Officially designated as Region I, it consists of five provinces: Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan, with the City of San Fernando in La Union serving as the regional capital.
The region is home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Heritage City of Vigan, the Baroque Church of Santa Maria, and the San Agustin Church of Paoay.
Other key attractions include well-preserved Spanish-era colonial architecture, such as centuries-old churches in almost every other town, and ancestral homes turned into museums, as well as natural attractions including the unique Hundred Islands National Park in Alaminos, and the white-sand beaches of Bolinao, Dasol, and Pagudpud.
Also worth a visit are man-made attractions that include the windmills of Bangui, and the picturesque viaduct at Patapat that spans along the town’s coastal mountains, connecting the region to the Cagayan Valley.
Ilocos also offers exciting activities for the adventurous, like learning to surf at San Juan, La Union, or sandboarding at the Paoay sand dunes.