Ilocos Tour Day 1: Vigan and Ilocos Sur

We arrived in Bantay at 5:00 dawn and Bantay is the municipality before Vigan. We checked in at Henady Inn which is just across the gateway to Vigan.

View from our hotel:

Before we go to Vigan, let us first visit Bantay. If you're familiar with the primetime soap Juan dela Cruz played by Coco Martin, Juan dela Cruz is actually called the "Taga-Bantay." And the "Bantay" referred to is this municipality in Ilocos. In the soap, Juan dela Cruz got his sword from the bell in the famous Bantay Tower. The Bantay Tower is walking distance from Henady Inn.

So now, let's go to Vigan. The most famous tourist attraction in Vigan is undoubtedly Calle Crisologo. I would have to say that Calle Crisologo is a charming treasure of Vigan. We went there several times, early morning, lunch, and at night time.

Early morning walks at Calle Crisologo would give you a good glimpse of the old town. The air is fresh and it's very peaceful since the establishments are still closed and there are still only few tourists in the area. At lunchtime, Calle Crisologo turns into a commercial area with a lot of cafes, restaurants, and several souvenir shops where you can buy pasalubong such as woven blankets.

And at night time, when the lights are turned on, Calle Crisologo transforms into a very romantic place perfect for a long walk with your love.

Lilong and Lilang Restaurant

During a day in Vigan, you can also go to other places that would help you know Vigan more. During our tour, we went to The Hidden Garden and dined at Lilong and Lilang's Restaurant.We then proceeded to Ruby's Pottery and there we met Mr. Fidel Go, awarded as National Folk Artist. If you're bringing kids, it would be good to bring them to Baluarte where they can ride ponies for free, watch and interact with animals, and also play around, all of these for free courtesy of Gov. Chavit Singson.

A great place for kids!

 We also dined at Abuelita's  after checking out the Crisologo Museum.

Of course, Calle Crisologo is not Vigan's only attraction. At night, around 7:30 in the evening, you should head on to the Plaza Salcedo to witness a very beautiful display of lights and dancing fountain. Here's a snapshot of the magnificent fountain at Plaza Salcedo.

Our Vigan day tour was both d-i-y and with the help of a tricycle driver who billed P150 per hour. Our trips to Bantay Bell Tower, The Hidden Garden, Ruby Pottery, Baluarte, took us 3 hours. The rest of the day, we toured Vigan by foot.

Stay tuned for our Days 2 and 3 coming up in a few days. I hope you enjoyed this post. (--,)