HomeAsiaPhilippinesLuzonIlocos NorteBangui Windmills and Cape Bojeador Lighthouse – Ilocos Norte Solo Travel By Marcos Detourist on September 12, 2011It was time to leave my homestay in Saud Beach and move on with a do-it-yourself (DIY) tour to the Bangui Windmills and Cape Bojeador Lighthouse. I had a very sublime experience touring around Pagudpud the day before. I was surprised to be greeted yet again with the most amazing deep blue skies and sunny weather. I didn’t expect to be so lucky since I was traveling in October, which is usually typhoon season in the Philippines. It was the already the 5th day on my plan to encircle the northernmost cape of Luzon. My arrival at Bangui, Ilocos NortePagudpud to BanguiFrom Saud Beach, I took a 15-minute tricycle ride to the town proper of Pagudpud. There was a bus (en route to Laoag) parked right beside the Pagudpud Pubic Market. From there, it was another 30 minutes going to Brgy. Baruyen in the town of Bangui. I dropped off at a waiting shed along the highway. It was still a long way to the coast. I had to take a tricycle to get to the Bangui windmills. The driver offered me a rate of P100 for the transport to the giant windmills and then to an elevated viewdeck along the highway. Pagudpud Municipal Hall. Good looking and modern civic buildings in town. Pagudpud Public Market. Bangui Municipal Hall. Nice Spanish-colonial architecture. I loved the almost Mediterranean feel and the tiled clay roof.Bangui WindmillsThroughout the years, the Bangui windmills of have become a major tourist attraction not only in Ilocos Norte but the whole Philippines. I oftentimes see it featured in DOT tourism ads. I’ve always been baffled about its claim to fame. I get how Dutch windmills could be tourist attractions. I’d like to see an authentic Dutch Windmill myself. But a modern wind farm? While the rest of the world abhor the sight of large-scale wind farms, Filipinos travel for hours (10 hours by bus if coming from Manila) to Bangui just to marvel at these monolithic structures. On my way to the coast of Bangui Glimpse of the Bangui Windmills Upclose with the giant windmillsStanding face to face with the giant windmills of Bangui, I was initially awed by its size. Each of the 15 windmills was as tall as a 15-storey building. I felt like an ant standing beside them. The windmills were spread across a 6.5 kilometers stretch of the grey sand beach. The sight was indeed beautiful. It wasn’t just the windmills that made it a breathtaking sight but the magnificent view of the coast and the backdrop of scenic mountain ranges. I liked the stark contrast of nature and the minimalist design of the Bangui windmills. Truly, a fitting poster child for “green” energy.The mid-day sun was scorching hot!Loven this wooden row boat along the beach. First time to see this kind of boat in the Philippines. Wanting to take a “not-so-usual” shot, I walked a few feet past the water line hoping to include the strong waves in the photo. I had to take extra precaution because the sand was very loose. Each wave made my feet sink a few inches deeper. One big wave finally came. I was already sunk 3 inches into the sand and didn’t have enough time to get myself out of the water.Fortunately, I maintained my balance. My camera didn’t get wet but half of my body did, hehe. Taking photos from a safer distance this time. Souvenir sellers along the beachfront. The Bangui mini windmills. Pretty … but I didn’t think it would survive the commute back to Manila. My usual self-portaits were already goon enough as souvenirs ^_^Bangui Windmills View DeckThe tricycle driver dropped me off at an elevated view deck along the highway. I took a few photos while waiting for the bus going to my next destination: Bojeador Lighthouse in Burgos town. Bangui windmills view deck along the highway Aerial view of the Bangui windmills Closer view with the white sand beach of Pagudpud at the distanceBangui to BurgosThe most buses that pass the highway at Bangui ply the Tuguegarao City – Laoag route. From Bangui, the bus ride took around 20 minutes going to the Bojeador Lighthouse intersection. A winding uphill road separated me from the lighthouse situated at the top. There were no tricycles in sight along the highway. I was hoping to find one because I was carrying my heavy backpack and knew it was going to be a very haggard climb if I go by foot. View of Burgos’ coast from the bus rideBojeador LighthouseAfter 15 minutes of waiting, there were still no tricycles … not even passing people or vehicles. I was left with no other option. It took me 20 minutes to hike up the hill. Thank goodness there were vendors selling cold drinks at the top. The vendors were shocked that I went up the lighthouse by foot. I would be shocked too if I saw myself lunging a big backpack on the uphill road … gasping for breath … and finally looking self-satisfied upon reaching the top as if crossing an invisible finish line .The view of the Cape Bojeador lighthouse was stunning. It was my first time to see an old Spanish-colonial lighthouse still intact. The only other old lighthouse I’ve seen was the Guisi Lighthouse, which was already in ruins. While taking my first shots of the Bojeador lighthouse, I was greeted by some random dude. Of course, I also returned the courtesy. He offered to give me a tour of the lighthouse. I became hesitant thinking he was a tout or something. I didn’t want to pay for a guided tour of the lighthouse. I had little cash left to begin with. I kindly said no but he followed me and gave me the tour anyways.He offered several times to take my photo with the lighthouse. Because of his persistence and seemingly kind aura, I eventually handed him my camera. I was actually shocked because he knew his angles well and even suggested some poses. This guy had a nice eye for photography. I relayed this to him a few times :) At least, if I paid for his services I would come home with really nice souvenir photos with the Bojeador Lighthouse. Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, also known as Burgos Lighthouse, is a cultural heritage structure in Burgos, Ilocos Norte. It was established during the Spanish Colonial period in the Philippines. It was first lit on March 30, 1892 and is set high on Vigia de Nagparitan Hill overlooking the scenic Cape Bojeador where early galleons used to sail by. After over 100 years, it still functions as a welcoming beacon to the international ships that enter the Philippine Archipelago from the north and guide them safely away from the rocky coast of the town. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the highest-elevated or tallest lighthouse in the Philippines. Corregidor Lighthouse is higher at over 600 feet and among the Spanish Colonial lighthouses, the tower of Cape Melville Lighthouse is the tallest at 90 feet. @Girl in black: Get your own personal photographer!? The pavilion has now been transformed into a small museum as well as lodging for people seeking basic accommodation. Except from shared cooking facilities and water from the cistern, no other amenities are provided.Probably used as a pool / rain water reservoir during the Spanish-colonial times.Solar panels at the roof Cape Bojeador Lighthouse was declared a National Historical Landmark on August 13, 2004 and a National Cultural Treasure on June 20, 2005 by the Philippine Government.Manong knows his angles.Loved this shot. Kudos to manong!Last photo-op at the Cape Bojeador LighthouseIt was time to say my goodbyes to the romantic lighthouse at Cape Bojeador. I asked manong tour guide: “Magkano po bigay ko sayo?” … How much (money) will I give you? I was surprised when he refused to charge me for being my “official photographer.” Turns out, he was a caretaker at the lighthouse and just wanted to help tourists have a worthwhile visit. The thought was really heartwarming.On my way down, the vendors stopped me for a quick chat. They were still baffled why I (a tourist) would decide to travel alone and go there with no tricycle/car service. At the back of my head I wanted to answer them … like … you do this sort of thing every day, don’t you? It’s really no big deal.I told them that I really wanted to see the beautiful old lighthouse and the hike was well worth the effort. An ice cream vendor was listening in . He offered to give me a ride back to the highway. Yey! Manong ice cream vendor. My experience at the Cape Bojeador was really memorable. Not only was I presented with the beautiful scenery but also the kindness of the humble vendors and lighthouse caretaker. When I started with my solo travels, I put up a “shell” around myself in fear that other people would take advantage of my “NOOBness”. I learned later on that it’s also important to give off some level of trust. It was through my higher level of openness that I was able to experience the kindness of the people I met on the road.Don’t leave yet. There’s more!Ilocos Norte Itinerary - My 4 Day DIY Tour of Pagudpud,…Kapurpurawan Dragon Photo SeriesSaud Beach Homestay in Pagudpud, Ilocos NorteIlocos Norte Churches - Laoag, San Nicolas, Batac & Bacarra…Kapurpurawan White Rock and the Long WalkPagudpud, Ilocos Norte Itinerary - Tricycle Tour DIY Solo…Comments pack up and drift saysSeptember 12, 2011 at 12:25 pmHaven’t been to Pagudpud. Thanks to this post. Ang babaet ng mga tao dun. The caretaker and the vendor are so thoughtful. I would love to meet those kind of people on the road. Marcos saysSeptember 13, 2011 at 5:08 pmAko rin. Would like to meet more people like them during my travels. Naging memorable talaga yung trip ko dun dahil sa bait nila. mervz | pinoyadventurista.com saysSeptember 12, 2011 at 2:27 pmI also met the very kind caretaker of the lighthouse when I visited it last May… he really has great skills huh?!I thought you missed Kapurpurawan, next post po pala… hehehe!!! Marcos saysSeptember 13, 2011 at 5:10 pmOMG really? talagang pwede na si kuya maging local celebrity ng Cape Bojeador. Galing niya kumuha ng photos … and its not the cheesy tourist photos… may talent talaga siya mag compose ng shots. killrfillr saysSeptember 12, 2011 at 5:57 pmPanalo talagao ang mga kuha mo. Keep it up! Marcos saysSeptember 13, 2011 at 5:10 pmthanks killrfillr! LINA C. ABOGADIE saysSeptember 12, 2011 at 6:41 pmAs expected, amazing pics from you! Thanks for posting/sharing. Looking forward to your next destination. All the best in your next travel. Marcos saysSeptember 13, 2011 at 5:11 pmAs always, thanks lina ^_^ take care! Tripper10 saysSeptember 13, 2011 at 12:01 pmNice Pics… Sana makapunta din ako dito… Salamat sa Pag-share…:) Marcos saysSeptember 13, 2011 at 5:13 pmthanks din Tripper10 :D JB saysSeptember 20, 2011 at 9:06 amHi Marcos, i longed to see Pagudpud and the Bagui windmills. I just thought the pix (and all the opther pix u took) are amazingly. This has even fired my desire to go to this place. Thanks for sharing and more power. ps. i’ve been following ur travels/posts via RSS. Marcos saysOctober 12, 2011 at 7:39 amThanks JB. Really appreciate your comment. Mark saysSeptember 20, 2011 at 1:54 pmI went solo to Vigan and Laoag last August (long weekend) and planned to proceed further north. Unfortunately, I only had 1 day left and I was thinking that I won’t be able to go back to Manila on time if I pushed through with my plan. I want to see the windmills at Bangui too! I’ll be there some time. Nice pics! Marcos saysOctober 12, 2011 at 7:40 amSayang naman. Well, there’s always next time :) Lovely saysSeptember 22, 2011 at 6:32 pmWow, the pics are amazing! :) I really hope I could visit these places someday too. I think visiting these places alone would be truly memorable. I’m planning to travel solo to Tuguegarao next year so I’m very looking forward to read your next entries. Thanks for sharing! :) jeric saysNovember 13, 2011 at 10:10 amamazing! :) Godfrey saysDecember 21, 2011 at 11:32 amNice trip sir! Last Dec 14 and 15, we’ve been there and one of the place we visit ay itong Light house. We were n’t allowed to go at the top of the Lighthouse because the caretaker told us that the Philippine Coast Guard started to restrict it. BUT.. hey manong caretaker! Noong sinita ko sya na bakit may mga tao sa taas? Sinabi nya na nag shooshoot daw ang isang Japanese TV Station. “JAPANESE” not FILIPINO. Eh ano pang silbe noong poster na nasa pintuan na ipinagbabawal ang pagpunta ng sinumang tao sa taas due to HIGH VOLTAGE. Hindi na ako nakipag argue sakanya, dahil daw mga japanese. LINTEK… kaya pala nagiging dayuhan ang isang Pilipino dahil din sa kapwa nga Pilipino. UUnahin nya pala ang mga Foreigner kesa sa ka lahi nya. Okay bumaba kami at umalis na. Noong kinuwento ko ito sa aming tour guide… sabi nya nagpapabayad daw ang caretaker! Yun naman pala eh! This is a confirmed story. Godfrey saysDecember 21, 2011 at 11:51 amSir, Nice shot sa Windmill. Kaso napakadelikado yung pwesto mo Sir dahil the sand sinks fast at kapag na caught ka ng wave, siguradong lalamunin ka. Malalim ang parteng iyan ng beach. Starts at 20 to 30 feet agad. According to our tour guide na si Manong Ferdi (09108591175), the beach is very shallow dahil dyan ini-unload ang mga pyesa ng windmills including yung mga malalaking bakal. Gumawa sila ng port sa area na yan. ann saysApril 30, 2012 at 2:46 pmthe trip i had recently came to a reality all because of your blog.thanks marc!!! Cheewwii saysJuly 9, 2012 at 12:35 pmMababait po talaga mga Ilocano! :) Visit also water falls at Burgos, Ilocos Norte. They are so magnificent. :) Marcos saysJuly 12, 2012 at 3:32 pmGood to know, great to have experienced first hand :D ohh, I didn’t have time to visit the inland parts of Burgos, next time naman :D Cheewwii saysJuly 9, 2012 at 12:38 pmThey said, the pool (one of your pics) used to be filled with water by slave Filipinos, getting water from the lowlands taking them to the peak of the lighthouse. Imagine that? whew! Marcos saysJuly 12, 2012 at 3:34 pmwow … being forced carrying loads of water to fill the pool must be intensely grueling. Ndi pa nila siguro na enjoy and refreshing pool #insensitivejokingmode rhane saysJuly 9, 2012 at 6:20 pmhello there…very good…i had a nice time checking your tips and your pics as well. i hope to enojy my tour as well next month… Marcos saysJuly 12, 2012 at 3:38 pmtry filters exchange http://multiply.com/ miko saysJuly 10, 2012 at 1:51 pmThis will be my guide for my 5th Solo Backpack this August- Ilocos Region..Gracias por todo Marcos! Marcos saysJuly 12, 2012 at 3:42 pmCool! Lots of beautiful places to visit in Ilocos :D Sean Tee saysNovember 9, 2012 at 2:17 amStunning shots! the contrast statement of the azure blue and green glory of the backdrop and the ‘sun-toast’ boat in the foreground is truly gorgeous, it tells a lot of stories! what camera and lens are you using? And how much is the fragile souvenir in Bangui? thanks, I am an instant fan of yours:) Marcos saysNovember 11, 2012 at 7:01 pmI’m used a NikonD40 with 18-105mm VR lens during that trip. Didn’t ask how much the souvenirs were :) Thanks Sean Tee! roland villaluz saysDecember 17, 2012 at 3:23 pmhi sir marc i am roland villaluz a local tour guide in pagudpud, are you planning for a next pagudpud trip, feel free to contact me at 09275590818.. http://www.facebook.com/roland.villaluz.9thanks for your last visit.thanks, roland jates saysMarch 6, 2013 at 5:14 pmI appreciate how detailed your blog is of your every trip to city to city to get to your destination. I suggest though to edit your pics of the same scene so only the best ones are showcased. Have a safe travel! monique saysApril 1, 2013 at 1:37 pmi was born at BANGUI ILOCOS NORTE, my ancestral house is located a few steps from the wind mill, i use to play onthat beach when i was a kid.. thank you for visiting our place. tourist are always welcome.. elzeil saysJuly 11, 2013 at 12:47 pmi was there just last week . Indi ko maxadong na enjoy ung view sa light house we’ve got arrived in the place at 5pm were just taking picture sa baba lng i didn’t use to see upstare lng light house.. but so wonderful place.. Chris Dao-anis saysJuly 6, 2014 at 7:50 amThanks for sharing this, Marcos! Awesome pics and cool story. I think I’m gonna go there this week hehe :D Posting of new comments is disabled temporarily.Connect with Marcos on:Detourista.comMarcosDetourist.comFacebookInstagramTwitterDetourista.comDiscover more travel guides and blogs about the Philippines and beyond by Marcos DetouristChoose your next destination: Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
pack up and drift saysSeptember 12, 2011 at 12:25 pmHaven’t been to Pagudpud. Thanks to this post. Ang babaet ng mga tao dun. The caretaker and the vendor are so thoughtful. I would love to meet those kind of people on the road.
Marcos saysSeptember 13, 2011 at 5:08 pmAko rin. Would like to meet more people like them during my travels. Naging memorable talaga yung trip ko dun dahil sa bait nila.
mervz | pinoyadventurista.com saysSeptember 12, 2011 at 2:27 pmI also met the very kind caretaker of the lighthouse when I visited it last May… he really has great skills huh?!I thought you missed Kapurpurawan, next post po pala… hehehe!!!
Marcos saysSeptember 13, 2011 at 5:10 pmOMG really? talagang pwede na si kuya maging local celebrity ng Cape Bojeador. Galing niya kumuha ng photos … and its not the cheesy tourist photos… may talent talaga siya mag compose ng shots.
LINA C. ABOGADIE saysSeptember 12, 2011 at 6:41 pmAs expected, amazing pics from you! Thanks for posting/sharing. Looking forward to your next destination. All the best in your next travel.
Tripper10 saysSeptember 13, 2011 at 12:01 pmNice Pics… Sana makapunta din ako dito… Salamat sa Pag-share…:)
JB saysSeptember 20, 2011 at 9:06 amHi Marcos, i longed to see Pagudpud and the Bagui windmills. I just thought the pix (and all the opther pix u took) are amazingly. This has even fired my desire to go to this place. Thanks for sharing and more power. ps. i’ve been following ur travels/posts via RSS.
Mark saysSeptember 20, 2011 at 1:54 pmI went solo to Vigan and Laoag last August (long weekend) and planned to proceed further north. Unfortunately, I only had 1 day left and I was thinking that I won’t be able to go back to Manila on time if I pushed through with my plan. I want to see the windmills at Bangui too! I’ll be there some time. Nice pics!
Lovely saysSeptember 22, 2011 at 6:32 pmWow, the pics are amazing! :) I really hope I could visit these places someday too. I think visiting these places alone would be truly memorable. I’m planning to travel solo to Tuguegarao next year so I’m very looking forward to read your next entries. Thanks for sharing! :)
Godfrey saysDecember 21, 2011 at 11:32 amNice trip sir! Last Dec 14 and 15, we’ve been there and one of the place we visit ay itong Light house. We were n’t allowed to go at the top of the Lighthouse because the caretaker told us that the Philippine Coast Guard started to restrict it. BUT.. hey manong caretaker! Noong sinita ko sya na bakit may mga tao sa taas? Sinabi nya na nag shooshoot daw ang isang Japanese TV Station. “JAPANESE” not FILIPINO. Eh ano pang silbe noong poster na nasa pintuan na ipinagbabawal ang pagpunta ng sinumang tao sa taas due to HIGH VOLTAGE. Hindi na ako nakipag argue sakanya, dahil daw mga japanese. LINTEK… kaya pala nagiging dayuhan ang isang Pilipino dahil din sa kapwa nga Pilipino. UUnahin nya pala ang mga Foreigner kesa sa ka lahi nya. Okay bumaba kami at umalis na. Noong kinuwento ko ito sa aming tour guide… sabi nya nagpapabayad daw ang caretaker! Yun naman pala eh! This is a confirmed story.
Godfrey saysDecember 21, 2011 at 11:51 amSir, Nice shot sa Windmill. Kaso napakadelikado yung pwesto mo Sir dahil the sand sinks fast at kapag na caught ka ng wave, siguradong lalamunin ka. Malalim ang parteng iyan ng beach. Starts at 20 to 30 feet agad. According to our tour guide na si Manong Ferdi (09108591175), the beach is very shallow dahil dyan ini-unload ang mga pyesa ng windmills including yung mga malalaking bakal. Gumawa sila ng port sa area na yan.
ann saysApril 30, 2012 at 2:46 pmthe trip i had recently came to a reality all because of your blog.thanks marc!!!
Cheewwii saysJuly 9, 2012 at 12:35 pmMababait po talaga mga Ilocano! :) Visit also water falls at Burgos, Ilocos Norte. They are so magnificent. :)
Marcos saysJuly 12, 2012 at 3:32 pmGood to know, great to have experienced first hand :D ohh, I didn’t have time to visit the inland parts of Burgos, next time naman :D
Cheewwii saysJuly 9, 2012 at 12:38 pmThey said, the pool (one of your pics) used to be filled with water by slave Filipinos, getting water from the lowlands taking them to the peak of the lighthouse. Imagine that? whew!
Marcos saysJuly 12, 2012 at 3:34 pmwow … being forced carrying loads of water to fill the pool must be intensely grueling. Ndi pa nila siguro na enjoy and refreshing pool #insensitivejokingmode
rhane saysJuly 9, 2012 at 6:20 pmhello there…very good…i had a nice time checking your tips and your pics as well. i hope to enojy my tour as well next month…
miko saysJuly 10, 2012 at 1:51 pmThis will be my guide for my 5th Solo Backpack this August- Ilocos Region..Gracias por todo Marcos!
Sean Tee saysNovember 9, 2012 at 2:17 amStunning shots! the contrast statement of the azure blue and green glory of the backdrop and the ‘sun-toast’ boat in the foreground is truly gorgeous, it tells a lot of stories! what camera and lens are you using? And how much is the fragile souvenir in Bangui? thanks, I am an instant fan of yours:)
Marcos saysNovember 11, 2012 at 7:01 pmI’m used a NikonD40 with 18-105mm VR lens during that trip. Didn’t ask how much the souvenirs were :) Thanks Sean Tee!
roland villaluz saysDecember 17, 2012 at 3:23 pmhi sir marc i am roland villaluz a local tour guide in pagudpud, are you planning for a next pagudpud trip, feel free to contact me at 09275590818.. http://www.facebook.com/roland.villaluz.9thanks for your last visit.thanks, roland
jates saysMarch 6, 2013 at 5:14 pmI appreciate how detailed your blog is of your every trip to city to city to get to your destination. I suggest though to edit your pics of the same scene so only the best ones are showcased. Have a safe travel!
monique saysApril 1, 2013 at 1:37 pmi was born at BANGUI ILOCOS NORTE, my ancestral house is located a few steps from the wind mill, i use to play onthat beach when i was a kid.. thank you for visiting our place. tourist are always welcome..
elzeil saysJuly 11, 2013 at 12:47 pmi was there just last week . Indi ko maxadong na enjoy ung view sa light house we’ve got arrived in the place at 5pm were just taking picture sa baba lng i didn’t use to see upstare lng light house.. but so wonderful place..
Chris Dao-anis saysJuly 6, 2014 at 7:50 amThanks for sharing this, Marcos! Awesome pics and cool story. I think I’m gonna go there this week hehe :D