Return to Ilocandia | Tipping in the Northwestern Tip

"The most difficult roads often lead us to beautiful destinations". 

The Patapat Viaduct in Pagudpud providing connections from Ilocos Norte to Cagayan.

Passing through the long, winding highways from the smooth sailing ride in the plains of Laoag, enjoying the view of towering windmills and verdant mountains in the vast coastlines leading to the northwestern paradise of Ilocos Norte - Pagudpud. 

The welcome arch of Pagudpud from the neighboring town, Bangui.

The aquamarine waters of Blue Lagoon, earning Pagudpud's reputation as beach hub in the north.

Pagudpud is known as the "Boracay of the North" because of the white sand beaches and clear, blue waters of the sea, making it an ideal tourist spot during summer vacation. It takes 8-10 hours travel from Manila and 1-2 hours travel from Laoag, Ilocos Norte's provincial capital. 

Cottages and boats scattered along the coastlines in Blue Lagoon.

Pristine, aquamarine waters in a bright, sunny day in Pagudpud.

Some of the popular beach resorts in the town include Saud Beach and the Blue Lagoon noted for its aquamarine waters and foamy waves in a vibrant sunny weather.  Therefore, Pagudpud is Ilocos Norte's Boracay because of the white sand beach resorts where numerous tourists enjoy dipping in the waters, as well with the summer vibe in the area.

Tourists visited the Blue Lagoon as one of the popular beach spots in Pagudpud.

Blue Lagoon Inn and Restaurant is one of the gastronomic hubs in the area.

Bits of sunlight in the Blue Lagoon Resort.

Baywalk at Blue Lagoon Resort with coconut trees along the coastline.

During our tour in Pagudpud, a panoramic view of Blue Lagoon (also known as Maira-ira Beach) offers excitement to visit the place as we've seen the vibrant aquamarine waters teemed with the white sand in a bright, sunny weather. The Blue Lagoon is also a former spot for Hannah's Beach Resort which was closed in 2019. Today, the place is still a popular destination for tourist where they can enjoy swimming, banana boat, windsurfing, and kayaking. 

Bantay Abot Cave marker.

Aside from white sand beaches, Pagudpud is known for rock formations scattered along the shores of the town such as the Bantay Abot Cave and Timmangtang Rock. Hence, we have a chance to visit the Bantay Abot Cave, a natural arch carved by the wind and sea and shaped through the years.

The rock formation perfectly frames the sea with its captivating view.

Tourists flocked in Bantay Abot Cave as they climbed and take beautiful photos.

A closer look of the hole in the rock formation.

The view of the sea from the Bantay Abot Cave.

Tourists are also enjoying the windy atmosphere in the area.

Literally means "a mountain with a hole", Bantay Abot is a not actually a cave, but it is a rock formation which has an opening formed by two leaning rocks after an earthquake hit the area during the 1980s. Furthermore, the cave-like rock archway faced the West Philippine Sea believed that it is a hill and it is eroded as years passed. 

Rocky shores from the cave.

The view of West Philippine Sea from Bantay Abot Cave.

The eroded part where the hole was formed seeing the coastlines of Pagudpud.

Less than a kilometer away from Bantay Abot Cave is the Timmangtang Rock. Locals believed that it is the lover of Bantay Abot Cave separated from each other. These two majestic nature sculptures are not just hidden gems in Pagudpud, but also showcasing the natural beauty of its coastal town with the landscapes and sceneries.

The panoramic view of Patapat Viaduct taken from DSLR Camera.

The Patapat Viaduct connecting the Ilocos Region and Cagayan Valley.

Few kilometers away from Bantay Abot Cave, we visited the Patapat Viaduct located at the northwesternmost tip of Luzon Island. Crossing the Pasaleng Bay and connecting the towns of Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte and Santa Praxedes, Cagayan. The bridge is 1.3 kilometers long and elevated 31 meters above sea level.

The Patapat Viaduct offers a view of Pasaleng Bay, Pagudpud.

Tourists enjoy the view of the bay, having that accomplishment of reaching the tip of Luzon.

From the mountainside to the sea Patapat Viaduct offers that view with an achievement.

The visit to Patapat Viaduct gives a satisfying feeling, reaching the northernmost tip of Mainland Luzon with the view of steep, verdant mountainside and the vast, blue sea connected by concrete bridge. 

Enjoying the Patapat Viaduct with iskrambol.

Tourists having a good time with their stay in the bridge. 

Moreover, the place is one of the must-haves in visiting Ilocos Norte because of the achievement in making it to the northernmost tip of Ilocos Region which can be treasured and shared with family and friends. Besides, I've got a chance to buy iskrambol (shaved ice with evaporated milk topped with sago pearls and chocolate syrup) in Patapat Viaduct.

While traveling, there are also windmills in Pagudpud which can be found in Caparispisan Wind Farm which is also another promising tourist destination in the place, scattered along the mountains in the town.

Therefore, Pagudpud tour gives a great feeling of accomplishment of reaching the northwesternmost tip of Mainland Luzon, seeing majestic rock formations, having the summer vibe in the fine sand beaches and dipping in the blue waters. Despite of long, winding drive in the mountainous highways, everything is all worth it with its beautiful destination.

Date of Travel: April 26, 2025

First Ilocandia Escapade | Sand Dunes, Giant Windmills and the Northern Waves

Seeing and visiting a vast desert in the Middle East, the windmills of the Netherlands and beach hopping in Boracay. Well, you can see it there in Ilocos.

Setting out on the second day of our Ilocos tour, we took more escapades in Ilocos Norte despite of the cloudy weather with scattered rainfall in the place. On that day, we reached the coastal sand dunes in Paoay and the northernmost towns of Bangui and Pagudpud. Even though, it was a tiring day but we enjoyed the vast sand dunes, the cool sea breeze, the stunning white windmills and the waves that hitting the shore. So, let's begin the second day of our escapade.

First Stop: Paoay Sand Dunes
Culili Point, Paoay, Ilocos Norte

Our first stop in our Ilocos tour is the Paoay Sand Dunes. We made it to Culili Point, one of the exciting destinations especially for tourists who loved adrenaline thrill and adventure, as they go into the sand dunes.

The Ilocos Sand Dunes stretches the coastal towns in the province.

The Culili Point in Paoay is part of the Ilocos Norte Sand Dunes, a long stretch of sand dunes stretching from the towns of Currimao to Pasuquin. In fact, the place is a popular location for classic Filipino movies such as "Himala" starring Nora Aunor and "Ang Panday" starring Fernando Poe Jr. The wide coastal area covered with sand is actually facing the West Philippine Sea and it is very captivating to visit this place because you have the feeling that you visit a desert, no need to go to the Sahara or Atacama Desert; just go to the town of Paoay and explore their sand dunes.

The vast expanse of sand dunes in the province of Ilocos Norte.

Despite of wide expanse of sand dunes, there are few grasses growing in this area.

A picture-perfect place. the feeling that no need to go to the Sahara Desert, you can visit here in the Ilocos Norte.

The place is an ideal location for films and television series.

A fleet of 4x4 Rough Rider vehicles are very common in this place.

Traces of rough rider jeep in the sand dunes of Paoay.

Sand boarding experience in Culili Point. 

The most exciting part of this tour is the roller coaster ride in a 4x4 jeep traversing the Culili Point. If you want to experience this thrilling ride, rent the 4x4 Rough Riding vehicle with a maximum of 6 people per car and you will pay a total of 1,500 php. Then, the driver will tour the group at the sand dunes from 30 minutes to one hour where you can experience thrilling drops on steep sand ridges that will make you scream in excitement. Don't forget to hold on to the steel bar while standing on the 4x4. The sand ridges can go as high as 10 to 20 feet and you will encounter a series of sand hills in this adrenaline ride.

You may also try the sand boarding, where a plank of wood is your equipment to slide over sand folds in the landscape. It is similar with skateboarding, you may stand or you may sit down while sand boarding. Don't also forget, sight seeing and picture taking are also part of this package. In other words, this part of the tour is such an intense, thrilling adrenaline rush as you go into the sand dunes. There are other tourist destinations such as the La Paz Sand Dunes in Laoag City where you can experience the same adventure and activities.

Second Stop: Bangui Windmills

Bangui, Ilocos Norte

After visiting the sand dunes, we went to the coastal town of Bangui where we can see a line of enormous electric fans. The town is popular for its giant white windmills which is the source of wind energy in the province. As we go along the way, we can see these windmills from the lush highlands of Burgos. Just to avoid confusion,  there is also the Burgos Wind Farm, located in the said town, which is the largest wind farm in the country and the second wind farm built in Ilocos Norte.

The wind turbines in the green mountains of Burgos.

This wind farm is facing the West Philippine Sea. In fact, there are many people on that day aside from our team.

A series of giant windmills in Bangui, Ilocos Norte.

The Bangui Wind Farm, also known as the Northwind Bangui Bay Project is located at the northwest tip of Luzon Island where the wind turbines face the sea from where the wind blows towards the land. It is also the first power generating wind mill farm in Southeast Asia which was inaugurated in 2005 by then Ilocos Norte governor Bongbong Marcos.

As a matter of fact, this wind farm is the source of energy in the province of Ilocos Norte. Aside from the Bangui Wind Farm, there is also the Caparispisan Wind Farm which can be found in the neighboring town of Pagudpud.

Giant windmills of the North

The tall windmills of Bangui Wind Farm.

The turquoise waters of the sea is another captivating view here in the area.

You can also notice on the other side is a light brown color of the water because of turbulence of wind.

Staying in this tourist spot is like feeling the strong breeze carried by the windmills while enjoying the view of the sea. You can also noticed the light muddish-brown color of the water on the other side of the sea, maybe because of the turbulence of water due to the strong winds carried by the wind turbines. Therefore, it is just natural, so we just enjoyed the view of the windmills.

Third Stop: Plaza Del Mar Resort
Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

It feels like you are in Boracay, an island in Malay, Aklan which is noted for
its white sand beaches and tropical blue waters which is an ideal summer destination.

For our final stop for today, we visited the Plaza Del Mar Resort in Pagudpud. The town is known as the "Boracay of the North" because of its fine white sand, clear aquamarine waters and an ideal summer destination in the North. 

A signage art of Pagudpud in Plaza Del Mar Resort.

The waves are hitting the rocky shores.

The waves of the ocean and the view of the green mountains where Caparispisan Wind Farm can be found.

In this destination, we made our team building activities. It is enjoying, yet physically demanding games, therefore, we managed to reach the third place. However, rainy weather strikes again with the cloudy skies. In other words, it is better to visit Pagudpud during the summer season where you can enjoy the blue sea and beach bumming.

As a result of this rainy weather, we were not able to visit the Kapurpurawan Rock Formation, a limestone rock formation in the town of Burgos. We weren't able to visit also the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse in the same town which is a century-old lighthouse and you can enjoy the view from the top. As a matter of fact, we are glad that we finished the second day of our tour safe and free from accident. Definitely, I will come back again in this place and visit more tourist attractions in Ilocos. 

Date: August 26, 2018