The home of the Marcoses, gigantic windmills, old churches and world-class beaches.. Ilocos Norte is indeed a jewel of the North and one of the best tourist destinations in the country. We've arrived in Paoay Church on a fine Sunday morning. The structure of the church is very much the same as I've last seen it more than 3 years ago, still sturdy together with the bell tower beside it. It may have been built about 300 years ago and underwent several restorations due to damages caused by earthquakes but its beauty remains the same. 

A few kilometers away from Paoay Church is the Paoay Sand Dunes. The weather and temperature at 8 A.M. were just perfect to start our 4x4 adventure. The experience is similar to a roller coaster ride as the car rolls uphill and downhill. There were six of us in the vehicle and all of us were screaming our hearts out through the entire ride especially for very steep slopes. For me, this is the best barkada experience and I will definitely try this again.

We've also visited the Malacañang of the North, the residence of the late President Marcos and family when they are in the North. In the town of Burgos, Cape Bojeador lighthouse is undergoing restoration but still we were able to take pictures there. My favorite part in Burgos is the Kapurpurawan Rock Formation, a giant ship-like limestone formation facing West Philippine Sea. I've noticed that there are giant windmills now surrounding Kapurpurawan which makes the place more breathtaking. It started last 2013 when the town of Burgos started building windmills to generate electricity similar to the municipality of Bangui. We still visited the main windmills attraction, the Bangui Windmills but the weather there was not good. It was raining, the winds were heavy, and the sky was dark, we were not able to take good pictures there. The last part of our Ilocos Norte tour was in Pagudpud. We passed along Patapat viaduct, it connects Ilocos Norte and Cagayan Valley and is the fourth longest bridge in the Philippines. Then we went to the beach, the Blue Lagoon, but due to bad weather, we were not able to swim also. We took pictures inside Hannah Beach Resort instead.

Paoay Church



Paoay Sand Dunes



Malacanang of the North



Cape Bojeador Lighthouse



Kapurpurawan Rock Formation



Bangui Windmills



Patapat Bridge



Blue Lagoon