Next day is our Northern Pagudpud Tour. We are now invading the Ilocos Norte. It’s my 2nd time to explore North and it still makes me WOW. We all get ready, had our complimentary breakfast in the hotel, brought our swimming attire and we are ready to go. We were visited by Roseann’s sister in law and her nephew and they joined the tour. Sadly, Nohj decided to leave early and go back to Manila.
First stop is the Sta. Monica Church. It was raining that morning so we were unable to explore the entire structure. Though we just saw the façade of the Church, we were still impressed. Irene Marcos had her vows to Gregorio Araneta in this church.
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| Gloomy but magnificent look of the church |
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| At front |
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| Connecting bridge from the church going to the convent. |
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| The right side is the huge bell tower. |
Then we went to our 2nd stop which is the Kapurpurawan Rocks. Good thing rain stopped and sunshine welcomed us here in Kapurpurawan. Crafted by nature in the town of Burgos, the rock formation is in creamy white colored and with smooth curving shapes. It’s quite odd to see it here because you’ll wonder how these rocks were formed through time and that makes it more remarkable.
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| The Kapurpurawan Rock Formation of Burgos, Ilocos Norte |
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| Picture mode, Roseann's nephew on the middle. |
We noticed a construction on-going at the right side of the location and we found out that they were creating a stone-age village for a movie. How I wish they will not ruin the entire structure and remove it after; or just keep it natural.
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| And here's what they did. |
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| You can also rent a horse on your way there. |
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| The other side. |
Another Cultural Heritage Site here in
Burgos is our 3
rd stop.
The Cape Bojeador Lighthouse that is also known as Burgos Lighthouse was established during the Spanish Colonial period. The lighthouse that was built on top of a hill was used for the sailing galleons. After 100 years it still functions to welcome international ships that enter the
Philippines from the North overlooking the
South China Sea.
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| And Parola ng Cape Bojeador |
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| Vintage and rustic view. |
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| The view above |
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| When all the visitors left but us |
Our 4th stop is the
Bangui Windmill. Of course it is located in Bangui Ilocos Norte. It’s a successful project in attempt to practice renewable resources and reduce greenhouse gases. It’s the first Wind Farm in the Philippines consisting of turbines placed by the shore facing the South China Sea. They said that it’s the biggest in the Southeast Asia, These wind mills provides the 40% of the electricity in the entire Ilocos Norte. Aside from the electricity it provides to Ilocos, it is now the most known tourist attraction here in the Region.
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| The Bangui Windmill |
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| More pics above. |
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| Plus the clear Blue Sky! |
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| Lots of souvenir shops at those Nipa huts. |
If you’re a beach lover, you'll definitely love our 5th stop. Another known beach here in the North is the Pagudpud Beach. (Saud Beach side) It is another popular white sand beach here in the Philippines. We only had our lunch here and didn’t spend much time. Though I was able to visit and stayed here in Pagudpud years back and I can say that it’s a great place to visit. Just like Boracay, there are lots of restaurants and resorts to chose from. The shoreline doesn’t stretch as long as Boracay but the place can give you ultimate skinny dipping, boating and swimming beach experience too. And since Pagudpud is located up North, you’ll notice that is a bit windy here and with big waves in the water. Locals advise swimmers to be careful as strong undercurrent can pull you far the shore.
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| The Saud Beach at Pagudpud |
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| Good weather! |
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| We didn't spend much time here but I'm glad to visit you again! |
Also located in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte is the
Patapat Viaduct, our 6th stop. The bridge was said the 4th longest bridge in the country. The bridge is 31 meters above sea level and is 1.3 km long. The elevated concrete bridge connects Maharlika Highway from Laoag Ilocos Norte to Cagayan Valley Region. It was also known attraction here in Ilocos because of its magnificent view; they said it was created to avoid landslides from the previous road that caused vehicular accidents from the past.
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| Most photographed spot here in Patapat Viaduct. |
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| And we also take our turns. |
Our 7th and quick stop is here in Paraiso Ni Anton. The water streaming down from the mountain was known for its miraculous healing power. They recommend taking a sip and bringing water on your way home. They said that it was enchanted and it’s a must for the vehicles to sound their horns three times upon passing by. Well, I do not know if its true but I indeed drank some water too for refreshment. :)
Another must see here in Pagudpud is the
Kabigan Falls. That's our 8th stop. You need to walk for around 30mins or less to see the falls. The trail is very accessible. A local guide is recommended going here.
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| Very inviting! |
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| More pictures of the falls. |
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| And some of us decided to take a dip. |
Then the last but not the least is the Blue Lagoon, located still in Pagudpud. This was where we stayed the most and went swimming before we left. I really love this place and swimming here for the 2nd time is still as exciting as before. Expect big waves here than the Saud and it’s like a smaller version but still with good resorts to choose from. They normally include this place in the tour if in case you want a beach experience in your tour and stayed far from the beach side.
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| Green grass plus white sand and blue water! |
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| And so we splash and hit the waves! |
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| The other side of the beach, and it's getting dark. |
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| Thanks for the wonderful experience! |
Then that’s how we ended our 2nd day exploring the Pagudpud and Northern part of Ilocos. We do not have much time the next day as we were scheduled leaving Laoag after lunch. However, we had a chance to experience Sand Boarding in La Paz Sand Dunes which completed our adventure on its full packed! I am so excited on my next post!
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"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better."
~Albert Einstein
