Philippine Business Magazine: Volume 8 No.1 - Travel
Up, Up North
The long trip to Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte is very much worth it
By Ana Maureen P. Macaraig

The usual ten-hour drive to Ilocos Norte may not sound like fun to most, thinking of the seemingly endless roads and, simply, the idea of sitting for a long time and not being able to move freely inside the car. I have talked to friends who have visited Ilocos already, saying they will never go back there by car again. But I've been there four times. And each time, I swore to myself that I will be back, going the same route, to enjoy the sights and to simply relax.

This time however, with four of my closest pals, we decided to go further north beyond Laoag - the capital of Ilocos Norte. We had heard about this white sand beach in Pagudpud, which is beginning to catch the attention of many travelers, both local and foreign. They say Pagudpud is the "Boracay of the North." We decided to see for ourselves.

It was supposed to be an even longer ride, around 12 hours from Manila. But our designated drivers, probably due to the excitement, cut the trip short to ten hours all the way to Pagudpud. That included an hour or two spent for filling up gas, eating, and stopping by for "photo sessions" in some scenic spots along the way.

Stop Over
Between Laoag City and Pagudpud is the town of Burgos. There is a lighthouse within Burgos which town-folks say is a must see. And it is.

The Cape Bojeador Lighthouse is an attractive old structure that for more than a century has been sending out signals to ships passing by the cape facing the northern portion of the South China Sea. Built in 1892, the said lighthouse made of old red bricks, is the tallest lighthouse in the country and in Asia.

The view of the vast sea from the tower is breathtaking, with the cool breeze of air that as "Manong," the caretaker of the lighthouse, says, is present all year round. The sunset there, he says, will leave you speechless with awe. But it was early in the morning when we got there. We may have to take another visit to witness sundown at the lighthouse. Pagudpud was waiting for us.

Ultimate Destination
We reached Pagudpud in less than an hour. We passed through different barangays so admirably clean, with little white-painted rocks forming the fences of each household. It is such a simple, quiet town … not quite like the festive beaches of Boracay.

Fine sand might be the only thing the Pagudpud beaches have in common with those of Boracay. The sand is not even as white, just really fine and clean. There are no television sets, no radio, not even a cellular phone signal - definitely no night life. But we didn't care. In fact, that's what we came there for … to enjoy the peace and quiet of the place, creating bonfire and viewing the stars up to the wee hours of the morning, and walking through the long picturesque cove during daytime. This is total relaxation … a very much needed pause from the rush of activities waiting back in Manila.