Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Patapat Viaduct, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

Heading to northernmost part of Ilocos Norte will not be interesting without visiting Patapat Viaduct in Pagudpud. The panaromic view of mountain ranges and the sea view of Pasaleng Bay is great. Air is so fresh and you can see waves splashing on the shore.


TRIVIA:
The bridge is elevated 31 meters above sea level. It is a concrete coastal bridge 1.3km that connects the Maharlika Highway from Laoag City, Ilocos Norte to Cagayan Valley Region. It rises along the coastal mountains of the town, which is the start point of the Cordillera Mountain Ranges through Northern Luzon.

It is also the 4th longest bridge in the Philippines.



Visit the bridge when you happen to hit Pagudpud. It is one of the most popular tourist destination in the north. After which, you can visit the Bantay Abot Cave just nearby the area before heading to Blue Lagoon.

Bantay Abot Cave, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

Just a few minutes tricycle ride from the national highway, it's a worthy stop-over before heading to Blue Lagoon. Going to the cave is interesting and is easy because there is stairs going down to the beach heading to the cave.


Fresh and cold breeze will welcome you. Mountain view from the northern part of the Philippines is fantastic.


TRIVIA: 
In Ilocano (local dialect), Bantay means "mountain" while Abot means "butas".

The cave has an open door like, like a chocolate hill with a hole on the middle of it. You can hear the waves when you're inside the cave as it splash on the rocky side of the mountain.





The place is not fit for swimming as the place is rocky and the waves are big and strong as they splash on the shore. You can as well pick fragments of rock and sea shells. There is also place wherein you can sit, take back and relax with fresh and cold air while enjoying the green mountain and the waves.


If you will visit Ilocos Norte especially in Pagudpud, visit this place to make your out of town trip more interesting.