Manado, Indonesia
Manado is a regional capital of 458,582 people in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, founded in July 14, 1623.
Why visit Manado
Townapedia lists 12 museums and landmarks, 7 parks and trails, 61 places to eat, 51 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include De La Salle Catholic University, Sam Ratulangi University, Museum Negeri Sulawesi Utara and UPTD Museum Negeri Provinsi Sulawesi Utara.
Weather in Manado
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Manado
Manado (Indonesian pronunciation: [maˈnado], Minahasan: Wenang) is the capital city of the Indonesian province of North Sulawesi. It is the second largest city in Sulawesi after Makassar, with the 2020 census giving a population of 451,916, and the official estimates for mid 2025 showing 462,658 inhabitants (232,553 males and 230,105 females), distributed over a land area of 162.35 km2. The Manado metropolitan area had a population of 1,377,815 as of mid 2023. The city is situated on the Bay of Manado, and is surrounded by a mountainous area.
From the Wikipedia article Manado (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Manado on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do3
De La Salle Catholic University
School · 3.7 km
Private university in Manado, Indonesia
Sam Ratulangi University
School · 3.8 km
State university in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia
Museums and landmarks12
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Museum Negeri Sulawesi Utara
Museum · 0.8 km
W.R. Supratman, Manado
Mo-Fr 08:00-17:00
UPTD Museum Negeri Provinsi Sulawesi Utara
Museum · 0.8 km
Jalan W.R Supratman Wenang, Manado
Parks, trails and playgrounds7
Restaurants and cafes61
Chinese Food (Koloke)
Restaurant · Chinese · 0.6 km
12 Jl BW Lapian
Mo-Sa 05:00-22:00
49 more on the map.
History
The first mention of Manado comes from a world map by French cartographer Nicolas Desliens, which shows the island of Manarow (today's Manado Tua). Before Europeans arrived in North Sulawesi, the area was under the rule of the Sultan of Ternate, who exacted tribute and introduced Islam to its inhabitants. The Portuguese made the Sultan their vassal, ruling over the Minahasa people, and establishing a factory in Wenang.
Meanwhile, the Spanish had already set themselves up in the Philippines and Minahasa was used to plant coffee because of its rich soil. Manado was further developed by Spain as a centre of commerce for the Chinese traders who traded the coffee in China. With the help of native allies, the Spanish took over the Portuguese fortress in Amurang in the 1550s, and Spanish settlers also established a fort at Manado, so that eventually, Spain controlled all of the Minahasa. It was in Manado where one of the first Indo-Eurasian (Mestizo) communities in the archipelago developed during the 16th century. The first King of Manado (1630) named Muntu Untu was in fact the son of a Spanish Mestizo.
Spain renounced its possessions in Minahasa by means of a treaty with the Portuguese in return for a payment of 350,000 ducats. Minahasan natives made an alliance treaty with the Dutch, and expelled the last of the Portuguese from Manado a few years later.
From the History section of Manado on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay51
Churches and places of worship115
Gereja Katedral Hati Tersuci Maria, Manado
Church · Catholic · 1.3 km
Shopping52
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries107
Dinas Perpustakaan dan Kearsipan KOta Manado
Library
Jalan Balai Kota Tikala, Manado
Perpustakaan Hukum Gustaaf Adolf
Library · 0.6 km
Jalan Diponegoro Tikala, Manado
Healthcare50
Map of Manado
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Sam Ratulangi Airport (MDC) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 11 km away.
- Laikit, Laikit II (Dimembe) 14 km east, about 14 min by car
- Airmadidi 16 km southeast, about 16 min by car
- Tomohon 19 km south, about 19 min by car
- Tondano 21 km south, about 21 min by car
- Bitung 31 km east, about 31 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Manadofromsky, en:Wihelmin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Cathedral Church Manado - panoramio, Marcky Bolung, CC BY 3.0
- Museum Negeri Provinsi Sulawesi Utara di Manado, MediaSulut ID, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Masjid Raya Ahmad Yani Manado, Si Gam, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Rumah Panggung peninggalan jaman Kolonial yang masih berdiri di Pusat Kota Manado, Eltonluis2303, CC BY 4.0
- Vaksinasi COVID-19 tahap 1 di Yayasan Eben Haezar Manado (3), Marwan Mohamad, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Vaksinasi COVID-19 tahap 1 di Yayasan Eben Haezar Manado (1), Marwan Mohamad, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Vaksinasi COVID-19 tahap 1 di Yayasan Eben Haezar Manado (4), Marwan Mohamad, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Vaksinasi COVID-19 tahap 1 di Yayasan Eben Haezar Manado (2), Marwan Mohamad, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Vaksinasi COVID-19 tahap 1 di Yayasan Eben Haezar Manado, Marwan Mohamad, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Manado City in Panoramic - panoramio, Christian Setiawan, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Gereja Pantekosta di Indonesia (GPdI) Manado - panoramio, Marcky Bolung, CC BY 3.0
- Kelenteng Kwan Kong Manado, Soei Swie Ho, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Patung Dotulolong Lasut di Taman Kesatuan Bangsa Manado, Alex Wetik & Mingkid, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Aryaduta Manado, Aryaduta Manado, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Manado Microlets, Kondephy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Manado Klenteng Kwan Kong, Kondephy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wonderful Sunset @ ManadoTua - panoramio, Ferrij Lumoring, CC BY 3.0
- Kelenteng Kong Zi Mao Manado, Jansen25, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Universitas Sam Ratulangi, Ariefrahman, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ban Hin Kiong, Sakurai Midori, CC BY 2.5
- DLSU, EtienneC2011, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Motif kain Bentenan dari Minahasa, Rahmaziz, CC BY 4.0
- Saletara liberia, A.S.Kono, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Anthreptes malacensis heliocalus, female, A.S.Kono, CC BY-SA 3.0
- IAnthreptes malacensis heliocalus,adult male, A.S.Kono, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Anthreptes malacensis heliocalus, male, A.S.Kono, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Berfoto di depan baliho kampanye Vaksinasi Covid-19, Marwan Mohamad, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Pemeriksaan kesehatan oleh Satgas Covid-19, Marwan Mohamad, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Vaksinasi Covid-19 tahap ke-2, Marwan Mohamad, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Pemeriksaan Tensi Darah Sebelum Vaksinasi Covid-19, Marwan Mohamad, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Petugas Kesehatan Satgas Covid-19 Sulawesi Utara, Marwan Mohamad, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Miedal, M.akbar.raf, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Soekarno bridge sunset, Christian Gloor, CC BY 2.0
- Kia Travello, mattjlc ; cropped, rear windshield cleared and plates anonymized by uploader Mr.choppers, CC BY 2.0
- Tinutuan with salted fish and sambal, mattjlc, CC BY 2.0
- White-spotted Boxfish (Ostracion meleagris) (6056534736), Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Rhino Beetle Xylotrupes clinias (7894265378), Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Spine-cheek Anemonefish (Premnas biaculeatus) (6056495382), Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Spine-cheek Anemonefish (Premnas biaculeatus) (6056495382) (cropped), Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0
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