The oldest triangular bastion fort in the Philippines stands at the waterfront near Pier 1, built in 1565 by Miguel López de Legazpi as the Spanish colonial headquarters. The low stone walls enclose a courtyard with a small museum covering the fort's history through each period of occupation. The site is peaceful by day — a good escape from the noise of the port district — and the views from the battlements look out over Cebu Harbour.
Fort San Pedro
A story
Built in 1565 as a stockade of earth and timber by Miguel López de Legazpi, Fort San Pedro was converted to stone in 1738. Over the following centuries it served successively as a Spanish colonial garrison, a headquarters for Philippine revolutionary forces fighting the Spanish in 1898, an American military prison camp, a Japanese garrison in World War II, a city zoo, and finally a park. Every occupying power has left traces.