Philippines · National Capital Region · San Juan
Paco, San Juan — Area Guide & Where to Stay
Paco, formerly Dilao, is a district of Manila south of the Pasig River, east of Ermita and north of Malate.
About Paco
Where to stay in Paco
Where you base yourself shapes the visit — here's the character of each area.
Paco is a residential address, not a hotel district. Rooms here are thinner on the ground than in Ermita immediately to the west, where Manila concentrates the trade that serves the Rizal Monument and the national museums, and a visitor choosing between the two is choosing between quiet and convenience. The Pasig River sets the northern edge.
If you want Malate to the south and Ermita to the west within a short run, Paco sits between them and the museums.
About Paco
What are the main landmarks in Paco?
The landmark list around Paco runs long. Rizal Monument, the National Museum of Fine Arts, the National Museum of Anthropology, and the National Museum of Natural History all sit within the short reach west, and Manila Ocean Park lies along the same run. Casa Manila and Museo de Intramuros carry the older city's fabric.
San Ignacio Church, the Cathedral of Praise, and the Casino Español de Manila fill out a list longer than most districts of the Philippines can claim.
What is the history of Paco?
The old name was Dilao. Paco carried it before the present name took hold, and a district that has changed what it is called generally carries more behind it than a boundary line, though the record kept in the open here is thin. Manila took it in as a district.
The Pasig River marks the northern limit, San Miguel lies across it, and the ring of Santa Ana, Pandacan, Malate, San Andres Bukid, and Ermita closes the shape of Paco on every other side.
Where is Paco?
Paco lies south of the Pasig River in Manila, hemmed by Ermita to the west, Malate to the south, and Santa Ana to the east.
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More areas in San Juan
Updated August 2026