Pound for pound, Corregidor Island, the Fortress of Freedom - is the ultimate tourist destination in the Philippines. Located only 42 miles from Manila, and accessible via an eighty-minute boat boat ride, the island boasts of numerous scenic vistas that are chock-full of historicity. Each location had its own role to play during the war, so by visiting each one and learning of its significance, you can glean the scale and power of the drama that made this island a legend of recent times.

Check out the awesome artillery of Battery Crockett, Battery Way, Battery Hearn, and Battery Grubbs and Battery Geary. See and feel the results of massive bombardment on these emplacements. Bomb craters, bullet holes, pulverized concrete and twisted metal will give you an idea of what Corregidor's gallant defenders had to go through.

Visit the ruins of the Mile-Long Barracks, Fort Mills Headquarters, Middleside Barracks, Officer's Row on Cheney Drive, the North and South Docks, and see how the old tram lines network interconnected these island facilities. During its heyday, the island had its own nine-hole golf course, officer's club, commissary, ice plant, and a full-sized cinema. Two large reservoirs with a combined capacity of four million gallons took care of the water requirements of the island.

Then, you can gaze in wonder at the incomparable spectacle of a view of Manila Bay from atop the Spanish Lighthouse. On a clear day, you can practically see the skyline of Metro Manila. After that,get an "in-depth" view of Malinta Tunnel, which had a network of over 24 laterals deep within Malinta Hill. This underground complex served as the seat of the Philippine Commonwealth during the siege. The complex included a 1,000-bed hospital, fuel tanks, communication and cryptography sections, sleeping quarters, and administrative offices. Malinta Tunnel was designed to be practically self-ventilating. A system of air shafts contributed to the natural ventilation.

Several monuments now stand on the island, most notable of which is the Pacific War Memorial with its Dome of Peace, and Monument of the Eternal Flame. There's also the Filipino Heroes' Memorial, the Filipino-Amercian Friendship Memorial, the Japanese Garden of Peace, the Wainwright Memorial, as well as statues of Manuel Quezon, Sergio Osmena, and Douglas MacArthur. You can also drop by the Pacific War Museum and feast your eyes on relics from that bygone era.

Because of its inherent terrain features and structures, Corregidor Island is a veritable theme park. It has lots of open spaces, and lends itself well to educational tours, hikes, nature appreciation, cycling, photographic jaunts, and other outdoor adventure activities.

Corregidor has four other smaller islands associated with it, namely Caballo, Carabao, El Fraile, and La Monja islands. It is interesting to note that the Philippine Volcanology website lists the main island as Mt. Corregidor- a dormant volcano. The main head of the island, together with its semicircular tadpole-like shape, and Caballo Island, form an atoll of sorts that could have once been the crater. Satellite photos of Mt. Mariveles in Bataan (only a few miles away North of Corregidor) show that it also has a large crater.

Note: All photos and graphics, including textual information in this website, are from the Corregidor Island Souvenir E-Book