A Mother’s Stuff

Dagupan’s dining, transportation & destinations

Dining

Charged with the existing aroma of various cuisines, the city cradles a variety of restaurants and fast foods joints, an evidence of people’s passion for food. In Bonuan-Tondaligan area alone, there are about 30 seafood diners, which serve the famed Dagupan Bangus any way one wants it: inihaw (roasted/broiled), sinigang, kilawin and daing. For those with adventurous palate, they can try the local favorites “pigar-pigar” in Galvan Street and “kaleskes” in Herrero Perez.

Special Destinations

Bonuan Blue Beach

McArthur Park

The 72-hectare Tondaligan People’s Park where the Bonuan Blue Beach is situated is ideal site for swimming, jet skiing, sailing and other relaxing activities to lift the mind out of the noise and doldrums of urban living.

Here, one may visit MacArthur Park, the landing site of the famous American General in 1945; the Japan-Philippine Friendship Garden and the Shrine of the Unknown Soldier. One may want to see the old St. John Cathedral in the busy downtown area where Leonor Rivera, Jose Rizal’s long-time girlfriend, tied the knot with British Engineer Henry Kipping.

Transportation

Five bus companies operate to transport passengers from Metro Manila to Dagupan City. These are Victory Liner, Five Star, Dagupan Bus, Fermina Express and Santrans. The nearest airport, Loakan Airport in Baguio City is only 65 kilometer away while the nearest seaport, Poro Point in San Fernando La Union is 80 kilometers of Dagupan City Boundary.

Bolo Beach of Alaminos City

Ten kilometers from the City lies a weekend destination that is rapidly increasing in popularity. Highly accessible, Bolo beach has become a favorite getaway for families and barkadas who feel the need to unwind or just catch up on bonding sessions. Its long, horseshoe-shaped beach and shallow waters is a spacious and inviting playground for children and a refreshing retreat for adults, combined. The coarsely formed rock formations near the shore are given new looks with the ingenuity of the folks residing near or on the beach. They topped these rough, blank rocks with colored, smaller rocks, creating an instant work of art.

You can gather your fun-hungry troops and relax on the beach’s wooden sheds and cottages, complete with picnic tables and videoke equipment for all-out entertainment. Or, amp up the fun factor by renting the “rock shed” being developed in the area. These rock sheds are really rock formations on the water that were slightly flattened and furnished with rustic benches and tables, and a videoke, kind of Bolo’s version of floating huts.

Hundred Islands National Park

The Hundred Islands National Park (Pangasinan: Kapulo-puloan or Taytay-Bakes) is in the province of Pangasinan in northern Philippines. It is located in Alaminos City, Pangasinan. The islands (124 at low tide and 123 at high tide) are scattered along Lingayen Gulf and cover an area of 18.44 square kilometres (4,557 acres). They are believed to be about two million years old. Only three of them have been developed for tourists: Governor Island, Quezon Island, and Children’s Island.

Sparkling like diamonds, the waters glisten as the sun’s golden rays touch the pristine sea. Delightful in one’s eyes is the powdery blue sky casting a bright gleam beneath. The spread of white sand shimmers against the stream that changes hue—from emerald green to turquoise and azure—as the briny deep goes unfathomable. A stroll along the beach ends up with a dip into the soothing warm waters. Colorful tropical fish glide in somewhat orchestrated manner among a many coral gardens. Out of the water, is a discovery that envelopes not only one isle but a throng of numerous islands ambling along each other.

Public bus lines, namely Victory Liner, Five Star, and Philippine Rabbit have scheduled rides from Manila, Baguio, Dagupan, Subic, Tarlac, and Zambales bound straight to Alaminos City and vice versa.

La Union Beaches

The stretch of white and gray sand beaches along the towns of La Union is the main attraction to tourists.  In the province tourist belts are located along the shores of San Juan, San Fernando City, Bauang and Agoo.  Its calm crystal water is ideal for water skiing, snorkeling, swimming, scuba diving, wind surfing and boating.  Its gifted multitude scenic landscape is a tourism haven as well, and eco-tourism development.  The stable peace and order situation and the tourism areas in La Union are the main attractions to local foreign tourists.

 Bauang Beach

 Line along the fine grayish sand of Bauang Beach are establishments providing accommodation and other amenities from Baccuit to Pagdalagan. The beach is 6 kilometers south of San Fernando City.

 San Francisco-Canaoay-Pagudpud Beach

Tourism-related establishments dot the beach area in San Fernando City.

 San Juan Beach

 Approximately 8 kilometers north of San Fernando City, the beach stretching from urbiztondo to Ili Norte is dotted with tourism-related establishments.  The surf in the area is ideal for surfing during the months of November to February.

Agoo Beach

 It was the stretch of beach fronting the Agoo Playa Hotel and which is a part of Agoo – Damortis National Park was where the Japanese traded with the native during the pre – Spanish time earning for Agoo the name “Puerto de Japon”.

 Caba Beach

 San Carlos and Santiago Norte beaches are becoming to be the favorite sites fro private beach houses and resorts. The snd is nearly black beach house resort.  The sand is nearly black beach because of the metallic deposit of iron. When not using a private vehicle, stop at the town proper of Caba then take a tricycle to the beach.

City Beach

Splendid beaches adorn the City’s coastline, supplementing these are resorts and a wide raw picnic sheds. One can skin or cuba dive, snorkel, surf and swim or just soak in the water offshore.

Apatot Beach in San Esteban

Apatot Beach in San Esteban is frequently visited by picnickers. During the last stage of World War II, US submarines surfaced in the area to unload arms and supplies for the USAFIP, NL. There is very little information about Apatot Beach. Most visitors are just locals from nearby towns and cities and there are three existing beach resorts.

Sulvec Beach of Narvacan

The rocky shore of Sulvec, Narvacan is a favorite stop-over of commuters and the locals as well. By the shoreline is the Paraiso ni Juan leading up to the grotto atop a rock.

Pug-os Beach in Cabugao

Rest houses and picnic sheds are found in this nearby white sand beach in Cabugao. A developed beach known for its pure white sand and shallow shoreline. Barangay Pug-os, located along the national highway and two kilometers north of the poblacion, boasts of its fine beach – its white sand stretching to more than half a kilometer. This attribute and the gradually slopping seabed make it a top favorite among town mates and tourists for swimming, picnics or fun hiking.

Santiago Cove

Santiago Cove in Ilocos Sur is a stretch of golden sand beach in Santiago with amenities for picnics and water sports. It is approximately 51 km away from San Fernando La Union.

Pagudpud Beaches in Ilocos Norte

Pagudpud is an enormous place to visit if you’re looking for the comparatively perfect charms of the Philippines. Pagudpud is a wide and beautiful town on the northwest tip of Ilocos Norte, Luzon, bounded to the south by the town of Bangui and to the east by the Cordillera Mountain Range, the town of Adams and the province of Cagayan. The South China Sea lies to the west and north.It is considered the largest island in the Philippines. The hills and mountains are luxuriant, the valleys productive. It lies 45 miles north of Laoag City, the provincial capital, and about 350 miles north of Manila — about the equal distance between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. Creeks, streams and waterfalls splash the landscape and spill into the South China Sea. All around, the ocean and sky are awash in varying shades of blue.

Pagudpud Beach, 2 hours north of Laoag City, has powder-white sand, but it’s hard to tell which is bluer: the sky or the sea. While you are making up your mind, you might also consider a stop in Pasuquin, where the famous biscocho (Ilocos biscuit) is a favorite take-home delicacy for local visitors. But don’t forget to check your watch, for while you play in the waters of Pagudpud, you may not notice how much time you spent on these delightful shores, which are at the very tip of Luzon Island.

Inexpensive resorts are located along the shores of Pagudpud. They normally charge a fixed fee about US$5.00 for a nipa hut where you can hide under the hot sun. But for those who want to relax in more luxurious surroundings, the spacious Saud Resort beckons. Even then, rooms go for about US$35-40 a night. Saud Resort is the most secure of the resorts, with 24-hour security manning the entrance. But it doesn’t mean that the place is dangerous. On the contrary, Pagudpud, as elsewhere in Ilocos, is very safe, and the people are friendly and hospitable.