For the past years, La Union continuously rising as one of the must-visited province of Northern Luzon. I noticed that it is becoming popular to tourists especially to the “millennials” due to its trendy beach-food-party scenes. Popularly called as “Elyu”, this province is popular for surfing and will definitely give you a weekend worth spending.
So here is travel guide you can check and be ready for an Elyu vibe!
Knowing La Union:
La Union is a province of Ilocos Region and its capital city San Fernando serves as the Regional Center of the whole region. It has Ilocos Sur on the north, Pangasinan province on its south, Benguet on the east and West Philippines Sea on the west. It is now being tagged as the “Surfing Capital of the North”. It is said that the best time to go to La Union is from November to March.
How to go to La Union?
Tourists usually have their accommodation booked at San Fernando, which is the capital city, or San Juan where beach activities can be seen. So depending on your chosen hotel, you can drop off either to San Fernando or San Juan. However, if I will be asked, I preferred to have my stay booked in San Juan since this is where cheap hostels and chic food places can be found.
Manila to San Fernando, La Union
- You can ride a bus from Pasay or Cubao (Partas, Viron, Dominion) bound to San Fernando, La Union. Fare may ranges from P400-P550 depending on the bus type (deluxe, regular aircon bus etc.) that you will be taking and travel time may take 5-7 hours.
Bus Terminals and Contact Details:
Partas
Cubao, Bus Terminal
816 Aurora Boulevard, Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines
Telephone Number:
+63 (2) 7278278
Pasay City, Bus Terminal
Aurora Boulevard (Tramo) Corner Edang St. San Roque,
Pasay City, Philippines
Telephone Number:
+63 (2) 8528194
Viron
Cubao, Bus Terminal
Quezon City, Philippines
Telephone Number:
+63 2 7410405
Dominion
Cubao, Bus Terminal Telephone Number:
(02) 727 2350
Manila to San Juan, La Union
- Ride a bus from Pasay or Cubao (Partas, Viron, Dominion) bound to San Fernando, La Union. Fare my ranges from P400-P550 depending on the bus (deluxe, regular aircon bus etc.) that you will be taking and travel time may take 5-7 hours. Once arrived in San Fernando, ride a jeepney or tricycle bound to San Juan and travel time may take another 20 minutes.
Ride a bus bound to Vigan or Laoag and just asked the driver to drop you off on San Juan Beach.
Places to visit in La Union:
Urbiztondo beach
La Union is famous for surfing and this is where the entire surfing thing happens. Surfing lesson will cost you P400 per hour (instructor fee + board rental) and P200 only per hour if you only wish to rent a board.
Pebble Beach
La Union is well known as well for its pebble beaches. We ride a Luna bound jeepney and the driver dropped as on the Pebble Beach near Balay na Bato and it was crazy! I never thought how beautiful a real Pebble Beach could be. It looks like infinite numbers of smooth pebbles that varies in sizes and colors flocks the area. However, what bothered me is that there are many workers on the beach doing pebble picking for a living. It became a source of income on its townspeople but I would not be surprised if one day, the pebble beach will not be as amazing as it is today.
Kamay na Bato (Stone-hand gallery)
It is an art gallery highlighting different kinds of handcrafted stone arts by Mr. Kim.
Namacpacan Church
It is located in Luna town proper and declared as National Cultural Treasure.
Ma-Cho Temple
It is Taoist temple located in San Fernando dedicated to the sea goddess, Mazu.
Other Tourist Spots To Visit:
- Tangadan Falls (San Gabriel, La Union)
- Grape Farm (Bauang, La Union)
- Luna Watch Tower (Luna, La Union)
Where To Eat In La Union:
Tagpuan
Flotsam Jetsam
Beach Bum Food Park
Olas Banditos
Halo-Halo de Iloko
Dal-luyon Cafe
