Enchanting Ilocos! A Must Visit Destination of the North!

Ilocos refer to the two provinces in the Northern Philippines: Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. These two provinces has a a lot of things to offer to both local and foreign tourist!

I, Deejay and  KJ started our Ilocos escapade at the Marcos Museum, different things are to be seen in the Museum, especially the remains of Ferdinand Marcos. This will be a great place for those who loves history.

 

Next stop is the Bantay Bell Tower in Ilocos Sur, it was used as a watch tower during the Spanish colonial period. In front of it is the St. Augustine or Bantay Parish  which houses the Nuestra Senora de La Caridad. I was amazed how they preserve the bell tower and the church which is a baroque-gothic style built by Augustinian Friars done on April 20, 1591.

 

We had our lunch in Vigan, we ate the famous empanada and okoy, they are really delicious! 🙂 Crispy, Fresh and Tasty lunch that was!

 

After our lunch, we take a walk in Calle Crisologo, its filled with Spanish-style houses that evoke a bygone era when its people lived prosperously because of the Manila-Acapulco maritime trade. Its a nice place that they preserve the beauty of the old houses! Seeing a Mcdonalds and Max’s Restaurant in an old building! LOL! Just amazing! Love the touch of history in today’s fastfood chains. 😀

 

After that, we headed to Baluarte, its 80 hectares of  rolling terrains, hills and mountain sides which serves as natural habitat for different animals. It is owned by Governor Chavit Singson. Kids will surely enjoy this place.

 

Our last stop is the famous Paoay Church, you cannot say you’ve been to Ilocos Norte if you don’t have a picture in this church.  It’s famous for its distinct architecture which in 1993, the church was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as one best examples of the Baroque Churches of the Philippines.

It was a tiring yet wonderful day! 🙂 Ilocos is such a beautiful place! I love the food, people and place! I will surely go back here someday!

This is Will Garcia! I explored Ilocos! 😀