Located in the northern coastal field of the Philippines is the beautiful province of Ilocos. The town has a lot of breathtaking places to discover whether you prefer sights that are rich in history, culture, leisure, or the great outdoors, you can spot it all over the place. The abundant province is located 400km north from Manila, offering a wide array of well-known destinations for local and foreign tourists. It is highly recommended that you stay longer than 2 days so you can deeply appreciate and completely visit everything Ilocos has in-store for visitors.
When in Ilocos you always want to start your adventure by visiting the famous streets of Vigan where you can ride kalesas through the cobblestoned streets while catching a glimpse of the most historical European architecture that has been well preserved through time. From there you need to visit Paoay Church, a national treasure of the locals and a UNESCO world heritage site built in 1896 by Augustinian Friars, a structure that is a Spanish era resonant interior. To continue your nostalgic travel through history, head down to the Malacanang of the North, officially built to be the late President Marcos' residence. A two storey edifice located near the Paoay Lake, complete with antique dining room, living room, bedrooms, kitchen, an office, very elegant ballroom, and an Olympic size pool. It also features a capacious terrace overlooking a magnificent view of the garden and the lake. If you happen to be in Laoag during sunset, it is important that you visit the Sinking Bell Tower in the Area, It is very much comperable to the Leaning Tower of Pesa in Italy. The tower is called a sinking structure because it was built on a sandy ground, with no durable foundation the tower sinks into the ground roughly an inch every year. You will definitely feel a romantic vibe when the towers light up during the night.
For a much more extreme activity hit the road and head on to the Kapurpurawan Rock Formation in Burgos Ilocos Norte, only accessible via private transportation down a long and winding road. The name is derived from its unique white color formation. The rock formation according to the locals look like a huge dragon said to be guarding the entire coast. It is considered a beautiful disaster with its natural beauty exuding as ocean wave crash into the shore. Work your way to the only geological dessert in Ilocos Norte, The Lapaz Sand Dunes. The heights of these dunes range from 10 to 30 meters created as a result of wind, sea, and river interaction. It is 15 minutes away from the town proper accessible by tricycle and jeepney. Once there, you can avail of their sand boarding activities and ATV rentals that will definitelybring out the stunt person out of anyone. Lastly, you cannot leave Ilocos without visiting The Bangui Windmill the very first of its kind in the whole Southeast Asia and only found in Ilocos Norte. The windmill has 20 tri-blades spread in an arc formation standing 70 meters tall. Because of this superstructure, it generates renewable energy providing 40% of Ilocos residences ample supply of electricity, which is a total of 108,000 households. There are still a lot of places to visit in Ilocos, places that has yet to be discovered. Ilocos, a province rich in culture and history waiting for you to arrive.
