Farther North of The North...

Ilocos Norte.. 1 Nation, 1 Lifetime, 7,107 Islands

Burgos, Bangui, Pagudpod & Adams Town!!!!

Burgos, Bangui & Pagudpod are the last three towns on the Northernmost part of the province of Ilocos Norte. They maybe the last but they are the first in nature & scenery. Undeniably breathtaking views either man-made or natural. Jump-off point is Laoag City, Ilocos Norte. 

How to get there: 

From Manila to Laoag is about 490 km., 10 hrs. drive by private car or 12 hrs. by bus. If you are traveling from Manila by private car, make sure not only 1 driver is going to take on the wheel, he will not enjoy the trip and the ride. It is quite a long way from home unless you have 3 or 4 days to spare for the trip that you can go @ cruising speed and plenty of rest time along the way. 

By bus, take the night trip from manila and snore all the way to Laoag. ETA Laoag is 5-7am. Take heavy breakfast & load up some drinking water. Jeep or mini bus to your first destination. Van service is also available in Laoag for a day or 2. You need to do some hiking to reach some location if you take the public transport and a little more time of course, but it won't take in any way, even a bit, the excitement and the best of nature waiting for you. 

See Map in Google

Main Attractions:

Cape Bojeador & Cape Bojeador Light House - 

The lighthouse is 42 kilometers from Laoag City. This 66-foot-tall (20 m) octagonal stone tower is also known as Burgos Lighthouse or Faro de Cabo Bojeador, sets high on Vigia de Nagpartian Hill overlooking the scenic Cape Bojeador which sets idly down below waiting for action during the months of November to February when the mighty South Philippine Sea (now being claimed by China with their new 10 daz line Map - whatever that means) explode it's wrath to the coastline.

It is part of the Spanish government's master plan of illuminating the Philippine archipelago along with other lighthouses like Corregidor Lighthouse (600 feet -180 m),  the tower of Cape Melville Lighthouse (90 feet - 27 m). The northeastern-most being Cape Engaño Lighthouse on Palaui Island,Santa Ana, Cagayan.  The Burgos lighthouse was first lit on March 30, 1892. For listing of all lighthouses in the Philippines, click here...

The lighthouse was named a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Institute on Aug. 13, 2005. Less than a year later, on June 20, the National Museum declared it a National Cultural Heritage. There is a small museum inside the tower building to share with you some knowledge about the Lighthouse.

The tower is sometimes closed to the public (for some safety reasons) but inside there are 164 steps of concrete & steel leading up to the lens room. Inside the lens room which is covered with clear glass panels (360 deg.) with the light beam is now powered by 10 solar cells, the view is just fantastic. 

Why Bojeador? Or Faro de Bojeador? I can't extract any explanation from the locals or the caretaker, so I made made up my "bestest" guess... "Light of the Voyager". In Tagalog "Ilaw ng mga "Lakwatsero". In  maharang na Bikol "Karaba kan mga Rabasnon".  

Make your own guess (or translation) in your own linggo @ the comment below.

Kapurpurawan Rock Formations

Kapurpurawan Rock Formation -  I have no words to describe it. The root word is "puraw", an Ilocano term which means white. Conjugate it to "Kapurpurawan" it would mean "Kaputiputian". Which is the general color of the rock formation.

Distance from Cape Bojeador is about 10km. (6miles). It is walkable for a hiker's standard. 

The picture says it all...

From Kapurpurawan Rockys, walk 4 kms along the coastline and you will reach the first tower of this wind farm. By road it is about 12km.

Bangui Wind Farm

Bangui Wind-farm -  What is   Wind-farm? What does it do? The internet says: A wind farm is a group of wind turbines (those gigantic propeller blades) in the same location used to produce energy. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines. 

Bangui Wind Farm consists of 20 windmills with height of 70m (230ft), spread across a 9km. stretch of the grey sand beach. The sight is monstrous. The silent mountain ranges @ the back witnessing the sometimes thunderous pounding of the sea. The  turbines are spaced 326 metres apart, with 41 metres long blades, with a rotor diameter of 82 metres and a wind swept area of 5,281 square metres. Each turbine is capable of producing electricity up to a maximum capacity of 1.65MW, for a total of 33MW. The sight is "oh-some". 

Blue Lagoon @ Maira-ira Cove

22km. (10miles) from Wind Farm junction is Pagudpod Beach.

Pagudpod Beach & Blue Lagoon -   These are like Twin Beach except that they are not in good terms. Pagudpod Beach, the bigger one (almost a kilometer in length) is facing South and Blue Lagoon, the baby one is facing North East and in between them is a mountain. They are 16km apart. Same clean, white, fine, shiny sand. Both are good for all sorts of beach & sea sports. You name it, both can offer it and you can do it. 

For List of Beach Resorts in Pagudpod, click here...

Kabigan Falls -  

The waterfall is approximately 87-feet high and the very cold water drops into a natural pool surrounded by thick forest and lush greenery, located at the eastern part of Barangay Balaoi, about 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) away from the national highway. The trek going to Kabigan Falls takes 30 to 40 minutes mostly of flat area and visible trail. 

Patapat Viaduct - 

The Patapat Viaduct, elevated 31 metres (102 ft) above sea level, is 1.3 kilometres (0.81 mi) concrete coastal viaduct that connects the Maharlika Highway from Laoag to the Cagayan Valley Region.  Located more than 16 kilometers from the town proper, it offers a scenic view of Pasaleng Bay. 

Patapat Visduct

Why elevated by 31m? Because waves of the Pasaleng Bay during the months of November to February reaches as high as 30m. It cannot be constructed higher along the slope of the mountain because it would require sacrificing a lot of the slopes and no guaranty the ocean will not eat up the slope with such big & strong waves. 

The Solution was the Viaduct which now become a design and construction marvel sort and a tourist attraction at that. This bridge is often referred to as the French Riviera of the North. It made possible cir cum-navigating entire Luzon going through the West coastal road and back though the Eastern side. 

Annuplig Falls

Waterfalls of Adams Town

45mins. to 1hr. uphill drive from Patapat Viaduct is Adams Town, which prides itself with 18 waterfalls, 10 hanging Bridges and the highest mountain peak in Ilocos Norte, the Lover's Peak of Mt. Palemlem where one gets a 360 degree view of the entire Tinamburan Mountain Ranges and the perfect spot to see the sunrise as it blazes up from the Pacific over the mountains and murmurs down in sunset into the West Philippine sea.

Annuplig Falls, the "bestest" of the 18 waterfalls is a 25-foot high natural waterfall framed on either side by lush forests and has two cascading fall basins which flows down to Bolo River and empties itself to West Philippine Sea. 

"Tukak" Ilocos Specialty

Native cuisine like the deep-fried-frog, yes FROG, as in FROG, which they call "Tukak" (It's the song of the frog, tukak, tukak, tukak) is one of the best. Home stay accommodations and cell phone signals are also available in the town. 

For more photos click here... 

GLOBAL PINOY Travel & Tours 

Local & International Ticketing, Package Tours

Now Franchising WORDWIDE ...  For Details click here...