Baluarte Resort and Mini Zoo — Attraction in Vigan

I’ve visited Baluarte Zoo a few times over the years, and while I’ve always appreciated its charm and the variety of animals, I wanted to share some honest feedback now that they’ve started charging an entrance fee.

First, the good stuff: the zoo remains a fun and educational destination, especially for families and kids. Seeing animals like camels, ostriches, tigers, and deer up close is always a treat, and the Butterfly Garden and Safari Gallery are still beautiful highlights. The taxidermy museum is also an interesting stop—although not for everyone, it adds something unique to the experience.

I understand why they’ve started charging an entrance fee. Maintaining a facility like this costs money, and I do hope that the additional income goes toward better care for the animals and general upkeep. That said, I think Baluarte is at a crossroads: now that visitors are paying, expectations naturally rise.

Some areas, especially the animal enclosures, need more love. A few spots looked a bit worn out, and the signage could be improved—more educational info about the animals would be a great touch. Also, with the recent concerns around animal welfare (which I hope they seriously addressed), it’s important they remain transparent and show that they’re committed to ethical treatment and proper care of all animals.

That said, I’m rooting for Baluarte. It’s a special place in Vigan, and with continued improvements, staff training, and facility upgrades, I think it can evolve into a truly top-tier zoo and conservation spot.

Suggestions for improvement:

Improve animal enclosures and provide more shade and enrichment activities

Add more informative signage and fun facts about the animals

Make the shuttle or package pricing clearer at the gate

Host guided tours or short educational shows to enhance the value of the visit

Overall, still a great stop when visiting Ilocos, but hoping to see continued improvements in the coming years—especially now that we’re all pitching in with...

The place has changed a lot from the last time I came here. Before it was just like Singapore Zoo, with the animals freely roving around, they have enclosures, but no cages. The grounds was also greener there and give this feeling of fresh air and nature. But now, the grounds looked so dry and amidst the heat of the sun, it looks like a desert. I don’t know…maybe because of the weather?

Anyway, there were so many things wrong upon entering the place. For one thing, there was no physical distancing at all. A lot of people arrived, brought by the travel agencies and they all crowded at the entrance, squeezed like a bunch of sardines.

The place offered shuttle rides now and you can choose among two. The cheaper one costs P50 but you will only visit two stops. The more comprehensive tour cost P250 which is more sulit because you get to see the lions and the tigers. This shuttle ride reminded me of the one in Singapore Zoo. I think that’s what they were going for. The ride was pretty nice because you get to see a lot of the animals. But also get to see the dry and barren parts of the place, most of which are being developed. I think they’re making new enclosures. I really hope those are enclosures and not cages.

One thing I really did not like is the gallery. The gallery is full of stuffed animals. It showed the different trophies of the owner of Baluarte which for me is not a pleasant thing to look at. I never understood why people hunt for sport. It’s something I’ve always abhor.

Anyway, my experience 7 years ago was much better compared to now. Maybe it’s because of the pandemic that the place looked run down. I hope they can improve the place. It’s a good place to go to and take the kids. Just don’t take them to the gallery. Kids need to be spared from...

came here in the weekend and it was packed with people. the queue to buy tickets was long! but for some reason i had the privilege to buy the ticket without lining up, probbly because i had a government tourist guide with me and i was a solo goer. the area is huge so if you want to come here, i would suggest buying the package with shuttle so that you can tour around without having to take millions of steps. either way, dont forget to bring your hats, sunglasses and put on some sunscreen bc its hot HOT and there is very few shades around the area. also, the CR that time was under construction so i had to use the restrooms outside their premise 🫠

very few animals in sight and if there are some in the wild, they look to be not properly taken care of. saw some deers near the giraffe activity and they were eating their own feces 🥲 they were probbly so hungry and had to resort to eating it bc they were fed nothing. very few staffs managing people as well. you'd probbly get lost since you don't get told what happens. i was just thankful that a local guided me at the start of the shuttle trip. i got to tour almost the whole place in about an hour or less. it was a quick jump from shuttle stops bc i was not really feeling the place (im sorry).

has a safari gallery which made my tummy turn! will have a separate review for that on its specific location here on google maps.

its an experience but i will not come back and will not...