Located at the old areas of the city, this street has a lot to offer: neoclassical buildings... read more
Located at the old areas of the city, this street has a lot to offer: neoclassical buildings... read more
Reminiscent of times when life was not so hectic. The buzz and energy is high but not aggressively... read more
Calle Real was during Spanish Era the most famous commercial street in Iloilo. The name of the street is now J.M. Basa Street
.In 1940-50s street had top class shopping outlets selling American and European products.
On Calle Real are many neoclassic and art deco buildings.
Now they are in bad condition although some renewal is going on. Now Calle Real belongs Iloilo City Heritage Zone.
There are still many shops in those old buildings.
I love looking at the old buildings in this area. I also love to go to two of the great eateries here - KongKee Chinese Restaurant and Roberto's is located. This is the heart of historical old Iloilo
The city's initiative to renovate this historic structures along Calle Real is splendid as the downtown looks like a mixed timeline of Spanish inspired streets along with modern shopping stalls and shops..
We passed by this historic area but saw how busy and crowded the streets were so we opted to just view the sights in the comfort of our van. We were glad that they have re-painted the old buildings. But it didn't seem pleasant to walk around. Perhaps the local govt. can declare SATURDAY or SUNDAY as a no-car day and make the Calle Real more pedestrian-friendly with restaurants offering side walk tables, some people can dress up in turn-of-the-century outfits etc. Also I agree with some of the reviews that the electric wires make the scene look so messy. If they will just truly restore this area and make it look like the way it was during its glory days, then this will become one of Iloilo's "must-see" places.
Local officials with full cooperation of city folks successfully restored and beautify this landmark of business and commerce of Iloilo city.
This is the heart of old downtown Iloilo. A few of the heritage buildings and colonial structures are still standing but are badly in need of repairs and restoration.