Mga Lugar
(Places)
Urbiztondo Beach
Urbiztondo Beach in San Juan is known as the Surfing Capital of Northern Philippines, with surfing seasons typically falling July to October and November to March. This area of La Union has a reputation for having the country’s most consistent waves, and thriving surf culture has flourished in recent years. Many places offer surfing lessons for all levels, and numerous places of lodging can also be found throughout the coastline. Surfboards are available for rent throughout the area as well.
Restaurants offering local and international fare along with shops selling local handicrafts and souvenir items are also nearby. Urbiztondo has a great selection of restaurants, with cuisines ranging from Filipino delicacies, comfort food, Mexican, Asian, and Italian food. With its laidback vibe and artistic flair, local and foreign visitors have been coming back to Urbiztondo every year to enjoy the beach life.
Tangadan Falls
Located in the town of San Gabriel, La Union, Tangadan Falls is a two-tier waterfall that flows into the Baroro River, with the water coming in from the Cordillera Mountain Ranges. The lower cascade of the falls has a width of 100 feet and a 40 foot drop, with a natural catch basin pool that is great for a quick dip on a hot summer’s day.
Wear sturdy walking shoes along with your swimsuit on your visit to Tangadan Falls, because you’ll be doing some light trekking along the way. There’s an option to go on a one hour trek and another one where you can be dropped off at the trailhead of the falls in San Gabriel, a relatively shorter 20 minute walk to the falls.
Poro Point and Lighthouse
Poro Point is a coastal landform on an elevated point of land that extends about 3.2KM into the West Philippine Sea. Historically called the San Fernando Point, it is found along the boundary of San Fernando bay near the international seaport. Its most striking features are the white cliffs found along it western coastline with the peninsula overlooking the Lingayen Gulf that extends up to Santiago Island in Bolinao.
Poro Point’s location makes it the ideal site for navigational purposes, and this is why it has been used as a navigational aid since 1885, with the Lighthouse as its main point of reference. Built during the Spanish colonial period, the Lighthouse is a cylindrical tower made of French prefabricated steel that stands 6 meters in height.
Immuki Island
Immuki island is made up of a series of smalls lagoons filled with pools of water held together by corals. It has three crystal clear pools that are perfect to dip into on a hot, sunny day. Located in Barangay Paraoir in Balaoan, La Union, it is the type of place for visitors looking for a quiet, natural environment that is away from the usual crowd of noisy tourists.
Before entering Immuki island, you will need to register at the barangay hall near the Paraoir National Highschool and then follow a paved pathway toward a beach. From the beach, you will wade through roughly 250 meters distance to reach one of the lagoons in Immuki island. Walking past the shallow water is possible in the low tide - otherwise, a raft may be rented nearby.
PUGO Pugad Adventure
Adrenaline junkies looking for thrilling experience in La Union will find it at PUGAD Pugo Resort, an adventure park that offers fun activities with a zip lines, giant swing, rappelling, paintball, wall climbing, ATV, and 10 swimming pools. It also has 94 cottages for rent, and facilities for overnight accommodations, along with air-conditioning, cable TV with hot and cold bath.
The resort also has a mini zoo with exotic animals such as various snake breeds, bearcats, exotic birds, and a tiger named Nicole. It has 2 zip lines: the Superman zipline that measures 450 from end to end, and a shorter one that is 250 meters in length that takes 10 seconds to ride. Both provide a great view of the resort and of the surrounding landscape.
Mga Pagkain
(Food)
Halo-Halo de Iloko
In the Halo Halo de Iloko restaurant of San Fernando, you can taste one of the best halo halos in the country. What makes this halo-halo so delicious is the mix of local ingredients. These include Saging from Agoo, Ube San Gabriel, pastillas made from carabao’s milk, and creamy homemade ice cream.
Kilawin
If you’re in San Juan, you shouldn’t miss trying out an Ilocos specialty called the Kilawen. This consists of meat like beef, pork, fish, or goat cooked in an unusual method using the acidity of vinegar or calamansi. This process makes the meat a lot tastier. And you can find this in the Layag Grille and Kilawen Bar of San Juan.
Naguilan Basi
If you’re one for trying out new drinks, the Naguilian Basi is for you. The province has perfected that delicate earthy taste of the Basi. And this would surely tickle your taste buds and leave you wanting for more.
Sabong Fried Chicken
With the Sabong Fried Chicken of San Juan, fried chicken can never get boring. The place boasts of the highly acclaimed La Union’s signature fried chicken with three unique flavors: Elyu original, Korean soy garlic, and Honey Bagoong.
Filipino-inspired Flavored Ice Cream
In Leche Ice Cream, you can find your favorite Filipino flavors in ice cream form. The ice cream parlor serves peculiar Filipino-inspired ice cream flavors like Champorado-tuyo, Coconut three-way, and Mangga’t Suman. With these, you can enjoy two Filipino delicacies in one!
Sining
(Art)
Bamboo Crafts
household items such as chairs, tables, lampshades, baskets, and picture frames. They also make unique and beautiful items such as basket backpacks (pasiking), wallets, coin purses, phone cases and others that you can choose from.
Loom Weaving
Loom Weaving is unique to every province where it’s done. Each piece of woven material has its own story to tell. In La Union, you can find the centuries-old craft flourishing in Bangar. There are tons of weaved products such as blankets and rugs. If you’re lucky, you might even see the weavers at hard work in weaving through the delicate threads and creating something beautiful with their bare hands.
Pottery
You can also find pottery crafts in La Union’s Red Clay Pagdamilian. It’s is the perfect place to go to if you’re looking for original and unique souvenir decorative items. Aside from the beautiful items they already have such as fridge magnets, keychains, and accessory holders, you can also learn and make your own pottery. How’s that for a memorable souvenir experience?
Stone Art
Last but not least, La Union also offers stone art and crafts creations. It is also a major product of Up-Uplas, Sudipen, La Union. Here, the residents transform inconspicuous stones into various unique, quirky, and wonderful creations like table decors, garden decors, and sculptures. They might be heavy, but they’re worth taking home as a unique souvenir and remembrance of La Union.