Marcos Musuem & Mausoleum
The Ferdinand E. Marcos Presidential Center is a museum situated in Batac, Ilocos Norte dedicated to former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos which also hosts the cenotaph of the former President. The museum shows memorabilia of the late president, from his stint in the armed forces down to his presidency. The large cenotaph which contains the glass-encased coffin in which the widely believed embalmed body of Marcos was on public display shortly after his remains were brought in Ilocos Norte from the United States in 1993. until his body was re-interred at the Heroes' Cemetery in Taguig on November 18, 2016. A wax replica of Marcos remains to be displayed inside the glass coffin.
Paoay Lake
Historically known as Lago de Nanguyudan, the lake supposedly was the site of a prosperous barangay called San Juan de Sahagún (Saint John of Sahagún) that sank after an earthquake.The freshwater lake and its 1-kilometre (0.62 mi) surroundings was declared a national park in 1969 by virtue of Republic Act 5631.In 1978, through Presidential Decree 1554, the park was reduced to an area of 340 hectares (3.4 km2) concentrated on the lake itself around its highest water level
The Malacañang of the North ("Malacañang ti Amianan" in Ilokano) is a presidential museum in Paoay, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. It was the residence of the family of Ferdinand Marcos when he was president of the Philippine
Malacañang of the North
Sta Monica Church
The Santa Monica Parish Church, commonly known as the Sarrat Church, is a Roman Catholic parish church in Barangay San Leandro, Poblacion, Sarrat, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. It was built in 1779 and was originally known as San Miguel Church. The Santa Monica Church complex includes the convent connected to the church by an elevated three-level brick stairway.
Sinking bell tower
The sinking bell tower is one of Laoag City’s most famous landmarks in fact one of the top Ilocos Norte tourist attractions. The structure is claimed to be the most solid and tallest bell tower in the Philippines. This massive 45-meter (150 foot) bell tower was also built by the Augustinians in 1612.
St. William’s Cathedral
The Church of St. William has a unique 2-storey white-and-cream façade in a very opulent style. The design of the cathedral is predominantly the earthquake baroque style but it is also rich in Italian Renaissance details. In front, there are 4 pairs of coupled columns that are topped by crowns. The church’s windows are made of capiz and have wrought-iron grills. Near the top is a deeply recessed niche in which is displayed the image of San Guillermo.
Tobacco Monopoly Marker
When the Spaniards discovered that the land and climate of Ilocos is perfect for growing tobacco, they forced the people to plant only tobacco and no other crop. The sakadas were also forced to sell the tobacco leaves only to the Spanish government. This has lead to numerous resistance among the locals. There were also stories of untold abuses done by the authorities. For one hundred long years, 1781 until 1881, the tobacco monopoly existed in Ilocos. A period of dark history in Ilocandia.
It was only in 1881 when King Alfonso XII lifted the tobacco monopoly. The people of Ilocos then erected the Tobacco Monopoly Momunent as a thanksgiving to the Crown of Spain for recognizing the stuggles of the Ilocano people against the Monopoly.
Bantay Church
The Saint Augustine Parish Church, commonly known as Bantay Church, is a Roman Catholic church in Bantay, Ilocos Sur in the Philippines. The church was dedicated to St. Augustine of Hippo. It is also known as the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity (Shrine of Nuestra Señora de la Caridad) housing the miraculous image of Virgin Mary as Our Lady of Charity, crowned as the patroness of Ilocandia on January 12, 1956.
Bantay Tower
The old historic belfry of the church known as the Bantay Tower, which served as a watchtower for pirates back in the Spanish colonial era, gave the town its name - bantay (meaning to guard). Established in 1590, the church is one of the oldest in the Ilocos Region.
Plaza Salcedo, named after the Spanish conqueror, Juan de Salcedo who subdued the early native settlement in Vigan and established upon it Villa Fernandina for the monarchs of Spain in 1572. With this, Juan de Salcedo founded the third of many Hispanic settlements in the Philippines.
It was in Plaza Salcedo where Gabriela Silang was executed by public hanging in 1763.
Vigan Cathedral, canonically known as the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Philippines. It serves as the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site declaration for the Historic Town of Vigan in 1999.
Vigan Cathedral
The Palace has a museum (Museo Nueva Segovia) with a collection of priceless ecclesiastical artifacts and relics from other churches from around the Ilocos region.
Archbishop Palace
Plaza Burgos is the smaller of the two major plazas in the city of Vigan. It can be found just right beside Saint Paul Cathedral’s Bell Tower. While Plaza Salcedo was constructed to honor a foreign conqueror, Juan de Salcedo, Plaza Burgos was built to remember the martyrdom of Father Jose P. Burgos, one of Vigan’s illustrious sons put to death by the Spaniards.
Plaza Burgos is best-known for its empanadahan (place for eating a local meat and vegetable-filled pastry) and other street food. It is true that where local people converge the best of local food can be found. Food kiosks increase in number in the Plaza later in the day. Visitors are enjoined not to leave Vigan without trying the Vigan empanada in Plaza Burgos.
Calle Crisologo is one of the famous historical sites in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. This is the best place if you want to see Spanish colonial architectures. It is consider the major attraction of the town because it is filled with Spanish-style houses which have been preserved for more than hundred years.
Calle Crisologo
The Syquia Mansion, built in 1830, is one of the oldest and largest bahay na bato (stone house) in the UNESCO heritage city of Vigan. The Philippine Government has also declared it as a heritage home.
Syquia Mansion
Pasuquin salt making
Cape Bojeador Lighthouse
The Cape Bojeador lighthouse was part of the Spanish government's master plan of illuminating the Philippine archipelago. The project commenced with the execution of the lighthouses in the northern and western part of the Philippines and those around Iloilo and Cebu. The Burgos lighthouse was first lit on March 30, 1892.
Bangui Wind Mills
The Bangui Windmills are located in Bangui, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. The windmills, officially referred to as the North Wind Bangui Bay Project, were a project by the North Wind Development Corporation as a practice renewable energy sources and to help reduce the greenhouse gases that cause global warming. The project is the first “Wind Farm” in the Philippines consisting of wind turbines on-shore facing the South China Sea and considered to be the biggest in Southeast Asia. The project sells electricity to the Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative (INEC) and provides 40% of the power requirements of Ilocos Norte via Transco Laoag.
Kapurpurawan Rock Formations
The Kapurpurawan rock formation is located on the rocky coast of Burgos, Ilocos Norte. It is known for its creamy white and streamlined limestone formations, which have been sculpted by different oceanic and weather forces. Burgos is located on the northwestern tip of Ilocos Norte.
Patapat Viaduct
The cool waters of the mountain stream are reputed to have miraculous healing properties. You will have to try them and see for yourself.
Many people stop to take a sip of these waters and others fill up containers to take home.
Also there are several stalls selling local products, fruits and shell art and colored pebble trinkets.
In addition to the healing powers of the water local people believe it is enchanted by a white lady.
To ensure that the White Lady will not jump out at motorists and as a sign of respect, motorists traditionally always sound their horns three times when close to the falls.
Anton's Paradise
The bridge is elevated 31 meters over sea level. It is a concrete coastal bridge 1.3 km long and connects the Maharlika Highway from Laoag, Ilocos Norte to the Cagayan Valley Region. It rises along the town's coastal mountains, which is the starting point of the Cordillera Mountain Range that snakes through Northern Luzon. It is the 4th longest bridge in the Philippines.
Pasuquin by the sea is a scenic town that is famous for its salt. Saltbeds along the seashore have soil content of good sand and coral, making them ideal for salt making. Salt making has developed into a cottage industry providing a source of livelihood for many Pasuquiños.
Jar making
The Pagburnayan is where the old and authentic methods of pottery are still being applied. Called "Burnay" or terracota by the natives, these factories are clustered in the southwestern part of the Poblacion along Liberation Boulevard in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur.
Ilocos Region
The province of Ilocos Sur is where the Ilocos Region’s myriad of cultures and histories converge to become a living museum of a spirited past. A national shrine, a national landmark, a national museum, heritage museums, ancestral houses, period houses, cobble-stoned streets – they all share space in the timeless land of Ilocos Sur.
Found in the province is the historic town of Vigan, which was inscribed in UNESCO’s World Heritage List in November 1999. Established in the 16th century, Vigan is the best preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia. Its architecture reflects the coming together of cultural elements from elsewhere in the Philippines and from China with those from Europe to create a unique culture and townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia. Its Kamestizoan District is replete with ancestral houses with ancient tiled roofs, massive hardwood floorings, ballustrades and azoteas in varying Spanish-Mexican-Chinese architectural styles.
Centuries-old Sta. Maria Church, declared a National Landmark, was used as a fortress during the Philippine Revolution of 1896. Tirad Pass, declared a National Shrine, had been the last stand of the Filipino Revolutionary Forces under General Emilio Aguinaldo during the same period. Bessang Pass served as the backdoor to General Yamashita’s last ditch defense during the last stage of World War II.