Ilocos 2014
I always wanted to see Vigan and to come back and visit Pagudpud. My first and last vacation in Ilocos Norte was in 2007 (?) and I don’t remember seeing other spots other than Fort Ilocandia.
So I started planning for this Holy Week getaway as early as January. I knew that I needed to find a place to stay before hotels and resorts are fully booked.
Anywho, I just wanted to share our itinerary, the food/delicacies we tried and bought as pasalubong, and the places we visited during our road trip.
And oh did I mention that this is actually my FIRST blog ever?! *fistbump*
Day 0 Manila to Ilocos
12:00 AM ETD Manila
Day 1 Ilocos Sur - Ilocos Norte
09:30 AM ETA Ilocos Sur
10:00 AM ETA Vigan
11:00 AM Brunch at Cafe Leona
12:30 PM Vigan Tour (St. Paul’s Cathedral, Baluarte Zoo)
01:30 PM ETD Batac, Ilocos
03:00 PM ETA Marcos Museum & Mausoleum
03:30 PM ETD Paoay Church
04:00 PM ETA Paoay Church
04:30 PM ETD Paoay Lake
05:00 PM ETA Paoay Lake
05:15 PM ETD Laoag City
07:30 PM ETA Laoag City, Check in at Isabel Suites
08:00 PM Dinner at La Preciosa
Day 2 Ilocos Norte
08:00 AM Breakfast at the hotel, check-out
09:30 AM ETA Laoag Bell Tower, Cathedral, Museum
10:30 AM ETD Laoag to Sarrat
11:00 AM ETA Sta. Monica Church/Bell Tower, Marcos’ Birthplace
11:45 AM ETD Sarrat to Bacarra
12:15 PM ETA Bacarra Church/Bell Tower
12:30 PM ETD Bacarra to Burgos
01:30 PM ETA Cape Bojeador Lighthouse
01:45 PM ETD Burgos
02:30 PM ETA Johnny Moon Cafe, Lunch
03:30 PM ETA Kapurpurawan Rock Formation
04:30 PM ETD Burgos to Bangui
05:00 PM ETA Bangui Windmills
05:45 PM ETD Bangui to Pagudpud
08:00 PM ETA Blue Lagoon Pagudpud, Check-in at Casa Consuelo
Day 3 CHILL OUT AT THE BEEEAAACCCHHHH!!!!!
Day 4 Ilocos Norte to Manila
08:00 AM Breakfast and check-out
10:00 AM ETD Pagudpud to Vigan
02:00 PM ETA Marsha’s Delicacies
03:00 PM ETD Vigan to La Union
06:30 PM ETA Halo-Halo de Iloko, stop over for snack
08:00 PM ETD La Union to Manila
01:00 AM ETA Manila
Ilocos Sur Bridge
ILOCOS SUR
Calle Crisologo, Vigan
Cafe Leona, Vigan
We tried Bagnet Maki wrapped in Bacon. Sinful.
St. Paul’s Cathedral, Vigan
Baluarte Zoo, Vigan
Free entrance & free pony ride at Gov. Chavit Singson’s Baluarte Zoo!
ILOCOS NORTE
Marcos Mausoleum, Batac
Taking of pictures is strictly prohibited inside the Mausoleum.
Paoay Church, Paoay
Check out Paoay Kumakaway on Facebook for free tours and itineraries.
Paoay Lake, Paoay
Isabel Suites, Laoag City
This hotel is highly-recommended! Affordable rates, clean rooms, free breakfast and free wifi!!
La Preciosa Restaurant, Laoag City
Dinengdeng: fresh veggies with grilled fish in a soup
Laoag Bell Tower, Laoag City
St. William Cathedral, Laoag City
Sta. Monica Church & Convent Ruins, Sarrat
Sta. Monica Church Bell Tower, Sarrat
Marcos’ Birthplace, Sarrat
Bacarra Bell Tower, Bacarra
Ruined bell tower, debris are found at the bottom.
St. Andrew Parish, Bacarra
Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, Burgos
On the way to Pagudpud and already sun-kissed!
Kapurpurawan Rock Formation, Burgos
It was hot as Channing Tatum but we still braved the heat. This is where I got my sunburn. Thank you!
(In the photo are our friends - Pinky & Victor)
Bangui Windmills
Blue Lagoon with a view of Dos Hermanos Islands, Pagudpud
During low tide, rocks and corals are seen ashore. We crossed the water all the way to the island for some photo ops just before sunset.
The beach area is ideal only for snorkeling but you can still dip in the water during high tide. You can walk a few hundred meters down to Hannah’s Resort for some white sand and clear blue water kemerlut.
(Upper Left) Poque-Poque is an Ilocos version of tortang talong with tomatoes and onions. (Bottom Left) Garlic Lobster is also recommended (Php 800). (Right) Board seen at the dining/reception area.
Food served at Casa Consuelo is delish and affordable since the servings are good for sharing. However, the one thing that guests complain is the waiting time which is already noted in their menu - approx 45 minutes to prepare.
Casa Consuelo, Blue Lagoon Pagudpud
We all loved the resort for so many reasons - ambience is quiet and very private, hospitable and friendly owners and their food is always great. I would definitely come back to this homey place!!
On the way back we bought our pasalubong at Laoag public market expecting we’d be able to buy everything we need. We ended up buying Ilocos garlic (Php 180/kg), Ilocos onions (Php 50/kg), and chichacorn. I was looking for a specific brand of chichacorn that I saw on the web and the seller told me that I may be able to find them at Marsha’s on our way back to Vigan. And so we did and we found more than we expected :)
Marsha’s Delicacies - Bantay, Ilocos Sur
One-stop shop for pasalubong and lunch/snacks. Some items are actually cheaper here than in Laoag Market.
Note: Patience is a MUST.
Royal Bibingka, Banana Chips, Cassava Cake, Garlic Cornick, Vigan Longganisa
We also stopped for snacks at Halo-Halo de Iloko in La Union. I’ll probably create an entry for our La Union trip last year since this one’s about Ilocos, right? *palusotngtamad*
That concludes our 4-day, 1200-km trip up North!