Philippines Batanes – Cagayan Valley’s jewel, found in the northernmost region of the Philippines, Batanes Island. About 190 kilometers south of Taiwan, separated the Balintang Channel from the Babuyan Islands, small but rich in natural treasures that no other material things could ever equal. Everyone’s ultimate desire all over the world, it is a candidate for UNESCO’s list in the WORLD HERITAGE top tourist destinations.
Basco, as its capital, the Ivatans (locals) claim its pride of their phenomenal hometown. Known to be one of the most hospitable races in the world, both the island and the people could leave a lasting and obsessive relic in your heart and mind.
Let us first explore its towering lighthouses in the cities of Basco and Mahatao.
The Basco Lighthouse was the very first constructed one in the year 2003. It used to be the site of the American period telegraph, a six (6) storey building towering at sixty six (66) feet high, an open welcoming tower the fifth (5th) floor to get a prefect view of Batan, Sabtang, and Itbayat Islands including Mount Iraya. A native model of an Ivatan stone house lies beside the tower to add delight to the attraction.
Basco Lighthouse:
- Address: Naidi Hills, Barangay San Antonio
- Basco, Batanes
- Operating hours: 8:00am – 5:00pm
- Entrance fee: FREE
Nestled in the city of Mahatao is the Tayid Lighthouse, the guide to the municipality, facing the Pacific Ocean and indicates seafarers in the West Philippine Sea. A lantern shaped top tower, equally built in the early 2000, it also showcases the view of Mt. Iraya and Diura Fishing Village. It likewise cares for a native Ivatan stone house beside for an added beauty.
Tayid Lighthouse:
- Address: Mahatao Town, Batanes
- Operating hours: 8:00am – 5:00pm
- Entrance fee: FREE
An added treat to Naidi Hills is the ruined TV satellite with a paired awesome view of the Mahatao lush greenery fields. Patterned in an incredible pile of crops, this  one is truly mesmerizing!
- Entrance fee: FREE
MARLBORO is not just a cigarette brand, but an astonishing resting place where you could also dine with its native sumptuous prepared dishes for lunch, THE MARLBORO COUNTRY HILLS. Originally called as Rakuh A Payaman, the fabulous pile of hills is really jaw-dropping, with a breathtaking capture of reality sense, leap with fun, pose for the best shot, store and lock it in your memories.
Marlboro Country Hills: Batan Island, Batanes
- Operating hours: 8:00am – 5:00pm
- Entrance fee: FREE
Get historical. Batanes Island will never be the last for some of its epic attractions. The Dipnaysupuan Japanese Tunnel, The House of Dakay, and The Mount Carmel Church.
Batanes Island didn’t escape the Japanese invasion in the ancient history. Still sets on the hills of Tukon, this serves as shelter for the Japanese during the World War II. It has five (5) pathways leading to Taytay and Tukon, a homelike cave with four (4) main rooms, a water reservoir, a guard post and a bunker. Since Batanes has a strategic location, the Japanese took advantage of this to huddle its comfort zone.
Dipnaysupuan Japanese Tunnel:
- Address: Basco, Batanes
- Operating hours: 8:00am – 3:00pm
- Entrance fee: FREE
The House of Dakay, known as the “stone house” is an originally built native house of the ancient Ivatans, way back in the Spanish era. It is a modernized version of “kubo”, a house made of dried palms and thatches. This stone house guarantees durability during heavy typhoons, floods, tornados, and other severe calamities. Humid if the weather is hot, cold if the weather says so. Also take a chance to try on their native costumes to feel more like an “Ivatan”.
House of Dakay:
- Address: Ivana, Batanes
- Operating hours: 8:00am – 5:00pm
- Entrance fee: FREE
Opened to the public in the year 2008, the Mount Carmel Church, best known as the Tukon Chapel was constructed a private prominent family in Batanes, the Abad family. Sets on the top of a hill where its name was derived, Tukon, which means mountain in Ivatan, though not a 100% stone made structure but was finished with its materials, this church is really an amazing work of art architects Joven Ignacio and Tina Turralba. A dream church the Abad family, brace yourselves with the beautiful scenery of the shadows of Mt. Iraya, West Philippine Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
Tukon Chapel:Â Address: Basco, Batanes
- Operating hours: 8:00am – 3:00pm
- Entrance fee: FREE
Capture the “REAL GREEN” and challenge yourselves in its steep but enjoyable hike in this non noticeable exhaustion of the Vayang Rolling Hills. Blended with the cool breeze of the seas overlooking the hills, feel the fragrant aroma brought this incredible and unusual company of nature. You can also notice the fabulous watch of the clouds above that connect with the lavish strike of the trees and plants that cover the hills.
Vayang Rolling Hills:
- Address: Basco, Batanes
- Operating hours: 8:00am – 3:00pm
- Entrance fee: FREE
Unlike the usual sandy beaches, the rocky bay of the Valugan Boulder Beach makes it extraordinary from the others, caused the eruption of Mt. Iraya in 400 AD, it offers a panoramic link of the sea and the mountain. Still a perfect place for intimate moments, indulge yourselves in the strength of the waves that hit the rocks of this peculiar scenery.
Valugan Boulder Beach:
- Address: Contra Costa Rd, Basco, Batanes
- Operating hours: 8:00am – 3:00pm
- Entrance fee: FREE
The magnetism of Sabtang Island thrills inside your inner bones as you let yourself sway with its enticing embrace. Clearly heard vast of the seas, protected the huge rock formations, unveil the exquisite charm of an unbelievable creation.
- Sabtang Islands: No Entrance fee
Other side of the Batan and Sabtang Islands feature unexpectable and uncontrollable hop off and separation of relation.
How “honest” are you? I guess this is a one in a million coffee / pastry shop all over the world that is widely open for all kinds of people from all walks of life. Locals or tourists, whoever, are all welcome to enter this shop unmanned.
The HONESTY COFFEE SHOP.
Married couples Jose and Elena Gabilo open this shop in the town of Ivatan, Batanes, to further promote the best policy of honesty and humility as the town is also known for a ZERO crime rate record.
Procedure: Choose your favorite pastry, biscuits, bread and self serve coffee. Log the items you got in a logbook and drop your payment at the designated drop box. Leave HONESTLY.
So I got a clean conscience? I guess so 🙂
The attitude of the Ivatans that I could consider the best of the best. Crab mentality IS NOT IN THEIR BLOOD. You may try different “carenderias” (canteen) with different owners without envying each other. As their motto is to help each other run their businesses smoothly. No one step in advance from the other, nobody is left behind, nothing like that. Isn’t it great? Although Batanes doesn’t have the usual convenience stores, fast foods, and fine dining restaurants because they are promoting the native delicacy and ambiance of a satisfying dine with your family and friends. It guarantees a variety of dishes in each and every meal that you will have.
I am very certain when you noticed that almost all of the attractions in Batanes Islands are FREE OF CHARGE? Yes they are! Because a Batanes Tour is strongly suggested to run on a registered and trusted tour guide to have all of these destinations at the cheapest rate of Php5,000 per person, including a homestay accommodation, roundtrip transfers to and from the airport, 2 whole day tour including all of the places you have seen, full board meals in different “carenderias” mentioned above, but excluding a roundtrip airfare.
if you haven’t been to Batanes, NOW is the right time. No wait. No second thoughts. No step holding. Book Now!
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