The Philippines: 7 to go in ILOCOS NORTE (part 3)

http://blauearth.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/ilocos-norte-map.j

7 must-see destinations in Ilocos Norte
The tour in Ilocos Norte took us to 7 municipalities in the province.  We rented a van for a two-day tour of Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur, for $170.  The van comfortably seats 7 persons.  Contact number of the van operator is +639194746513.

In part 1 of this post, we have been to (1) Cape Bojeador Lighthouse in Burgos and (2) Wind Farm in Bangui.  In Part 2, we continued on the tour to the many attractions in (3) Pagudpud alone.

In this post, we continue on our tour to Bacarra, LaPaz, Paoay and Currimao.


Acrobatic Bell Tower (Destination 4 of 7)
Bacarra, Ilocos Norte

From Pagudpud, we traveled a couple of hours to Bacarra where the Acrobatic Bell Tower is, so called because its bell tower tilted and fell due to an earthquake, thus an "acrobatic" act.  Notice the bell tower is made of bricks, quite a common site in Ilocos Norte, their old structures commonly were of brick materials.

Acrobatic Bell Tower

Our first day tour ended with a sumptuous meal in one of the local restaurants in Laoag.  There is not much night life in Laoag.  At Java Hotel where we stayed, they have a bar called Eagle's Nest Bar where some of the locals and tourists go to at night.


Fort Ilocandia Resort and LaPaz Sand Dunes (Destination 5 of 7)

On our second day of the tour, we got a glimpse of the Fort Ilocandia Resort, a hotel originally constructed by the (former Philippine President) Marcos Family for their daughter Irene's wedding reception.  The hotel structure is made of bricks and is within Laoag City.

Fort Ilocandia Resort

Sand dunes.  The sand dunes are found in the coastal village of Barangay La Paz. "The dunes lie to the west of Laoag, between the city and the coast, and to the south of the riverbank where Fort Ilocandia Resort and Casino located." (WikiPilipinas)

The famous LaPaz sand dunes is a film location site, both for local movies (Himala and Panday) and international (Born on the Fourth of July).  It is also known as the"Desert of the North".  A lot of extreme sport activities are done in the 85-sq km sand dunes.

Sand dunes

Our next stop was supposed to be the Malacanang of the North, but since a new governor has recently been elected at that time (May 2010) and has made Malacanang the provincial seat of power, the place was off limits to tourists.

We moved on to our next stops: the St. Augustine Church in Paoay and the coral formations in Currimao.

The Philippines: 7 to go in ILOCOS NORTE (part 2)

http://blauearth.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/ilocos-norte-map.j

7 must-see destinations in Ilocos Norte
The tour in Ilocos Norte took us to 7 municipalities in the province.  We rented a van for a two-day tour of Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur, for $170.  The van comfortably seats 7 persons.  Contact number of the van operator is +639194746513.

In part 1 of this post, we have been to (1) Cape Bojeador Lighthouse in Burgos and (2) Wind Farm in Bangui.

In this post, Part 2, you will read about the many attractions in Pagudpud alone.

PAGUDPUD, Ilocos Norte (Destination 3 of 7)

Pagudpud is blessed with rock formations and beautiful beaches, like the Bantay Abot Cave "hole in the mountain", Timmangtang Rock, Saud Beach, Maira-ira/ Blue Lagoon beach, hills of green, and the man-made Patapat Viaduct.

Pagudpud is most known for its beaches.  The first one we went to was called Saud Beach.  While there, we had lunch and while waiting for lunch to be served, the kids enjoyed the waves coming from the South China Sea.  We only had to pay for our lunch, no entrance fees to the beach.  From the beach, one can still see the Bangui windmills.

Saud Beach

After lunch, we were set to go to another "hidden" paradise in Pagudpud, the Blue Lagoon.  On the way, we passed Bantay-Abot Cave and Timmangtang Rock.  Bantay-Abot means "hole in the mountain", obviously named after the natural formation.  According to our driver-guide, local folklore says that Bantay-Abot has a lover, the Timmangtang Rock. Bantay-Abot is the female and Timmangtang Rock is the male.

Shown below are pictures of Bantay-Abot up close and a view of the cave from Timmangtang Rock. 

This is Timmangtang Rock, and the view of the rock from Bantay-Abot cave.

 

Next stop is the Blue Lagoon, a more secluded and picturesque beach in Maira-ira Point.  The white beach against the crystal blue waters was breathtaking. The Blue Lagoon forms a sea arch and is named as such because of its very blue waters.  A word of caution, though, the blue water is caused by the depth of the sea, so that a few feet from the shore, the water is already deep.

Blue Lagoon at Maira-ira Point

Last stop in Pagudpud is the equally famous Patapat Viaduct, also known as the French Riviera of the Philippines.  This viaduct links Ilocos to Cagayan Valley.  It is more than a kilometer long bridge and is found at the foot of the Cordillera Mountain Ranges.  Looking out to sea, the view is exhilarating!

Patapat Viaduct

Hills of Pagudpud.  Along the way, our eyes feasted on vibrant and alive green hills; you don't see this everyday especially if you're living in the city.  Looking at the hills brings peace to the mind and a song to the heart.

The hills are alive in Pagudpud

Road leading to the beach

Our last stop for the day is the Bacarra bell tower and La Paz sand dunes.. on the next post.

The Philippines: 7 to go in ILOCOS NORTE (part 1)

http://blauearth.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/ilocos-norte-map.j

Ilocos Norte is located north of the Philippines, facing South China Sea on its west side, Cagayan on the northeast, Apayao on the east, Abra in the southeast and Ilocos Sur on its south.  Its capital is Laoag City.  There are 22 municipalities in the province and we went to seven of them (Burgos, Bangui, Pagudpud, Paoay, Batac, Bacarra, Currimao) for their famous attractions.





7 must-see destinations in Ilocos Norte
The tour in Ilocos Norte took us to 7 municipalities in the province.  We rented a van for a two-day tour of Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur, for $170.  The van comfortably seats 7 persons.  Contact number of the van operator is +639194746513 (hope he hasn't changed numbers since then).


CAPE BOJEADOR Lighthouse (Destination 1 of 7)
Burgos, Ilocos Norte

Outside Cape Bojeador, also known as the Burgos Lighthouse

This still functioning lighthouse is set on a hill named Vigia de Nagparitan and is overlooking the South China Sea.  This was first lit on March 30, 1892.

What's inside the lighthouse

WIND FARM (Destination 2 of 7)
Bangui, Ilocos Norte
The famous windmills, count at 15, are spaced 326 meters apart, with height equivalent to a 23-storey bldg ...big, majestic and awesome!  The wind turbines were inaugurated on 2005 provide 40% of the power requirements of Ilocos Norte.

Bangui Windmills

More beautiful spots in Pagudpud like the Saud Beach, Blue Lagoon and the Patapat Viaduct...in our next stop.