Pasyalera
Basco, Batanes

Basco, Batanes

Basco, also known as Santo Domingo de Basco, is considered to be the capital municipality of Batanes and is located at the northern part of Batan Island, the second largest island among the Batanes Islands . It has the domestic airport which serves flights coming from Manila. Its land consists mainly of rolling hills and mountains.

According to wikipedia, its town got its name after Capitán General José Basco, who led the Philippines to freedom from the control of New Spain (today known as Mexico) and based on the 2000 census, it has a population of 6,717 people in 1,469 households.

We arrived at Batanes Resort past 7 a.m., still sleepy from the early morning flight. As soon as we checked in, we went straight to our beds to get some rest. At around 4 p.m., we decided to go out for a walk. First, we went around Batanes Resort. While Wayne and I were busy taking pictures, we saw our friend Al climbing up the hill at the back of the resort. Al called us to follow him.

The Ladder (A broken cottage window) Batanes Resort - View from the hill Mushroom on top of the hill
Marine Sanctuary - View from the hill Cows - View from the hill Mt. Iraya - View from the hill

We started climbing using the ladder leaned against the wall. Going up, we saw a big white mushroom and a herd of cows on the other side of the barbed wire fence. From the top we also saw Mt. Iraya, Naidi Lighthouse, and the whole resort. After enjoying the views, we headed back down to Batanes Resort.

Marine Sanctuary

Marine Sanctuary Al at Marine Sanctuary Sunset at Marine Sanctuary

Just a few blocks away from the resort, we discovered an area full of trees and grass which looked like a forest of some sort. We don’t know what’s behind but our curiosity led us to go further. There’s a sign that read: “Marine Sanctuary”, so we checked it out and found an open sea. Then we realized that this is the beach we are seeing from our cottage at Batanes Resort. We spent the rest of the afternoon at Marine Sanctuary.

Before dark, we decided to get a tour guide as we are still clueless on how to go to the different scenic spots in Batanes. We have arranged a schedule with Kuya Nards of Batanes Resort to serve as our tour guide for the next 3 days.

The next day, we woke up early and got ready for our Basco tour. It was a beautiful sunny day and we had our breakfast at Batanes Resort. Kuya Nards came just right after we finished our breakfast. He waited for us while we prepare for the trip. We brought our cellphones and cameras with us, and made sure they were fully charged. Then we went to his van and proceeded with the tour. Our first stop was Tukon Chapel.

Tukon Chapel

Tukon Chapel Tukon Chapel's Main Door Side of Tukon Chapel

Tukon Chapel was a project of Dina and Butch Abad for Tukon’s residents. Its architecture is similar to the Ivatan stone houses. Though the chapel was closed, we still had the chance to peek through its windows. Inside, there were murals of saints painted on the ceiling, which were said to have been hand-painted by Ivatan artists.

Radar Tukon

Radar Tukon Carabao at Radar Tukon Radar Tukon Ball

Not far from Tukon Chapel is the Radar Tukon. In Ivatan, radar means lighthouse and tukon means hill. Formerly used as a lighthouse, Radar Tukon now serves as the island’s weather station. Kuya Nards suggested to climb Radar Tukon to enjoy the 360 degree view of Basco. So we climbed Radar Tukon using the metal railings attached to the wall. Wayne went up first, then I followed. As I was about to reach the top, I noticed that the last railing was too far from the top. I actually didn’t know what to do. Good thing, Wayne helped me get to the top.

On top of Radar Tukon we saw the breathtaking views of the rolling hills and the rest of the island. We stayed for a while, took pictures of the Rolling Hills and enjoyed the strong winds of Basco.

As we were about to leave Radar Tukon, we noticed this small transparent sphere just across Radar Tukon. We don’t know what it is, but it looks interesting, so we took a picture of it. Then off we went to Fundacion Pacita.

Fundaction Pacita

Fundacion Pacita Entrance to Fundacion Pacita Fundacion Pacita Front
Inside Fundacion Pacita One of the bathrooms in Fundacion Pacita Fundacion Pacita Windows

Fundaction Pacita is another famous stonehouse-like structure in Basco. According to Kuya Nards, Fundaction Pacita was originally built as an art gallery of the late artist, Pacita Abad. But soon, it will be converted into a bed and breakfast facility. So that explains why when we entered the place, it was still under construction. We saw a sack of cement on the door entrance, a ladder up against the wall, and tables and chairs scattered all over the place. Surrounding Fundacion Pacita are plants that have been planted to form part of the landscaped garden but some haven’t fully grown as yet. Everything was raw and unfinished but I can already imagine how beautiful the place is going to be when it is done. That’s why I am very excited to see Fundacion Pacita when it opens.

Japanese Tunnel

Japanese Tunnel taken without flash Japanese Tunnel taken with flash Bats inside the Japanese Tunnel

The Japanese Tunnel served as a hideout of the Japanese soldiers during World War II. When we entered the tunnel, everything was pitch black. Though we had our own flashlights, Kuya Nards’ lamp lighted the way. As we moved deeper into the tunnel, we heard squeaking sounds coming from one of the chambers. Then, a group of bats came flying toward us. We brought out our cameras fast and took pictures of the flying bats. They just kept flying and passed over us. Luckily, we get to shoot a few of them just before they left the tunnel.

There’s also a part in the tunnel where we had to go down through a small opening. To get past that, we spread out our arms against the wall for support, then jumped down. The walls in this part of the tunnel are a little muddy so we had to be careful. Kuya Nards went down first, so he could guide us on our way down. We followed what he did. We were not able to hold our flashlights and cameras properly. We continued to walk some more and when we saw the light, we know we’ve finally reached the end of the tunnel.

Valugan Bay

Valugan Bay Rocks at Valugan Bay Waves at Valugan Bay

Valugan Bay is famous for its bouldered shore. It is said that the large rocks that lay along the shore came from Mt. Iraya’s eruption a long time ago. We had to step on these rocks one after the other before we can reach the bay. Valugan Bay is perfect for picture taking and resting.

Basco Church

Basco Church A Brief History of Basco Church Basco Church

It was past lunch when we headed back to the town proper of Basco. We had our lunch at one of the canteens within the town, named SDCBI Canteen and Store Dept. After eating, we went to the oldest church in Batanes, the Santo Domingo de Basco Church which was also called the Basco Cathedral. The church was established in 1783 and was dedicated to the Immaculate Conception. Its present structure was built by the Dominicans in 1812 in espadaña style. It is also one of the first limestone buildings built during the Spanish regime.

Vayang Rolling Hills

Beautiful Horizon at Vayang Rolling Hills Vayang Rolling Hills Fence along Vayang Rolling Hills
Ivatans at Vayang Rolling Hills More Rolling Hills Cow at Vayang Rolling Hills

Also known as Vayang Ranch, the Vayang Rolling Hills is another place that we wouldn’t want to miss in Basco. As we stand on top of the hill we saw a wide world of green grass and blue sky and felt the rushing of the wind against our faces. These are the moments we wish we could experience in the city.

Naidi Lighthouse

Naidi Lighthouse Stairs inside Naidi Lighthouse Naidi Lighthouse
Bench at Naidi Lighthouse Sunset at Naidi Bike at the back of Naidi Lighthouse

Inside, we took the spiral stairs leading to the top of the lighthouse. The view from the top showed us Mt. Iraya, the sea, and the rest of Basco. We did nothing but enjoyed the view and took pictures. We left after sunset.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, April 30th, 2009 at 2:27 am and is filed under Batanes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Comments

48 responses to “Basco, Batanes

  1. comment-28
    jeanna
    comment-28

    Im very excited! Me and my friends are planning to go to Batanes next year. Thanks for sharing this itinerary. 😀

  2. comment-38
    miki
    comment-38

    (L) Wow! That place is sssoooo pretty!!!! I’m thinking about going there because of this blog! Thanks! (L)

  3. comment-206
    Icey Post author
    comment-206

    @jeanna and @miki, Goodluck. dont forget to share with us your stories when you get back!

  4. comment-273
    philip
    comment-273

    grabee talaga ganda ng batanes.. im longing in that very peaceful and relaxing place, especially when it was featured in Korina Sanchez’s rated K para talagang nasa paraiso. search ng search talaga ako about batanes. Im from Cebu, when my friends asked me where to have a vacation, i always said batanes tatawa lang sila dahil sobrang layo daw, but its my dream to go there someday…Please feature pa more about batanes… :o) :o) (F) thanks

  5. comment-275
    Icey Post author
    comment-275

    Hi Philip,

    Yes just believe, makakapunta ka din. And if you do, dont forget to tell us about it! 😀

  6. comment-278
    Wayne
    comment-278

    Hey Philip,

    I agree, the first time I saw Batanes in pictures, grabe, talagang pinangarap kong makarating dyan. At first, sobrang pinagtatawanan din ako ng mga friends ko pag niyayaya ko silang pumunta dyan. Buti na nga lang at napilit ko yung 2 college friends ko (Al and Icey) na samahan ako sa trip ko dyan last year. True, the place is so peaceful and very relaxing. At higit sa lahat, safe pa!

    We have other entries about Batanes. You may check on them on our previous posts. Or check mo rin yung links under the “Related Posts” sa baba ng entry namin. Enjoy!

    Btw, kwentuhan mo kami pag nakarating ka na dyan ha? 😀

  7. comment-682
    cristy llamas
    comment-682

    i can’t wait na makapunta ng batanes ive been to sagada mt. province last summer the place was so relaxing very rich in culture O:-) now i want to invade the batanes island im so curious about the place i saw 8s pix at maganda talaga!!!tagal naman ng sembreak :-S

  8. comment-683
    Wayne
    comment-683

    @Cristy: I suggest you visit Batanes during summer para ma-enjoy nyo yung place. Maganda dun, parang Sagada rin sa kagandahan. 😀

  9. comment-977
    rhea
    comment-977

    hi,i’m from batanes…i was glad you want to go here in batanes…as you said, this place is very beautiful…you’ll feel that you’re in a paraiso,haha..hope you can visit here.. 😀

  10. comment-988
    ornel ate
    comment-988

    what a beautiful place! sana makarating ako sa batanes. gusto ko tahimik at hindi polluted na lugar at mabait ang mga tao.

  11. comment-990
    Wayne
    comment-990

    @Rhea: Swerte mo naman na taga dyan ka. 🙂 I really hope that I can go back there again. 🙂

    @Ezra and Ornel: Makakarating din kayo dyan kung gugustuhin nyong talaga. 😀

  12. comment-1032
    budsdiana
    comment-1032

    Just arrived from my Batanes Trip last March 16, 2010 (Mar 13-16). Just want to comment about Fundacion Pacita. Now that the Lodge is fully operational and the construction and landscaping is done the place is quite breathtaking. The bad news is that since they are now operating as a hotel, it is now closed to the public unless of course you are a registered guest. So on our first day of the tour the Inn owner who arranged our tour said we can’t go there anymore and its no longer part of the itinerary. However, we can see it from a distance when we go to the PAGASA station. Fortunately for us, the following day when we went to our Sabatng Tour we met two couples who said their driver/guide brought them to FundacionPacita and that even if its “bawal” to just walk-in and see the place they still did it anyway with the help of the driver/guide. So the following day when we were to go to our Batan Island Southern Tour (Mahatao/Uyugan) we begged our driver/guide to also bring us to Fundacion Pacita first before proceeding to the Mahatao Tour. He agreed but warned us that if we are not allowed to go inside then he can’t do anything. When we reached the place we were fortunate to see the crew / stars of Trip na Trip TV show there filming. We entered asked permission but was allowed only up to the entrance of the Hotel. To make a long story short we made ourselves welcome or gate crashed the place as discreetly and us quietly as possible. We took pictures inside as fast as we could, but outside the hotel we lingered and took great pictures of the hotel from outside, the beautiful booking office and the “honeymoon house” located separate from the hotel itself.

    The point of this comment is that if your guide said its not allowed, beg him to drop you there and take your chances. I think if there is no guest in the hotel they do allow, but if there are guests staying they are hesitant. Since the Ivatans are very friendly and hospitable people I am sure they will say no but turn a blind eye and try to accommodate. When we left our guide was thanking the caretaker profusely in their dialect of course. The only words I can understand is “dios mamajes” which means thank you. When I travel to other countries and provinces, one thing I MUST DO is learn how to say thank you in their language or dialect.

    Enjoy Batanes!!!!!

  13. comment-1035
    Wayne
    comment-1035

    Budsdiana: That was cool! Hehehe! I wanted to see how Fundacion Pacita looked now. When we went there last September 2008, the place was being renovated. I’ve seen some pictures of it already but I think the rates here are really expensive. 🙁

  14. comment-1050
    Marisse
    comment-1050

    :-[ if GOD allows me to win the Lottery, for sure BATANES will be included in my list of travel….

  15. comment-1051
    Merly Navarro
    comment-1051

    (F) It’s my dream to visit Batanes and stay there for long … but the problem is, the place is very very far.. :-S

  16. comment-1066
    Yana
    comment-1066

    Hi Wayne,
    Wowwwwwwwwwwww……great pics talaga and the place was so great !!!! gusto ko magpunta talaga doon. Wayne, pwede post ka how many days talaga kailangan andun kami yon ma tour na namin pati ibang place. Meron ka ring Batan Island Southern Tour pics (Mahatao/Uyugan) just like what Buds was mentioning. Planning to visit there March of this year. It was featured in Sports Unlimited…….hayyyyyyyy………super ganda talaga. Thanks and God Bless!!! (F) Yana :o)

  17. comment-1068
    Wayne
    comment-1068

    Marissa, Marisse and Merly: Pwede naman eh, kelangan lang talagang pagplanuhang mabuti at pag-ipunan ng husto. 😀

    Yana: Thanks, yup we have a separate post for that here: http://www.pasyalera.com/batanes/mahatao-ivana-uyugan/ Hmmm, 3 days kasi ang kailangan para ma-tour mo yung buong place. (Except un Itbayat Island.) So that would be 1 day for Batan Island, 1 day for Sabtang and 1 day for Mahatao/Uyugan. 😀

  18. comment-1086
    Susan
    comment-1086

    Hi! I just came back from Batanes last March 22-25, 2010. I came across your blog when I was organizing my Batanes scrapbook/album & searching for some of the names of the places we went. I so envy the pics that u took! Wow Ang ganda ng angles! Kuya Nards was also our guide :o) Batanes is really breathtaking! I would definitely go back there next year. To those who dream of going to Batanes please do so while the place is still pristine & in its natural condition! believe in yourself and surely your dream will become a reality. After i came back from Batanes I’ve already convinced countless friends & relatives to go there and we are now planning to go together next year. The best time to go there is during summer but esp. March. 😀

  19. comment-1125
    kodak
    comment-1125

    hi, in really love batanes island, and mt, province, i hope i go there as soon as posible.. by the way i go to mt. province on january.. i hope i enjoy the place , especially rthe f 😀 😀 ood.. love it

    (L) (Y)

  20. comment-1129
    rhie
    comment-1129

    ang gnda tlga nang batanes,,
    lyk ko tlgang mkapunta ..
    haaay..
    tsaka dme ko nang nging gf na tga batanes..
    sna,sna tlga mkapunta ako (L)

  21. comment-1142
    cancan
    comment-1142

    looking at ur pics made me fall in love with Batanes :o) my hubby and i are planning to visit it as soon as he got here. we’re both very excited to see those sceneries.. 😎

  22. comment-1182
    Leo
    comment-1182

    I miss Batanes, Basco where I stayed for 3 months once a week I did come to Sabtang Island, in Brgy Nakanmuan, I stayed in the old stone house Nanay Paz Calma, I reaaly missed the fresh seabreeze their. No mobile phone signal quietness of the ambiance is really the best! Best wishes to all of you IVATANS :o)

  23. comment-1200
    zette
    comment-1200

    Hi wayne.. I am from Batanes. We the Ivatans are very thankful for the visitors like you to post such an overwhelming blog. I’ve been in the city for more than half of my life but i always make time to visit my place at least once a year ( i wish i could make 4 times a year, but due to high airfare cost, I cant make it). Though am a local, truly, am almost always mesmerized with the seascapes and landscapes the islands have. Thank u for you have served as a walking advertisement.

  24. comment-1220
    erancalumag
    comment-1220

    who maintains the tunnel? is it the municipal government or a private entity? are there specific charges or entrance fee in getting inside?

  25. comment-1246
    mavid
    comment-1246

    hi…i read the articles and i’m very happy that you appreciate our place..i’m an ivatan and truly our place is very astonishing with its picturesque scenes…and i know my fellow ivatans would be very glad and proudhttp://www.pasyalera.com/wp-content/plugins/smilies-themer/pidgin/smile.png of you because of your gestures…thank you…dios mamajes!!!..

  26. comment-1259
    olivier
    comment-1259

    Hi! I am from Batanes. Thank you for liking our place. I would like to give a suggestion if you come and see our place especially the Fundacion Pacita, come around 9:00 am – 11:00 am or 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm where most of their guests are having a tour around the islands. The place is some times open to tourists around those times and talk or look for a tourist guide that can bring your there.

    Come and visit our place…

  27. comment-1346
    nogz
    comment-1346

    nice blog…am very excited for my planned trip to batanes late this year or jan. of 2013. am overseas right now so am longing for all the stunning places in the Philippines like batanes. there’s no place like home.

    btw, am going alone…hehe! just want to find some quiet time for myself.

  28. comment-1376
    despicable_me
    comment-1376

    Hi! Wayne and Icey, your blog is so persuasive that it pushes me to book a flight and go to Batanes. My friend and I are planning to go to Batanes this May 2012. I am also planning to stay at Batanes Resort. Hope you don’t mind me asking. How much did you pay for your tour with Mang Nards? Thanks! More post and photos please 🙂

  29. comment-1379
    jhoy
    comment-1379

    Hello! It is really my dream to go to Batanes and your blog makes me very eager to be there…. May I know how much you spend in this trip? Thanks

  30. comment-1473
    Mee Bachelorette
    comment-1473

    I can’t wait to see yah Batanes! Be there this friday, Oct.12,2012! I would be there to entertain the people of batanes on their Octoberfest. Hay… I hope and pray it would be so much fun! I would be very glad to meet the people of Batanes as well! Hihi! 🙂

  31. comment-1474
    victor
    comment-1474

    ”THIS IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE ON EARTH” ever!!! the very first time that i saw this on a travel show. i was already hookup by its fascinated, majestic views… to all the nature lover like out there this is the best spot..

  32. comment-1488
    marian
    comment-1488

    Hi wayne! your blog is really helpful. i just came back from batanes march 18, 2013 and the most beautiful place INDEED, ivatans are ery friendly. will definetely visit batanes again in the future. our tour guide is very nice . if ur looking for a tour guide you may call mang romy 09381592721 , 09169026712.

  33. comment-1495
    romeo awatin
    comment-1495

    greetings pls inform me how to reach basco by april 17 -23. but all fligths are book, am going by bus. pls teach me where the port going to basco. and what bus i must take.tnx

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