Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

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Blue Lagoon --> Maira-ira Beach

Paoay Church

Pagudpud is an enormous place to visit if you're looking for the comparatively perfect charms of the Philippines. Pagudpud is a wide and beautiful town on the northwest tip of Ilocos Norte. It is considered the largest island in the Philippines. The hills and mountains are luxuriant, the valleys productive. Pagudpud Beach, 2 hours north of Laoag City, has powder-white sand, but it's hard to tell which is bluer: the sky or the sea.

Inexpensive resorts are located along the shores of Pagudpud. They normally charge a fixed fee about US$5.00 for a nipa hut where you can hide under the hot sun. But for those who want to relax in more luxurious surroundings, the spacious Saud Resort beckons. Even then, rooms go for about US$35-40 a night. Saud Resort is the most secure of the resorts, with 24-hour security manning the entrance. But it doesn’t mean that the place is dangerous. On the contrary, Pagudpud, as elsewhere in Ilocos, is very safe, and the people are friendly and hospitable.

A common practice of local visitors is to stop by the wet market for fresh (as in live) seafood, and to have them grilled over charcoal on the beach, and served with plain rice for a very affordable price. For those on a budget, you don't need to worry, because you may be pleasurably surprised to know that a whole day in Pagudpud won't cost a family of 5 more than US$30.00, including lunch (except if you really intend to visit Saud Resort).

Here are the top 8 most visited places in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte:
1.Blue Lagoon, Maira-ira Beach- Maira-ira point is the name given to Luzon mainland's northernmost tip. Nestled in its confines is an unspoiled, white-sand cove that has yet to become popular with the mainstream beach-combing crowd. The beach is known simply as Maira-ira or blue lagoon. On calm days, when the notorious Ilocos surf is taking a break, the waters off the cove can be still as a pond, mirroring the azure sky to form a stunning blue loch. The sparkling fine sand is even better than its well-known neighbor, Saud beach (or Pagudpud). With virtually no tourist accommodations, save for a couple of simple nipa huts, the whole place exudes a charm of isolation. Hemmed by hills around its perimeter, swimming and basking on the crescent cove can be a very private experience. It is a serene place, lending much to the feeling of being at the frontier.

2. Bangui Windmills- The Bangui Wind Mills were built by the NorthWind Power Development Corporation to take its share in reducing the emission of harmful greenhouse gases (GHGs) causing global warming and to accelerate the rural electrification of the government.

3. Saud Beach, Pagudpud- The little–known northwest Philippine beach Saud Beach at Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte was recently named as one of the ten best beaches in Asia by Australia’s Melbourne Sunday Herald Sun newspaper. Through its veteran travel writer and photographer John Borthwick, the widely circulated publication listed the top beach destinations in Asia. Saud Beach was chosen on the basis of its pristine condition, rustic appeal, relative isolation from the usual tourist crowd, its “untouched by commercialism” quality, and the variety of water sports activities it offers.

4. Cape Bojeador Lighthouse- The historical marker placed in this lighthouse states that it was designed in 1887 and finished in 1890. It is the sole example of of a 19th century lighthouse architecture.

5. Fort Ilocandia- This resort is the only first class property of its kind in the province of Ilocos Norte. The hotel is sprawled over 77 hectares of land at the middle of sand dunes, prime forests, and two kilometers of fine sandy beach facing the South China Sea. The main building houses the lobby, a number of restaurants, shopping arcade, discotheque, and a glass-topped atrium where you can relax as you sip your favorite drinks, tea or coffee. The hotel hosts a branch of the Casino Filipino at the second floor. Hotel facilities include an Olympic-sized swimming pool, seven function rooms, video arcade, tennis court, badminton court and a gym.
Hotel guests may also indulge in various recreational activities such as wind sailing, archery, shooting, horseback riding, wind gliding/wind surfing, canoeing, open sea fishing, snorkel diving, scuba diving, and rafting, among others. The resort also has a world-class 18-hole golf course designed by PGA Champion Gary Player.

6. Sand Dunes of Ilocos- The area is known locally by the name Bantay Bimmaboy, a name which refers to the common perception that the dunes resemble pigs in shape. The area is also popularly known as the Desert of the North and is a popular location for shooting films.

7. Paoay Church- This church is considered as one of the most striking edifices in the country with its huge buttresses flanking the sides and rear facade. Completed in 1710, inauguration ceremonies were held on February 28, 1896, just three years before the expulsion of Spanish rule in the country. The style of the church has been dubbed as “Earthquake Baroque.” The church was badly damaged by an earthquake in 1927, reconstructed a few years after, and was later included in UNESCO'S World Heritage List.

8. Patapat Viaduct- At the foot of the cliff of the North Cordillera Mountain Range is the 12-km winding bridge known as the Patapat Bridge, popularly known as the French Riviera of the Northern Philippines. At the upper part of the cliff, one can still see the etched footbridge that was the only link between Ilocos and Cagayan Valley in the 1960's.
While at the middle of the Patapat Bridge, one can take a look at the awe-inspiring panoramic view of the verdant mountains and the sea below. A glimpse of the old footbridge adds grandeur to the breathtaking view.


There are some choices, some more convenient than others.

To get to Pagudpud, first get yourself to the Philippines. You'll arrive in Manila, one of the world's biggest cities. It's an awesome place that is choked with traffic, people and life. There are skyscrapers, malls, parks and attractions in large numbers. Accommodations in Manila run the range, from the deluxe to the seedy. The Makati district has some of the city's finest hotels. Many, including the most high-class, offer excessive discounts to balikbayans and the cheapest rates to local residents.

By Air:
Flight schedules to and from Laoag, the provincial capital of Ilocos Norte, are difficult to come by. Things keep changing. Philippine Airlines used to have connecting flights to and from Manila. Air Philippines used to fly there, too. Laoag International Airlines has or used to have operations there. There are some carriers that fly directly from Taiwan. The province has long talked about upgrading its airport to increase tourism, but so far it's just that.


By Land:
Some bus companies will take you straight to Pagudpud from Manila. Be cautious because the trip is long and you'll be traveling about 350 miles, approximately the distance between San Francisco and Los Angeles. The bus (ordinary fare buses) often stops to unload passengers or pick up new ones. If you leave Manila at 7:30 p.m., expect to arrive in Pagudpud anywhere between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. getting a Deluxe, air-conditioned bus makes things a lot more manageable -- and a lot speedier because of fewer stops. A night trip isn't that bad; just fall asleep, and when you wake up, you're there.

If you must get down in Laoag, you can continue the trip to Pagudpud by taking a mini-bus, renting a car or hiring a private vehicle. Commuter buses depart from Laoag every half hour, sometimes more or less frequently, depending on how quickly they fill up. The fare is reasonable, and the trip takes about an hour.

If using this route, just take a tricycle to the Pagudpud bus station. TIP: The tricycle fare should be no more than 25 pesos, although it doesn't hurt to double it as a bonus -- say no if they ask for something extreme, unless you don't mind spreading your wealth to complete strangers.
http://www.gotravelphilippines.com/pagudpud.html




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