Pagudpud is a coastal resort town of Ilocos Norte. It is a town rich in natural wonders. In fact, you can visit more than 10 beautiful spots in just one day. Its beautiful sceneries and blue water makes Pagudpud a haven for travelers.
How to go to Pagudpud
From Manila, you can reach Pagudpud by bus or private transport. The travel time can be very long, 10-12 hours. If you want to save time, you can fly by plane to Laoag City and just ride a bus to Pagudpud for another two hours. Laoag City is 2 hours away from Pagudpud. Fortunately, I was able to book promo tickets to Laoag via SEAIR. I was contemplating whether to drop by Vigan or not. Due to time constraints, we've decided to just visit Pagudpud. I find it more appealing than Vigan (we're more of a nature lover here).
We arrived at Laoag International Airport at around 4 in the afternoon. The free airport shuttle wasn't available that day so we chartered a tricycle to bring us to Laoag town proper. I was surprised to find lots of modern establishments in Laoag. We went for a walking tour around the area and stayed overnight at Balay da Blas Pension House.
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| Sinking Bell Tower at night |
We left for Pagudpud at around 7am the next day. As instructed by our contact (Kuya Arnel), we disembarked at Mawini, a small town in Pagudpud. He was already there when we have arrived. He greeted us cheerfully and headed straight for our North and South Pagudpud Tour. It's time for tricycle tour once again.
What to see in Pagudpud
Pagudpud South Tour includes Bangui windmills, Kapurpurawan Rock Formation and the Cape Bojeador Light House.
Our first stop was Bangui Windmills. Officially known as the North Wind Bangui Bay Project, it consists of 20 wind turbines facing the South China Sea and serves as source of renewable energy in Ilocos. From a distance, those wind turbines look very small, I didn't really expected that they were that huge up-close.
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| Bangui Windmills |
Kuya Arnel transferred us to a local Burgos tour guide for the rest of Pagudpud South tour. This is to give the local guides of Burgos a chance to showcase their own place. Kuya Benj was the one who accompanied us in Kapurpurawan Rock. “Kapurpurawan” is an Ilocano term which means “white”. This is an adjective that best describes the bright and sparkling color of the huge limestone rock formation. Kapurpurawan really rocks.
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| Kapurpurawan Rock |
Not far from Kapurpurawan rock was the picturesque Cape Bojeador Lighthouse. It's a pretty old structure that exhibits a lot about history.
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| Cape Bojeador Lighthouse |
We took a short break and had some lunch at a local carinderia. After that, we continued with the second part of tour. We're back with Kuya Arnel this time.
The North Pagudpud Tour includes Kabigan Falls, Saud Beach, Patapat Viaduct, Bantay Abot Cave, Timangtang Rock, Blue Lagoon Beach and Dos Hermanos Islands .
Our first stop for the North Pagudpud tour was Saud Beach. It is dubbed as the "Boracay of the North". I find the beach very calm and serene. The water looks inviting but we still have a lot of places to visit, so swimming isn't an option. I'll make sure to spend a night here next time.
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| Saud Beach |
The tour continued with a 30 minute trek to Kabigan Falls. The trail to Kabigan Falls was easy but really tiring because of the scorching heat. We reached the waterfalls within 30 minutes in a relaxed phase. But our weariness eventually disappeared when we finally reached the majestic waterfalls. The water coming from the falls was cold and refreshing.
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| Kabigan Falls |
Our next stop was the famous Patapat Viaduct. It's a 1.3 kilometer bridge connecting Pagudpud and Cagayan Valley. It has this snaky shape that gracefully follows the contour of Cordillera Mountains. Beautiful isn't it?
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| Patapat Viaduct |
We passed through Paraiso ni Anton and Aqua Grande but didn't stayed long because there's nothing much to see. We just took some photos and headed to Bantay Abot Cave.
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| Agua Grande |
Before reaching Bantay Abot Cave, Kuya Arnel took us to a hill which is said to be a location for the very popular teleserye "Walang Hanggan". We climbed up the hill like kids and stayed there for a while. I must say that this was my favorite among the spots in Pagudpud. I really enjoyed the breathtaking view of the sea and the the warm breeze on top of the hill. It was heavenly.
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| at Walang Hanggan's Burol |
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| great view from the hill, you can also spot Timangtang rock right there |
We didn't bother to stop at Timangtang rock and just went to see Bantay Abot Cave up close. Here, we saw how the waves hit the rocks of Bantay Abot Cave. It's like a hill with an unusual hole in the middle.
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| Bantay Abot Cave |
After the Pagudpud South tour, we headed straight to
Casa Consuelo. An beautiful accommodation located in the Blue Lagoon area and near Dos Hermanos Islands.
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| Casa Consuelo |
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| Dos Hermanos Islands |
Pagudpud is definitely the highlight of our Ilocos trip. We've visited a lot interesting places and met very friendly people. Definitely one of the best places to go in the North.
