The vinta — the traditional outrigger sailboat of the Tausug and Sama-Bajau, with brightly painted sails of triangular cloth in stripes of red, yellow, blue and orange — is the symbol of Zamboanga. They are not just for tourists: vintas remain working boats on the strait, used for fishing and for short-haul cargo between the city and the islands of the Sulu Sea.
The best places to see them are the harbour off the Paseo del Mar, the breakwater near Fort Pilar, and the small boat landing at the city port. Mornings are best — the boats go out at dawn and return in the late morning with the night's catch. The festival regatta in October is the spectacular version, dozens of sails racing in formation.