|
Thursday December 27, 2018
Pagudpud is a coastal resort town located at the northernmost tip of Ilocos Norte, frequently referred to as the “Boracay of the North”.
Pagudpud is renowned for its long stretches of powdery white-sand beaches, crystal-clear turquoise waters, and dramatic coastal bridges.
Pagudpud is situated roughly 75 kilometers north of Laoag City, and about 20km northeast from Bangui, where we just came from.
Travel time by trike from Bangui Wind Farm to Saud Beach in Pagudpud took us about 32 minutes, moving at a relaxed speed.
Famously celebrated as the “Boracay of the North”, Saud Beach is the crown jewel of Pagudpud, featuring a world-class, crescent-shaped beach lined with coconut palms and calm waters ideal for swimming.
Unlike the turbulent waters off the Bangui Wind Farm coastline, its waters are notably shallow near the shore during the summer.
The beach offers a calm, crescent-shaped, 2.5-kilometer stretch of cream-white sand, making it the prime destination for swimming and relaxing in the region.
The waves here are gentle, making it highly family-friendly and completely safe for kids to swim.
Saud Beach was recognized globally as one of the “25 Most Beautiful Beaches in the World” on April 12, 2021, awarded by the international travel magazine, Travel + Leisure.
Exceptionally peaceful, it entirely lacks the loud nightlife, heavy commercialization, and aggressive beach vendors associated with Boracay.
The many traditional blue outrigger boats (bancas) berthed on Saud are primarily used for local fishing, though they occasionally double for coastal sightseeing and boat tours.
Before tourism expanded in Ilocos Norte, the coastal community in Pagudpud relied almost entirely on agriculture and small-scale subsistence fishing.
The vast majority of these boats belong to local fishermen, who push these shallow-draft outriggers out into the West Philippine Sea before dawn or late in the evening.
Some of these boat operators offer coastal tours to tourists during the calm summer months, typically taking visitors to nearby coastal attractions that include Blue Lagoon, Bantay Abot Cave, and Dos Hermanos Islands.
After spending s little over an hour in this amazing place, my driver/guide reminded me that we had to get back if I were to finish the remaining destinations in my itinerary for the day.
Just before leaving, I snapped a few more photos as a reminder of how peaceful and laid back Saud was when I was there.
And on our way back, we passed by this unique stone signage and just had to snap it.
|