Tourism Ilocos Norte

To make sure you cover everything the Philippines has to offer, start right at the top! Ilocos Norte is the perfect start to an exciting adventure.

Long before the coming of the Spaniards, there existed an extensive region which was renowned for its gold mines. Merchants from Japan and China often visited the area to trade and the inhabitants of the region called their place “samtoy”, from “sao mi ditoy”, which literally meant “our language”. The Spanish colonization of Ilocos in 1572 was never completely successful. Products such as tobacco and basi (sugarcane wine) were monopolized by the government resulting to uprisings, Basi Revolt being the most noteworthy. The widespread unrest throughout the region led to the division of the old Provincia de Ilocos through a Royal Decree in February 2, 1818. After the creation of Ilocos Norte in 1818, the province increased in prosperity and many towns during this period built bigger stone and brick churches with massive belfries. Under the American regime, new schools, roads, bridges, dikes and government buildings were constructed.

Start your adventure in Laoag, the capital of Ilocos Norte and the hub of everything Ilocano. Visit La Tabacalera and you’ll see. The World Heritage Sites and the sand dunes of Paoay in the south, the famous beaches and windmills of Pagudpud in the north, and the verdant mountains and tribal villages in the east are not more than an hour’s drive away.