TOURIST SPOTS IN ILOCOS SUR

There are many interesting places in Ilocos Sur that are popular with local and foreign tourists alike. They vary from natural to man-made, religious, historical and cultural. Here are some of them:

Tirad Pass

Photo from: peopleus.blogspot.com

Mount Tirad is a 1,154-metre (3,786 ft) mountain peak near Cervantes, Ilocos Sur, Philippines. It ranks as the 3rd highest mountain in Ilocos Sur and the 446th highest mountain in the Philippines. Tirad Pass on the mountain holds a significant place in Philippine history, having been the site of the 1899 battle of Tirad Pass. Read More: Wikipedia.org

Bessang Pass

Photo from: nhcphistoricsites.blogspot.com

Bessang Pass is located in Cervantes, a municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, more than 260 km north of Manila. The area serves as a gateway to the Cordillera mountains and the city of Baguio.

Bessang Pass was the last stronghold of the Japanese imperial forces under Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita, known as the “Tiger of Malaya” and conqueror of Singapore. It was part of the triangular defense of General Yamashita in the north, namely the Balete Pass, Villaverde Trail and Bessang Pass, guarding the Ifugao-Benguet-Vizcaya borders.

Its fall on the hands of the United States Armed Forces in the Philippines (USAFP-NL) on June 14, 1945 paved the way to the entrapment of Yamashita’s forces in the Cordillera until the general’s surrender in September 1945. Read More: Wikipedia.org

Sta. Maria Church

Photo from: pitchandvich.com

The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, commonly known as the Santa Maria Church is the parish church of Santa Maria in Ilocos Sur province, Philippines. The church was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on December 11, 1993 as part of the Baroque Churches of the Philippines, a collection of four Baroque Spanish-era churches. Read More: Wikipedia.org