Iloilo Travel Guide Day 4 – Molo, Jaro and La Paz

Wednesday, September 04, 2024

We wanted a slower paced last 2 days in Iloilo because the heat was next level.  The heat index was hitting 44-49! If you’re short on time, you can totally combine the adventures of days 4 and 5 into one Amazing-Race-kinda-day.

Molo Plaza
Learning about Spanish colonization in college, I found out plazas were central to their strategy—featuring churches, markets, and schools all in one area. It’s seriously impressive how Iloilo has preserved these historic plazas and their iconic structures.

Molo Plaza is adjacent to the famed Molo Church and Molo Mansion so you can visit all 3 easily. 

Iloilo City does it right once more with another example of clean and fresh open public spaces.

Molo Church
The historic Molo Church is the only Gothic-Renaissance church outside Metro Manila.  

Here’s a fun fact: Molo Church is famous for its all-female lineup of saints.  It was such a shame the church was being renovated when we stopped by.

There was also a wedding starting in 15 minutes so we had to scoot away fast. 

Molo Mansion
Of course, I adored this heritage house because it’s a neo classical building. It was the built in the 1920s by the Lacson and Yusay family. The property has been acquired by the SM group and the Mansion is currently the prettiest Kultura Filipino store. The second floor is used for special events from time to time.

Beautiful details of the mansion.

Don’t forget to drop by The Local House for some pasalubong shopping.

Al fresco dining is also available in the complex. 

Lizares Mansion
Unnotedly my favorite site in the city since I’m a stained-glass fan. The Lizares Mansion is located inside the Angelicum School. Pro tip: book a tour with Café Año and soak in all the intricate details. Your insta feed will thank you.

Big thanks to Miggy for making our tour feel like a fun catch-up with an old friend. He had a relaxed, conversational vibe while answering all our questions. 

That stained-glass staircase is everything. 

Icreamhorn
From the Lizares Mansion we stopped by Icreamhorns to buy pasalubing. I actually saw this on Biyahe ni Drew and it piqued my interest. You can purchase per piece or one whole box. I decided to try 1 piece of each flavor first and thankfully loved the chocolate. 

Jaro Plaza
Just like the Molo Plaza, the Jaro Plaza is in the middle of the district surrounded by churches government buildings. Again, it’s a public space that is clean and feels safe. 

Across Jaro Plaza is the gorgeous art deco building which used to be the Old Jaro Municipal Hall. It was designed by legendary architect Juan Arellanao. 

Jaro Belfry


Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral
While only female saints are in the Molo Church, Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral features an all-male lineup. It was unfortunate the church was closed and we could only enter until the entrance. 

La Paz Market
La Paz Market was getting a makeover while we were there, but we made sure to stop by for that iconic Madge Coffee.

It was blistering hot and we opted for their iced coffee. While Madge is a local legend, I’d say skip the iced coffee—it was way too sweet and tasted like 3-in-1. Only to find out after my Iloilo visit that they’re more known for their black coffee.

OG La Paz Batchoy shops like Netong’s and Deco’s are located here. We heard Netong’s also has a branch in Atria, so we decided to hit it up for lunch the next day since we were heading to Atria anyway. 

Feeling exhausted, we decided to call it a day and return to the hotel. But first, I had to grab a pic of these gorgeous murals.

Don’t forget to catch that famous Iloilo sunset!


📍 Molo Plaza
San Pedro Street, Molo, Iloilo City

132 San Pedro St, Molo, Iloilo City

Locsin Street, Plaza Molo, Iloilo City

📍 Lizares Mansion
Mac Arthur Drive, Iloilo City (search for Angelicum School or Café Año)

📍 Icreamhorns or The Original Cream Horn 
Jaro Lopez Jaena Street, Jaro, Iloilo City (in front of Caltex)

📍 Jaro Plaza 
Plaza Rizal Street, Jaro, Iloilo City

📍 Jaro Belfry
Plaza Rizal Street, Jaro, Iloilo City

Plaza Rizal Street, Jaro, Iloilo City

📍 La Paz Market 
18 Huervana Street, La Paz, Iloilo City

📍 Madge Café inside La Paz Market



This post is part of the extensive Iloilo Blog series. The rest of the posts are here:
Part 10: Day 5 - City Atria and Festive Walk
Part 11: Pasalubong Shopping


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