My Classic Ilocos

Amidst the hustle and bustle of modern living, a visit to the Ilocos region is a journey back through time, like watching your favorite movie in sepia color. My Ilocano elders would often say that to look with confidence towards the future, one must first embrace the past, learn from your roots. Steeped in old-world charm, the spirit of Ilocos takes this adage to heart.

From Laoag, the capital city of Ilocos Norte, one can begin a renewing, spirit-filled journey in many of the region’s centuries-old churches whose quiet strength echoes the stories of old. Some horse-drawn carriages still take locals around the town for P10 per passenger.

Begin your visit to Spanish colonial churches at the Laoag Cathedral constructed between 1650 to1700. The Carmelite Monastery at P.Gomez Street has a serene, lovely chapel and unforgettable kamias sweets, a perfect gift for family and friends. 

A few kilometers away is Paoay church completed in 1894 by the Augustinian friars. This UNESCO World Heritage site is the best known earthquake baroque style church in the Philippines. One would be awed at the sheer massiveness of the place, with its large coral stones and 24 carved, exceptionally thick buttresses.

Across Paoay is the town of Batac where even the dead endure the test of time. Here, one can view the former President Ferdinand Marcos’s body (wax version) enclosed in a glass case, a piece of Philippine history preserved in a museum.

Nearby Currimao town is picturesque place to relax in some of Ilocos’ ancestral homes adorned with checkered windows made of capiz shells.  A visit to Sitio Remedios, a heritage village facing the South China sea is a must see if only to view spectacular, fiery sunsets.

One can stay in one of their seven Balays for a nostalgic experience of mid-century Ilocos Norte.  The heritage village dedicated to Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage is a place of retreat for weary travelers.

Each balay with room sharing ranges from 4,000 to 14,000 per night, and is furnished with Ilocano furnitures, authentic crocheted bedspreads and inabel sheets. A renewing massage at the Ablon, an Ilocano term for healing massage, can also be had near the beach.

If one wants to stay at the heart of Laoag city, there is also red-bricked Fort Ilocandia Resort nestled among fetching sand hills in coastal Calayab.

Boracay of the North

Laoag is a good pit stop on the way to Pagudpud, christened the Boracay of the North for its white sand beaches. From Laoag, one can take a tricycle to any Cagayan bound mini-buses such as St. Joseph, for an hour and a half journey to bliss. Some resorts like Kapuluan Resort in Pagudpud offers Laoag pick-ups and drop-offs for P3,000 one-way. Families and group of friends can also simply hire a jeepney for about P2,500 pesos.

On the way to Pagudpud, one must visit the old Spanish Lighthouse in Baranggay Burgos on the way.  Faro Cabo Cape Bojeador is set majestically on a hill overlooking the South China Sea and is the most accessible of all lighthouses in Luzon. The enduring lighthouse has guided ships in these parts for more than a century since 1892. A climb to the top of the lighthouse, about 79 winding steps is an experience in itself.

After Burgos town proper, one should pass by Baranggay Bangui to check out the massive windmills beside the Bangui bay, where the sea is driven by the wind producing a milky froth. The man-made turbines built by NorthWind Development Corporation is a best practice in renewable energy, reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere while providing 40% of the power requirements of Ilocos Norte.

It is also a beautiful pre-requel of some of the powerful waves of Pagudpud, which is also a good spot for surfing.

The atmosphere of Pagudpud is unhurried and rural, it is Boracay minus the crowd. The town’s idea of a perfect nightlife is an evening of good company and good food beside the beach followed by stargazing.

The Kapuluan Resort is not on the main beach but is a pleasant 10-minute stroll through coconut groves. It is an innovative resort that has distinguished itself by combining natural beauty and volunteer activities for its visitors like planting trees.

However, along the main beach are many resorts to choose from, the famous ones are located at Saud Beach and Malinga Cove, known as the Blue Lagoon. To get there from Pagudpud town proper, take a tricycle to Baranggay Saud which costs around P40 per trip (less than a dollar). In Saud, try Polaris Beach Resort which offers P1,000 per room, in the same shoreline as the renowned Saud Beach Resort.  

Meanwhile,  Blue Lagoon is a hidden bay found at Maira-ira Point. Reaching the place is quite tiresome for it is around 2.5 kilometers away from the highway and found at the interior part of Sitio Malingay. On the way is thick forest but it's worth getting to for its crystal blue water and fine white sand.

From here you can trek to the Nacatnagan Cliff, a virgin forest good for camping and communing with nature.  Also visit the Bantay Abot Caves and the Dos Hermanos Rocks were the delicious Ilocano seaweeds gamet are taken. 

On the way home, stop at Patapat bridge for photos, it is a winding bridge found at the foot of the cliff of the North Cordillera Mountain Ranges, often referred to as the “French Riviera of the North”.

Take a Stroll in Romantic Vigan

On the way back from Pagudpud to Ilocos Sur, one should pass by the first baranggay of Ilocos Norte, Badoc, hometown of Filipino painter Juan Luna where a copy of his Spolarium can be found in a museum. Less than 45 minutes along the way from here is Vigan, the unique Spanish city in Ilocos Sur.

Established in the 16th century, Vigan is the best preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia. It is here where it is best to do recreational shopping while in the Ilocos region. The Kamestizoan district contains Calle Crisologo, a preserved cobbled stone street, a quaint road with lampshades where one can experience a romantic stroll through Ilocos’ colonial days where the clip-clop of horse-drawn carriages offer a nostalgic musical background.  It is here that you will find antique items and their reproductions for sale as well as religious artifacts, look out for the infant Jesus sculptures. Hiring a calesa will take you around Vigan for P150 an hour.

A visit to the Padre Jose Burgos House contains the memorabilia of the martyred priest Jose Burgos as well as the ethnic artworks of the Tinggians while you will find beautiful collections of pottery and porcelain at the Magsingal Museum.

If you want to try your hand at pottery, visit the Vigan House of Pottery which produces burnay jars made of sand, fire-blasted in a huge kiln.  Also, you can learn from the hardworking,  Ilocano elders who patiently weave abel clothe at Camangaan. 

When it’s time to eat, get droped-off at Café Uno in  Bonifacio Street to partake of their home-cooked Ilocano dishes like pinakbet with bagnet, a vegetable dish with the renowned Ilocano pork delicacy.

Café Angela at Quirino Boulevard serves the best Vigan longganisa in a plate of garlicky rice, a must-try.

Adventurous ones should try eating at the public market stalls such as Gaizel’s to partake of the famous Ilocano empanada, a crepe-like concoction made with eggs, Vigan sausage and vegetables wrapped in a rice flour shell.

A perfect night cap can be had at Villa Angela with rooms ranging from 1,800 to 3,200 per night on peak season for 2 to 4 people.   A cheaper alternative maybe Granpa’s Inn, with rooms starting from P500 and kids can sleep in kalesa beds for a unique experience.

When returning home, one must not forget to take with you the delicious Ilocano rice cake from Tongson's Royal Bibingka at Florentino Street, just a street away from Plaza Burgos. Tinubong, a sticky sweet rice delicacy that's sold in bamboo tubes is also a must-taste. They can be found in the stalls at Calle Crisologo and Calle Plaridel in bundles of three to five sold along with fried tasty corn bits and basi, a native rum from sugarcane.

A journey to the Ilocos region is one to be remembered for years, reminding us of the lessons of the past so we can move forward into the future. Its centuries-old churches, lighthouse and age-old traditions reflect the Ilocano people’s resilient spirit and reverence for things that last.  


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Many thanks to photographer friends Adam Long and Dan Bercasio for capturing the spirit of Ilocos.