Time Travel to the Past: Exploring Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, Philippines

Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is a heritage park and open-air museum in the Philippines. Located in the small town of Bagac, Bataan, the sprawling area contains a large collection of restored Spanish-FIlipino houses. Once you step inside its gates, you feel like you’ve been transported back to the 18th century. It’s owner, architect Gerry Acuzar began to rebuild Spanish colonial-era buildings as early as 2003. The heritage park was opened to the public in 2010 and is now a popular tourist destination, vacation spot, and events venue.

Some time ago, I explored this amazing place and came away with many photos. Here are some of my favorites.

My favorite spot and probably the crowning jewel of Las Casas is the Hotel de Oriente. The original structure was the first luxury hotel in Binondo, Manila during the Spanish colonial era. A faithful replica has been made here at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar. While it looks picturesque from the outside, the lobby is a true gem. The lobby is filled with intricate wooden sculptures and figures, hand crafted by artisans from Laguna and Pampanga, fusing Filipino images with European architecture and design.