The provinces of Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur in the northernmost part of the Philippines are among the most beautiful places in the country. Rich in cultural heritage, the region is home to two UNESCO world heritage sites, the Historic City of Vigan and Paoay Church. And in my opinion it is one of the few places in the country that are well managed by the local government.
You can visit both Ilocos provinces in two days. In our case we only had a weekend to tour the region. Since it’s quite far from Manila, around 6-8 hours depending on the mode of transportation and most of the tourist spots are not accessible via public transportation, we booked a tour with an agency. It was a good choice since we had to travel from Manila all night and we had the van all to ourselves. There were only 5 of us and I had an entire row of seats all to myself so I was able to sleep.
The driver picked us up from Trinoma in Quezon City at around 9 pm. Our first stop was Vigan and we arrived at around 4 am. It was very early so the city was very quiet and we seemed to be the only tourists roaming around. Walking down the deserted Calle Crisologo at dawn was like a trip back in time. The yellow lights from the centuries old buildings casting faint shadows on the cobblestone streets gave me a strange wave of nostalgia.
Vigan is listed by UNESCO as the best preserved example of Spanish colonial towns in Asia. While there are still many Spanish colonial structures existing in the Philippines today, Vigan is unparalleled in grandeur. The place is well maintained and clean. It might be disappointing to know when you get there that the old town impression can be experienced in only one street, which is Calle Crisologo. Although there are many old buildings scattered around Vigan, only Calle Crisologo is lined purely with old buildings. A tour in Vigan will not be complete without a ride on a horse-drawn carriage called calesa.
Our next stop was another UNESCO world heritage site, Paoay Church (also known as Saint Augustine Church), which is part of the collective title Baroque Churches of the Philippines. It’s the most beautiful church I have seen in the country, and the enormous buttresses at the sides and back of the building gave it a really old impression.
Next we went to Paoay Sand Dunes, where we had the 4×4 ride and sand boarding. It’s where we had the most fun during the trip. There were 5 of us and we paid Php500 each. It would be much expensive with fewer people. It was very hot but we were having so much fun so we didn’t mind. The driver was really good, he made sure we screamed and begged not to make the vehicle jump off some cliffs.
We didn’t pass up the chance to take pictures at the beach.
Next we went to Malacanang of the North, which used to be the residence of the family of Ferdinand Marcos when he was president of the Philippines.
Our next stop was Cape Bojeador Lighthouse in Burgos, Ilocos Norte. Its light marks the northwestern-most point in the island of Luzon. It was built over 100 years ago and still operational. What made it interesting was the ghost stories of the people who work there. They would swear they have seen and heard otherworldly beings who haunt the place.
Next we went to Kapurpurawan Rock Formation in the rocky coast of Burgos, Ilocos Norte. The creamy white limestone formations are beautiful and perfect for picture taking. A local man offered to take our pictures and he was good at finding the perfect angles. The white rocks, windswept ocean waves and the wind turbines make a stunning picturesque scenery.
Our last stop was the breathtaking Bangui Wind Farm. The wind farm is composed of 20 units of 70-meter high wind turbines that are arranged on a single row reflecting a graceful arc along the shoreline off Bangui Bay.
That night we stayed at a beach resort in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. The waves were really huge and the winds were very strong so we weren’t able to swim. We didn’t have the energy though since we traveled all night and toured all day.
smalltimejetsetter 