Ilocos Sur up to Norte

Ilocos Sur up to Norte

Ilocos, known for its historic sites, beaches and the well-preserved Spanish colonial city of Vigan is a region in the Philippines, encompassing the northwestern coast of Luzon island.Truly, its beauty is captivating that you would surely go to it back again and again.

Ilocos is a 10-12 hours place away from Manila so I recommend a night trip for this. But if you plan on taking a direct flight from Manila to Laoag, you'll just take about an hour to reach your destination. For accommodations, you could always have a reservation on different hotels near you tourist spots. One of the cheapest accommodations that we found is the homestay in Saud Beach, Pagudpud. Nothing fancy but surely your home away home.

And of course, what will be the sense of this trip if you would not be able to visit the famous attractions of Ilocos! Now, here are the lists of the places that I recommend, you, travelers to visit and make sure not to miss a single one, okay.

First Stop:

Bangui Windmills

 Windmills have been a prominent trademark of the province of Ilocos. It is officially referred to as the North Wind Bangui Bay Project. It is a major source of renewable energy amounting to 40% of the power requirement of the province. These are the biggest windmills in Southeast Asia and are consisted of 20 wind turbines on-shore facing the South China Sea.

 The sight was extremely jaw dropping and they are indeed humongous. Who could have ever imagined that this power generating structure will become a major tourist attraction!

After taking photos with your friends and love ones, let’s proceed to our next destination. Our second stop is..

Kapurpurawan Rock Formation

 

“Kapurpurawan” means “white” in Ilokano which describes its hill of white limestone rock created by of nature. It was truly amazing and can be consider as one of the wonders of the world. The sight was relaxing, perfect to rest your stressed mind while enjoying the cool breeze of the air coming from the sea nearby.

Also, don’t miss out to create your own rock formation and take a good photo souvenir! For your third stop, let’s go to…

Cape Bojeador or the Burgos Lighthouse

Burgos Lighthouse is a cultural heritage structure built during the Spanish Colonial period. This lighthouse was first lit in March 30, 1892 to serve as a guide to ships as they go near the town of Burgos. Although the structure isn’t in a good state and is already so old, I’m still impressed that they were able to preserve its original look.

Good news, is that you are allowed to enter the facilities but, unfortunately, not the lighthouse. Now, let’s go, moving on to our next site which is the San Agustin Church in Paoay.

San Agustin Church

The Saint Augustine Church, commonly known as the Paoay Church, is the Roman Catholic Church of the municipality of Paoay, Ilocos Norte in the Philippines.

It is a perfect place to feel the presence of the Lord. Be sure not to miss this one of the oldest churches in the Philippines.

And now for our next stop, the famous Spanish Colonial City of Vigan.

Vigan

If you are to visit Ilocos, you surely don’t want to miss out the famous Vigan. It's known for its well-preserved Spanish colonial and Asian architecture. Calle Crisologo dominates the Mestizo district, with its cobblestone streets, malecón, horse-drawn carriages and rustic mansions. Near the white baroque Vigan Cathedral are Plaza Salcedo, offering fountain light shows, and Plaza Burgos, known for its street-food stalls.

And lastly, I definitely recommend you to visit the Pagudpud Beaches.

Pagudpud

 Pagudpud is a fourth class municipality and a coastal resort town of Ilocos Norte province, in the northern Ilocos Region of the Philippines. According to the 2010 census, Pagudpud has a population of 21,877 people.

Be mesmerized by the beautiful white sand beaches of Pagudpud. There are also different homestay that you can rent on with your family and friends. Feel the comfort of their home away from yours.

 

This has end my 2 days tour in the province of Ilocos. And to tell you, 2 days is not enough to explore the beauty of this province. Ilocos has so much to offer and I would surely love to go back again and again.

This has been a remarkable trip that I had in my life and probably one of the best trips that I had. It has also been a memorable trip and experience that I had with my family. And I’m looking forward on coming back in the beautiful province of Ilocos.   

-Aliesondra Eilra Dones