The original campuses of the University of Santo Tomas, the oldest university in Asia, and the Ateneo de Manila, were in Intramuros before transferring in 19 respectively today the area still contains the main campuses of the University of the City of Manila, the Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Mapúa University, Philippine Nautical Training Colleges, the Colegio de Santa Rosa, and the Manila High School. The walled city was also considered the religious and educational center of the Spanish East Indies.

Intramuros served as the seat of government of the Captaincy General of the Philippines, a component realm of the Spanish Empire, housing the colony's governor-general from its founding in 1571 until 1865, and the Real Audiencia of Manila until the end of Spanish rule during the Philippine Revolution of 1898. Other towns and arrabales (suburbs) located beyond the walls that are now districts of Manila were referred to as extramuros, Latin for 'outside the walls', and were independent towns that were only incorporated into the city of Manila during the early 20th century. Present-day Intramuros comprises a centuries-old historic district, entirely surrounded by fortifications, that was considered at the time of the Spanish Empire to be the entire City of Manila.

It is administered by the Intramuros Administration with the help of the city government of Manila. Intramuros ( Latin for 'inside the walls') is the 0.67-square-kilometer (0.26 sq mi) historic walled area within the city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines.

Old san juan walking tour map pdf