Travel Guide: Bantayan Island

Early morning at Alice Beach. Beach Placid Resort's banca shot in front of Anika Island Resort.

If getting to a destination isn’t half the fun for you, travelling to Bantayan Island from Manila can be daunting if you don’t enjoy multiple transfers; a little over an hour by air, four hours over land, and then another hour over water, with a good amount of waiting time in between. However, if you’re up for an adventure and wouldn’t mind dealing with an aching butt Bantayan Island is the worthy paradise destination you should visit -  a rustic island getaway, surrounded by sun, sand and other beautiful islands ringed by white sand and crystal blue waters. Just enough of nothing to get your mind off the concrete jungle you left behind.

Travel Guide: Pagudpud

A bright morning in front of Saud Beach Resort.

Why Go

The beaches! Pagudpud's a sleepy coastal resort town at the tip of the Northern Ilocos region of the Philippines. No need to call it the Boracay of the North - Pagudpud is something very good all on its own. Really fine beaches, spectacular waterfalls, panoramic scenes and beautiful coastal drives give you a feeling of new discoveries and trails. You won't find the glittering nightlife here, if that's what you're looking for. Pagudpud is laid-back. Best time to visit is anytime between November to April. That covers summer in the Philippines and its drier cold season, outside of the wet rainy months.The two main beaches are the Blue Lagoon (otherwise also called Maira-ira), located on the eastern side of Pagudpud, and the other one is the arguably more popular Saud Beach which is on the western side. If you've got several days, spend half at the Blue Lagoon and the remaining half at Saud Beach.

Where to Stay in Pagudpud

Pagudpud: Saud Beach and Burayoc Point

Fiery sundown over Burayoc Point, the southern rocky tip of the cove that is Saud Beach, on the western side of Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. The day's cloud cover was very dynamic with a lot of breaks for the sun to peek through, creating a wild burst of colors.

Shot earlier in the day. Looking down south from Burayoc Point, you'll be gazing at the coast of Bangui Bay and see its windmills standing tall.

Bangui's Windmills and Burgos' Cape Bojeador Lighthouse & Kapurpurawan Rock Formation

Early morning at the eastern end of the Bangui Windmills. We had to climb up a sand dune to get to this spot. There are two other access points, one a little off center, where most tourists are dropped off because that's where the souvenir shops and eateries (like KangKang Windmill Cafe) are, and another at the western end. We saw a few kitesurfers gearing up so it looks like the sport is starting to pick up here (or has it already?), which gives people another reason to visit aside from the windmills, because the black 'n grey pebbly beach and strong lapping waves certainly do not look inviting for a swim. There's not much tree cover to retreat into and the place can get pretty hot so avoid checking out the windmills during the late morning to early afternoon hours if you're going to take the less beaten track of the eastern access point.

If you're coming from Saud Beach or Blue Lagoon in Pagudpud, the Bangui Windmills are about 22 kilometers away and almost thrice that distance if you're coming from Laoag City.

The wind farm, located in the Municipality of Bangui, Ilocos Norte and officially known as the NorthWind Power Project, is comprised of  20 windmills, each 70 meters high, laid out in a single row along the  shore of Bangui Bay, facing the West Philippine Sea. The clean wind energy produces 33 megawatts providing 40% of the power needs of Ilocos Norte.

Source: Wikipedia and WikiPilipinas

The windmills a few more minutes into the morning. Locals are out picking shells and those guys in the pumpboats have that everyday commuting look, like they're standing on a bus or train to work.

Pagudpud Sightseeing: Bantay Abot, Timmangtang, Patapat, Agua Grande & Paraiso ni Anton

Eye of the needle. Bantay Abot Caves from afar. In Ilocano, bantay = mountain, abot = hole, so there you go - mountain hole. That hole's diameter is pretty wide, maybe 2 storeys tall, or a bit more. Bantay Abot is just by the road in Sitio Gaoa, Barangay Balaoi in Pagudpud.  It's about 1.5 kilometers away from the Blue Lagoon (Maira-ira), when you're headed back to the highway.

Timmangtang Rock. Maybe a couple of hundred meters up the road from the Bantay Abot Caves.

Casa Consuelo (Island Reef), Blue Lagoon (Maira-ira), Pagudpud

Wake up to this fantastic early morning view at Casa Consuelo, one half of Dos Hermanos on the left.

Left Manila at 8:30PM. By 7:00AM the morning after we were at the Pagudpud junction. Headed to the town proper for a breakfast of Ilocos longganisa-silog with coffee at Papa Nard's.

A lot has changed from 10 years ago. New town hall, new market, other new structures and paved streets. Last time here, 1995 maybe, sick of resort food, I asked a tricycle driver to take me to what he'd consider the best restaurant serving local fare and he took me to the lone nameless cardinderia in town, dirt floor and all, but the home-cooked fare was great for an astonishingly low price.We walked around to see if that cardinderia still stood but we couldn't find it - or maybe they rented space in one of the new concrete buildings.

We went on to find Casa Consuelo (Island Reef), that's supposed to be near Maira-ira beach, more popularly known as the Blue Lagoon. We found it near the end of the road. Having eyeballed and gone past almost all the resorts, we felt very lucky to have booked at Casa Consuelo - the best ocean view any time of the day. It's far from the hustle of the touristy beach strip. Homey, tranquil and secluded enough to give off that vibe of discovery.