady of the Candles stands on the balcony over the entrance, and an outside stair lets visitors climb up close to her. The belfry is a separate building, across the road in the plaza. On the 2 February feast, processions block the streets around Jaro.

The old main street, lined with shophouses of the interwar 1920s and 1930s, officially JM Basa Street. The art deco and neoclassical fronts are restored, but street-level shop signs hide the detail, so walk the far pavement and look up above the signboards.

A promenade running a long way down both banks of the Iloilo River, with a stretch where decking threads through mangroves that were left standing. Joggers and food stalls crowd in at sunset, while by day the shade is thin and the heat is hard going.

The provincial museum, gathering burial jars and gold ornaments dug up on Panay along with Spanish-era church pieces. It is small enough to finish in an hour, and since it faces the Capitol the riverside promenade starts right outside.

An island about 15 minutes by pump boat from the Ortiz wharf in the city, known for its mango farms. On the island a tricycle hired for the day does the round of beaches, orchards and the Trappist monastery shop. A mango festival is held in May.

A farm hill in San Joaquin turned pilgrimage site, with white stairs and crosses climbing in rows to an all-white summit area called heaven. The stairs are long with almost no shade, so it is better climbed in the morning before the sun is high.

Islands reached by boat out of Carles, in the far north of the province, known for limestone islets, sandbars and cheap scallops. Carles port is three or four hours' drive from the city, which rules out a day trip, and most people stay a night out there.

A two-storey stone-and-timber house from the 19th century in the Arevalo district, shown around by the family's descendants. One tour option finishes downstairs with pancit molo and hot chocolate, and that part needs a call ahead.

A church in Tigbauan, west of Iloilo City, its facade covered in Mexican Churrigueresque carving. The inner walls and altar are dressed in mosaics of small tile pieces that glitter in the light. Travellers bound for Miagao stop on the way.

A white mansion facing Molo Plaza, the restored Yusay-Consing family house, now holding souvenir shops and a café. The upper windows frame the twin spires of Molo Church. It is a natural stop after a bowl of pancit molo across the square.

A contemporary art museum inside the Iloilo Business Park in Mandurriao, presenting work by Filipino artists in curated shows. Malls and restaurants are next door, handy for an afternoon out of the heat.

Iloilo's tribute to the Santo Nino around the fourth Sunday of January, when body-painted troupes dressed as Ati warriors compete to pounding drums. Grandstand seats are ticketed, and room rates in the city climb that weekend.