Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House

The Yap family first built the house sometime around 1680. It passed into San Diego hands when a family member married a local leader named Don Mariano San Diego two centuries later. You’ll sometimes see the name written Yap San Diego Ancestral House.

A small fee gains you access to both floors of the house and the small garden with its deep well, while there’s often a knowledgeable guide on hand to show you around. The lower story, initially used for business, now houses religious icons and family portraits; the upper level depicts life during the Spanish colonial era. While visiting the house independently is easy, it’s also a common stop on Cebu City tours. It can be easier to see the sights than piecing together taxis.

• The house is crammed with fragile antiques. It’s no place to bring rambunctious children.

• The second floor has delicate wooden floors. Shoe covers are provided, but avoiding wearing heels is still best.

• This historic structure is not accessible to travelers who use wheelchairs.

The Yap Sandiego Ancestral House sits in the heart of Cebu City’s historic Chinese quarter, Parian, a stone’s throw from the Cebu Heritage Monument and about a 5-minute walk north of Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. Most travelers find the Grab rideshare service, a metered taxi, or even a tricycle easier than piecing together jeepney routes.

The Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House is generally open seven days a week from morning until early evening and is rarely busy. However, it occasionally closes for special events or photo shoots.

Cebu City is the Philippines’ oldest city: it was here that Ferdinand Magellan landed in 1521, and Miguel López de Legaspi founded the first Spanish settlement in 1565. And there’s more to historic Cebu City than the Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House. Although remodeled, Legaspi’s Fort San Pedro still stands; Magellan’s Cross allegedly contains fragments of a cross planted by Magellan, and the Santo Niño Basilica, first built in 1565, houses a sacred 16th-century statuette.