When you are visiting the Philippines and Manila, you should not miss the chance to rent a van with driver Manila to Ilocos Norte. It is a 7 to 8 hour drive from Manila but well worth it. The reason is that there are so many beautiful cultural, historical and architectural, and natural attractions in this beautiful part of the country to the north. Ilocos Norte offers something for practically every interest. In this article we look at the sites you simply can not miss when you rent a car with driver Manila to Ilocos Norte.
Vigan
Calle Crisologo
Vigan is the historical and architectural attraction and a city not to miss in Ilocos Sur. Its Calle Crisologo is one of the top heritage sites in all of the country. The street is beautifully lined with historic and antique houses along with specialty shops, all leading you on to the several hundred year old churches in town. Tourists along with natives love to take the Kalesa here, which is the historic means of transportation in a horse and carriage along the street.
Pagburnayan Pottery Center
While in Vigan, you should stop by the region’s iconic pottery center Pagburnayan. This is likely the second most photographed site in all of the city after Calle Crisologo. The name of the center comes from the root word burnay for earthenware pots handcrafted in Vigan, called Bantog clays. The clay uniquely comes from the city’s western barangays.
Rowilda’s Loom Weaving
A few minutes south of Vigan lies Camanggan, home of Rowilda’s Loom weaving. Here you should take a break from your rent a van with driver Manila to Ilocos Norte trip to watch the hand weavers hard at work in the house. The inabel products are artistically woven using manual, traditional means of weaving cotton yarn, sewing threads, and more materials. These colorful material fabrics are eagerly sought after in the markets of Manila.
Syquia Mansion
Another site to see in Vigan is the Syquia Mansion. This mansion once served as the home for the former President Elpidio Quirino and his family. It was built in the Spanish colonial period back in 1830. Today, this museum remains among the best preserved and most perfect instances of the mixed Spanish and Filipino architectural style.
Plaza Salcedo
Vigan’s central attraction and town center is Plaza Salcedo. Everything you would want to see fronts the plaza, including the town and regional halls, the church, and the shopping center. At night, locals and tourists alike gather to watch the Dancing Fountain at the Plaza’s center. This light and sound spectacle is not to be missed.
Bantay Church/Bell tower
On your journey rent a car with driver Manila to Ilocos Norte, you will come to Bantay in Ilocos Sur. Here you should stop to see the St. Augustine Parish Church and its bell tower. This Roman Catholic Church was originally dedicated to St. Augustine of Hippo. It houses the miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary called Our Lady of Charity.
The belfry is historic and called Bantay Tower. The Spanish used it as a pirate watch tower. This lent its name to the town, which means to guard. The church dates back to 1590, making it among most historic and oldest in the region.
Laoag
Sinking Bell Tower
Driving further north in your rent a van with driver you will reach Laoag. An unusual attraction is the mysteriously sinking bell tower in Laoag City. It is odd for a number of reasons. As the main cathedral St. William’s actual bell tower, it is most unusually located 80 meters away from the church. These are generally constructed attached to their cathedrals or at most only meters away.
The bell tower dates back to following the 1707 earthquake. It has stood through a number of earthquakes since constructed, gaining it coveted membership in the Earthquake Baroque style. Builders joined bricks using molasses and leaves from the local sablot plant. The foundation is 90 meters and its height spans to 45 meters. For some unexplained reason, the church bell tower sinks at the rate of approximately an inch per year, perhaps because it was built on a sandy foundation.
St. William’s Cathedral
Along with the sinking bell tower you can take in the St. William Cathedral of which it is an annex. This is also called the Laoag Cathedral. This present church was constructed by Augustinian Friars in place of their wooden chapel back in 1612. It is the seat for the Catholic Diocese of Laoag. The architecture features one primary retablo as well as two smaller sized ones on a side. In the lower level of the main retablo (which is enormous), there is the image of patron saint of the church, Saint William. If you are in Laoag, this cathedral and its sinking bell tower are the two attractions not to miss.
Capitol 
While in Laoag, you might also take in the hundred year old provincial capitol. This provincial capitol became established back in 1918 and has operated as the government seat for Ilocos Norte since then. The box-like edifice is almost unique in the Philippines for its blazing white Corinthian pillars at the primary entrance. It gives the capitol an aura of imperial dominance that hearkens back to the colonial structures from the United States’ early years. This is fitting, as the area where it is located was once the former headquarters for the U.S. army in the American period back in 1900 following the defeat of the Spanish in the Spanish-American War.
La Paz Sand Dunes
On your journey to the north, you might also stop by La Paz Sand Dunes. This protected sandy coast resembles a desert located along the sea. It is found in Laoag in Ilocos Norte and stretches for 33 square miles (85 square kilometers).
Pagudpud
Pagudpud is a city in the north. In the area, there are several worthwhile natural attractions to see. These include the area’s beautiful Kabigan Falls, the Saud Beach, Blue Lagoon and Patapat Viaduct.
Batac
The City of Batac was built by the Augustinians back in 1587 with patronage from the Immaculate Conception. As such it remains the second oldest town the Augustinians established in the Ilocos Norte province. In 1987 it celebrated its fourth centennial. The town has history and architecture and is worth a stroll through on your journey north.
Paoay
Driving further north in your rent a van with driver you will reach Paoay. Among the oldest most historic churches in all of the Philippines, St. Augustine’s Church is also called Paoay Church. It is a component of the UNESCO World Heritage Site as well. This church is a survivor of numerous earthquakes from which it has been restored. Its uniqueness comes from the huge buttresses it boasts. There is also a bell tower here.
Burgos Cape Bojedador Light House
Burgos Lighthouse graces the Burgos Cape. This cultural heritage site is also called Cape Bejeador Lighthouse, and it dates back to 1892 when it was first lit during the Spanish Colonial period. Today it offers amazing views of Cape Bojeador. A hundred years after its founding, it still works reliably and services ships entering the Philippines from the north, helping to guide them along the rocky coast off the shore of the town. The lighthouse is also the marker for the most northwestern point of Luzon.
Bangui Wind Mills
If you are interested in modern looking wind mills, there is the Bangui Windmill Farm in Ilocos Norte. It has 20 separate windmill unit aligned in one solitary row over a six mile shoreline off of Bangui Bay. They face the West Philippine Sea and are imposing looking if nothing else. It’s the largest wind farm in South East Asia.
A final sight especially important to surfers in the northern Philippines is the San Juan La Union. This is the surfer capital of the whole region. It is a worthwhile place to stop for the night on your way to Ilocos Norte.
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