This post is part of my North Luzon Road Trip Series

Ilocos Norte is a province up on the northwest corner of Luzon. The capital is Laoag, where the airport is, and it is known for its beautiful coastline, pristine mountains and old ruins from times past dotted around the place.

For the final leg of our road trip we were staying way up on the top point in Luzon, in a town called Pagudpud. The drive up there was quite long from Vigan so we split the drive into three.

Badoc

Our first stop on the way was in the town of Badoc, where we were about to discover a little piece of heaven, right here on earth.

Badoc is a small town part way between Vigan and Paoay. There is a wee island about one kilometre off the coast that has a strip of perfect beach. Crystal waters, white sand, just perfection. We spent a few gorgeous hours laying around in these waters, collecting mermaid treasure and snorkelling over the coral reefs.

Visiting Badoc Island was one of the absolute highlights of our road trip, so be sure to click the link to read more about it by clicking on the image below. 

The day we went to Badoc island was so hot. The sun was burning and so a visit to a gorgeous beach for refreshment was just what we needed to refuel us for the rest of our drive that day. It was a reluctant return from paradise, and once back in the car we realised just how fatigued we were feeling. The children were tired and so after a short time listening to music through headphones, they fell asleep.

Paoay Church

We stopped in Paoay for lunch, and decided since we were there, to go and look at the old Church. This church is a beauty and a UNESCO Heritage Site (that does not prevent it being abused and the rubbish laying around was a disgrace). Building commenced in 1694 and was completed in 1710. Earthquakes in the 1800s damaged it a little and repairs were made, other than that it is intact. The architecture is called ‘Spanish Colonial Earthquake Baroque’, basically it is an interpretation of European Baroque Architecture, where the buttresses are larger and stronger and surround three sides of the building. This is an adaptation for the seismic conditions of the region and was created as a result of many buildings in history being destroyed by the regular earthquakes here.

The buttresses are so enormous and strong, they feel like giant, strong arms holding the building together. The bricks are small and narrow, each and every one handmade and hand laid, and this thought alone leaves your mind scrambling for something to say or think, aside from ‘wow’. When I visit ancient sites I place my hands, it is I guess, my way of communicating with the spirit of whatever structure I am looking at, be it natural or manmade. I feel in awe that this building lives past the memories of those whose hands created it.

The children ate dirty icecream to cool themselves as the sun pummelled down on us, and soon we jumped back into the air-conditioned sanctuary of our car to continue. As we drove along we noticed the landscape changing, from the green lush surroundings of lower Luzon, to the dry more arid regions further up the island, where row after row of cornfields filled agricultural space. Mountain ranges were distant and brown, evidence of the heat in the sun up this way. As we entered the area of Pagudpud the terrain changed again. Once again we found ourselves surrounded by looming mountains rising out of the earth, once more green and lush and cloud tipped. Roads twisted and wound around and rice fields opened out on either side of us. Still blazing hot, it was not uncommon to find caribou submerged in mud baths, with just their heads and shoulders peeking through, their large soulful eyes gazing out around them.

In Pagudpud we stayed at The Kingfisher Resort. A little further up the point, it is secluded and the beach there can change moods so fast your head will spin. We arrived late in the day, in time to change back into swimwear and launch ourselves into the perfectly calm glassy waters. One of the resident dogs hung out with us, and as the sun set we wandered up the beach collecting sea glass and staring out at the ocean, marvelling at this paradise we had found. We then sat on our chair sipping gin and tonic while the children swam some more and played on the beach; the sun slowly disappearing behind the horizon, and just the sound of lapping waves and giggles from the children as our background music, warm balmy air on our skin. It was bliss.

At Kingfisher, we chose to stay in a beach hut, and we were literally on the beach. We had a hammock, a seat but to be honest, for me perfection comes when you can lay in bed and see the ocean waves crashing outside your door, and that is what we had. The huts are so charming with dark wood fittings, white walls and bed linen. Louvre windows let the breeze flow through and the doormat gets a serious workout trying to remove sand from toes.

With the beach hut accommodation, you have shared amenities, which are kept so clean and tidy it really is not an issue. The shower stalls were large, big enough for the whole family to get into. I would choose this accommodation style, so that we could be on the beach next to the water any day, over a self-contained condo back off the beach without a view. A bunch of kite surfers had turned up and overnight the weather turned and in the morning we got to see just why this is a popular place for them. The swirl was enormous, the reef some distance offshore had waves frantically crashing and spilling out in all directions. It was wild. Instead of taking off quickly for our daily adventure we stood on our porch and watched these athletes do their thing. Flying into the air, twisting, somersaulting and crashing through the waves. It was an awesome site and the children said they wanted to give it a try.  We had to peel ourselves away from the show so we could carry on our road trip adventure, and head off to discover more of what Pagudpud had to offer.

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