(3rd-5th photos from the other beach in Pagudpod, the Blue Lagoon while the rest are from the more popular Saud Beach)
I have been to Pagudpud thrice, in 2009, 2012 and 2013. So yeah this post is super late already but I decided to blog about this simply because I like this beach. I usually like the serene, virgin type beaches but sometimes when I’m in a socializing and “partying mood” we go here (really as a wife and a mom, partying mood for me is all about seeing around 30-50 other guests in the beach, listening to music from radio,tab and smartphones. no super loud speakers, and especially not from a band as my hubby does not enjoy listening to bands and I can’t bring my kids to these types of happening, it kinda looks irresponsible, I guess, since usually ang places with bands, may inuman). One thing I like about Pagudpod is it’s not as crazy as Bora and Puerto Galera but there are still activities that you can enjoy. It’s not a super boring beach, there are still lots of tourist kahit off-peak and family-friendly ang beach. My toddler, Kiara (she’s 2 that time) and niece (she’s 14) especially enjoyed the place. And there are lots of accommodations to choose from also. I like Pagudpod a lot parang comfort food ang dating nya, if I wanted to see something familiar, eto ang pinupuntahan namin. But there are couple of things that you need to be aware of when planning your trip.
There are 2 beaches in Pagudpod, one is Saud Beach where we always stay and the other is Blue Lagoon. I prefer Saud Beach because the sand is softer and as I remember it’s also whiter. But Blue Lagoon is now as crowded as Saud Beach, (again not as crowded as Laiya, Puerto Galera and Boracay though) talagang commercialized na rin the last time we went there. It was, btw, summer of 2013. The parking was really full at Blue Lagoon, we had to wait for about 30mins for the parking attendant to find a place na masisiksik ung sasakyan namin.
The best months to go there are during February to May (summer season – well, halos sa lahat naman ng beach ganun), but the accommodation rates are really high, the difference between off-peak and peak season can also jump to 100%-150%. We went there August 2012 we were able to get a standard room which can fit 3-4 people, only for 1,300 as I recall. We went back last May 2013. Barely a year difference at siningil na kami ng 3,500.00. I was surprised. I asked the owner why the hefty price increase when it’s barely a year and was informed na it’s the rate for peak-season. During off-peak, bumababa ang price to 50% or more depending on your haggling skills 🙂 Anyway, if you’re planning to go there during peak season, book your accomodation wayyyyy ahead of your schedule. It’s difficult to find a place that you can stay for the night if you’ll just do walk-in. During our stay, we encountered some people spending the night in their cars dahil naubusan sila ng makukuhang tutulugan. So do your homework early, don’t risk it especially if you have kids coming with you. Btw, this is what we encountered at Saud Beach. Definitely the accommodation rates sa Blue Lagoon are also high during peak season but I am not sure if during summer, nagkakaubusan ng accommodation dun. As far as I know, madami na ring mga accomodation at Blue Lagoon.
So anyway, the good thing about staying in Pagudpod during summer is that the water is really clean. During rainy season kasi, I don’t know if they’re seaweeds lang but it seems that in the afternoon, there’s a mass of brown things forming in the water near the shore kaya hindi nakakaenjoy magswim. Parang ang dirty and slimy. Oh definitely they’re not trashes that guests left na naipon. I think they’re more like accumulated leaves, wood, trunks, seaweeds and other natural kalat coming from the ocean and mountains nearby (specially since it just rained the night before) It’s a good thing that we woke up really and enjoyed the water while it’s still very clean. I did not see this when we were swimming. I saw it when my sis & I went back to the beach before we packed up for final picture taking (lunchtime). We saw some tourist bus parking in the area and when the guests came down, I saw the disappointment in their faces upon seeing the water. But I think may naglilinis naman na staffs from the beachfront hotels and pag di naman naulan, you won’t see this talagang super clean and clear naman ung water.
I also like that there are stores in Pagudpod where you can buy basic necessities like water, coffee toiletries etc… That’s the good thing about commercialized beaches. Some very remote beaches do not have stores and electricity kaya kailangan very prepared ka sa lahat ng gamit mo.
About the expenses, well, if you have a small budget, you can opt to stay at Keahana Resort. The first place we stayed before was at Britanya Lodge which is far from the beach. It’s nice and the rates are reasonable. The food is okay too. But I recommend Keahana Resort sa mga nagtitipid because it’s nearer to the beach and the place I guess is a little more maintained. Keahana offers accomodation cottage-style and they also have this apartment-style. We stayed in one of the bungalows (cottage-style) last 2012 and though generally clean and big, it was a little old. The ones near Evangeline Resort is much smaller but looks newer ( I don’t know if it’s really new or was just repainted). The TV is also LCD with cable already unlike the other accommodation, I remember it’s the old picture-tube model without cable.
For the food, we brought our car so we were able to go around the area looking for the best eats. If you’re in a tight budget like us, maraming karinderya sa area, just look around. But if you’re very maarte, well, sorry but I remember there are not much fancy restos around the area except maybe the ones inside the hotels which are sooo expensive and from the reviews (see tripadvisor) hindi naman masarap. Sayang naman ang money. But there are some fishermen who will offer their catch of the day in a reasonable price. My hubby grilled some fish and slipper lobster (I think that’s what you call the small and “dapa” na lobster) for our dinner. May grilling area naman sa resort that you can use for free. Just provide the uling. Anyway, Jun (my hubby) bought from the fishermen and natuwa sya talaga because they’re not the usual fish you will see in palengke. If I find the photos, I will post them here.
Oh I forgot the cost of traveling to Pagudpod. Actually, Pagudpod is one of the first places we visited in our tour of the whole Ilocos Region last 2013. Baligtad kasi ang itenerary namin, we started from the farthest. After this, we went to visit Cape Bojeador, Sand dunes of Ilocos, Kapurpurawan Rock formation, Vigan, Laoag etc… I will write a separate blog of the rest of our tours so watch out for it 🙂
So, for the expenses. In my first trip to Ilocos (2009 Holy week I think) we just took the bus. Since it was Holy week, we fell in line for about 3 hours for our ticket then about 2 hours for the bus. Grabe sa haba ng pila at dami ng tao. We took the bus from Pasay I think it’s Victory Liner. I dont remember how much we paid back then but in Cubao meron ding masasakyan to Ilocos, I think the ticket cost is about 700 one-way that’s 1,400 balikan. If you can book a seat thru cebupac (pisofare promo) then go for it. mabilis na ang byahe at konti lang naman ang difference, I think pisofare would cost about P1,800 in total including taxes. For tours, merong companies organizing trips starting from manila so included na ung van. If you’re ok with having the trip and the tour with strangers, you can opt to book for that. I’ve read also that you can go around Ilocos by hiring trycicles. Okay na rin yun. I noticed kasi that jeep are not super frequent in the area kaya para di masayang ang oras, just hire a tryc. Oh, very provincial talaga sa Ilocos and people sleep very early kaya you need to maximize your schedule. Pagudpod is about 3 hours pa from Vigan so plan your trip early so you can enjoy the beach.
BTW, It’s been said that Pagudpud is Boracay of the North. I can make my comparison once I go to Boracay. But having been able to see other white beaches in the Philippines (Panglao and Virgin Beach in Bohol, Anguib Beach in Sta. Ana Cagayan, Puerto Galera etc…) I think it is overrated to say that it’s like Boracay. It is beautiful but you have to go around the Philippines to see that there are so many other unspoiled white beaches that can really rival or are actually more beautiful than Boracay. But still, Pagudpod is worth a visit once or twice in your life.
Pamilyang Gala Chronicles 