In the town of Burgos which is 35 kilometers north of Laoag City, is the famous Faro Cabo Cape Bojeador or Cape Bojeador Lighthouse with some people also calling it as the Burgos Lighthouse.
The lighthouse sits on the hill of Vigia in Burgos, 160 meters above sea level. With that, Cape Bojeador Lighthouse is the most elevated lighthouse in the Philippines. If you don’t have a car, you have to climb to the hill from the main road. But all those calorie-burning climb is well paid off with the view that awaits you at the foot of the lighthouse. There also some vendors under some shady trees selling some drinks and food.
I thought I was in Ireland..:-)
After you’ve conquered the hill ( in case you don’t have a vehicle), it’s time to reach the lighthouse. We went there at 1pm and it was scroching hot, be sure to bring something like a cap, shawl and sunglasses. It was also very windy and combined with the wide steps, the climb was not 100% easy. Still, you can stop and take some photos of the view of the South China Sea.
The view from the main pavilion of the lighthouse
The courtyard of the Lighthouse
Cape Bojeador Lighthouse is consits of 3 levels – the courtyard with the living quarters, the main pavilion and the tower. Typical to the structures in Ilocos Norte, it is also made of kiln-baked bricks which adds to its appeal and charm.
First designed in 1887, it was finished in 1890 and started it operation two years after. The plaque says that it is still in use but when I asked the caretaker, he said it’s not. Hmm…kindly double check. I might have the wrong information.
The main pavilion houses its museum
What I like about this lighthouse is that you can enter the main tower and climb until the top where you can see the original lantern and cupola. The caretaker was very accommodating, trying his best to talk to us in Tagalog and like the rest of the Ilocanos we’ve met, happy that we came all the way from Iloilo to visit Ilocos.
The main tower
The main tower is 17 meters high and believe me, it’s windy. Super windy if I say..:-). The caretaker said its due to “hanging amihan” or northeastern monsoon winds from Sibera, China and Japan. So there I was, struggling to hold my pashmina scarf, my notebook, my pen and camera..and yeah..my hair! So another tip, bring a bag to hold all your things!
The winding stairs inside the lighthouse
Going up to the lighthouse was a little bit hard. The steps were very steep and it was very windy. And I have phobia in heights which really made me dizzy. But the steps were impressive, it was still very sturdy unlike other lighthouses that I have seen and visited before.
The small windows inside the lighthouse giving another view of the coast
When we reached the part that will lead to the lantern, I surrendered and just settled watching the views from the small windows. The wind was wailing and it was really a breathtaking scenery. My husband and Dan ( his collegue) went up to the lantern and the view was the best. Still, you can choose to challenge yourself if you want to go all the way up.
The stairs leading to the lighthouse's cupola and lantern
There is no entrance fee when you visit Cape Bojeador Lighthouse. There is a small donation box at the tower’s entrance and inside the museum. And I felt bad that we didn’t ring our wallets or didn’t have a single coin in our pockets, going back to our car is also very tiring..
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