As we left Bangui Wind Farm, the golden sun was almost there and we were rushing to go to the next town – Pagudpud. See, when in Ilocos allocate at least 3 days for you to have full control of your time. No time to grudge and we headed off to this famous beach destination in northern Luzon.
When we were in Pagudpud, it was an accomplishment for me. For I am at the northwestern tip of Ilocos and of mainland Luzon. I have reached that far! Wipeeee!
From Laoag City, it is 2 hours by bus and since we went there by car, travel time is lesser than that. If you are from Manila, there are buses that travel straight to Pagudpud if you wish to stop here first.
At first, I thought that Pagudpud is a surfing beach though it still can be when the winds are strong but when we arrived, it is a pristine beach. Many people call it as the “Boracay of the North” due to long stretch of white sand. True, the sand was white but of course, not as powdery as that of Boracay. Still, it is a remarkable white-sand beach in the amidst the typical Ilocano coast characterized by rocky and dark-sandy beaches.
Pagudpud is actually composed of two beaches – the Saud and the “Blue Lagoon”. The Saud beach is more accessible and has more facilities compared to the Blue Lagoon. The two beaches do not stretch like Boracay but it reminds of of Dakak – cove with tall mountains and cliffs. One travel writer named Pagudpud as one of the best beaches in Asia but I don’t know specifically which beach he was pertaining to.
The Blue Lagoon is quite far from the main road and twenty minutes from Saud Beach. I love the rock formations along the way and it was such a misfortune that it was already dark when we arrived there. Still, you can see that it such a pristine beach and I was resenting that we don’t have much time.
Blue Lagoon is less commercialized that Saud Beach and it is located in the Maira-Ira Point. It reminds of Guisi Beach in Guimaras for its serenity and tranquility. I just hope they can halt the commercialization in the area.
For photos of Blue Lagoon, I found a nice blog. Click here.
3 Comments
Commercialization can make one’s life easier. But what people sometimes fail to realize is the negative effective it is causing to our environment… I just hope that we can still enjoy the raw beauty of nature in the future. Great article.