This post is part of my North Luzon Road Trip Series

Travel Time: Baguio to La Union: approximately 2 hours

La Union is a province in Ilocos region of Luzon. It sits on the South China Sea and is known for being a good area for surf. San Juan beach is the most popular strip and being relatively quick and easy to access from Manila, it is a popular tourist destination.

To break up the drive from Baguio to San Juan, where we were staying the night, we decided to check out Gapuz Grape Farm. Being from wine country ourselves we were intrigued to visit one here.

Gapuz Grape Farm

Located along the National Highway in La Union, Gapuz Grape Farm is an option for you if you need to break up your road trip. The farm is really only worth visiting when the grapes are available to pick, so you need to plan your trip and contact the farm through their Facebook Page or email in order to find out if you can go. There is no entry fee, but a fee to cut the grapes of around 20p per person, and then it is 350p a pound for the grapes you pick. You get a bucket and clippers and get to go nuts. Aside from picking grapes you can taste and buy locally produced fruit wines, and there were a few snacks you could purchase too.  We only stayed maybe fifteen minutes to stretch our legs as we were really eager to get to the beach.

San Juan

We arrived at San Juan Surf Resort mid-afternoon and after check-in, we hit the beach. The swirl was quite strong, too strong for little swimmers, but they loved frolicking in the shallows and watching all the surfers taking to the waves.

I walked along the beach with my toes in the warm black sand, taking it all in and feeling relief that we had finally made it.

Here in San Juan you can get yourself surf lessons, or just watch other people take to the waves. It is chilled out, the people are friendly and the vibe is laid back. This stretch of beach is the hub of all things young, backpackery (it’s my new word) and cool. I said to SB that it made me wish I had a miss-spent youth where I backpacked around the world, hanging out in places like this. Bars and small hostels spilled out onto the dark sand and surf lesson signs hung around the place. Nipa huts with racks of colourful boards lined the beach and sun kissed bodies lazed on the sand sleeping, reading and taking photographs. The sun set over the water which glistened in the light. Silhouettes of surfers dotted the landscape and it felt a bit like we were in an episode of Baywatch – I did keep an eye out for the Hoff, just in case.

The next morning we had a wander along the beach, combing the exposed rocks for treasures. The tide seems to move fast here as BB and his dad found a startled and trapped octopus and a few fish they threw back into the ocean. Live cowrie shells clung to rocks and we delighted in seeing these critters in their shells up close.

Be sure to check out the Coffee Library for really good coffee and I have it on good authority the food is pretty good too. Located on the main road through San Juan, you can’t miss it.

After breakfast it was time to keep moving and we headed off for a waterfall adventure to Tangadan Falls.

 

Tangadan Falls

Tangadan Falls is a two-tiered waterfall located in the town of San Gabriel. It is about forty-five minutes from San Juan, La Union, and it is absolutely stunning. Getting there is an adventure, but it is totally worth the effort. The magic of mountain waterfalls is something to behold and as you languish in these icy cold, dark waters you will feel your stresses fall away. Read more about our adventure by clicking on the picture below.

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