Holy Week in Ilocos – Cutud, Pagudpod, Batac and Vigan 3D2N

We managed to squeeze Cutud, Pagudpod, Batac and Vigan to a 3D2N itinerary. Sounds impossible but it was a successful trip! Thank you very much to my Tito who was our driver for the trip. We did encounter a lot of stop overs because it was his first time to travel to Ilocos but the most important thing is that we made it there safely and made it back home safely as well. Scroll down to contact my Tito Dave for bookings in Ilocos.

This was our itinerary: 

Cutud is famous because of the Senakulo during Holy Week. A senakulo is a stage or street play about the life and Passion of Jesus. The difference is that in Cutud,  penitents have themselves nailed on the cross, as an act of penance. Not just an act, but they get really nailed on the cross.

Day 1:

We traveled early and arrived at Cutud for the Holy week procession. Our first stop was at Brgy. Sta. Lucia where we watched a small procession.

Afterwards, we went to Brgy. San Pedro. The sinakulo starts at 12noon. Be there VERY early because there will be a LOT of tourists and it will be impossible for you to get a good view if you arrive late. We were given VIP treatment though when they saw my youngest daughter under the heat of the sun, we were allowed to go inside the VIP Tents. We had a VERY nice view there. I am not sure how to get tickets to the VIP tents, but from what I saw, only media people were allowed inside. I also saw a few foreigners as well.

After the sinakulo, we traveled to Pagudpod in the night time and we arrived there early morning.

Day 2:

We checked in at Blue Lagoon resort and had breakfast. The beach was jam packed! (Ofcourse, it was Holy Week). It was also raining a bit so we did not swim a lot. I was not able to take a lot of pictures but the beach is amazing! No wonder they call it Boracay of the North. After lunch, we dropped by the very famous Bangui Windmills and then headed to Batac so we can spend the night there.

Batac, Ilocos Norte is the hometown of the late President Marcos. Here, you can visit the Marcos Museum and Mausoleum where the preserved corpse of the former president lies.

Below is the picture of the Bangui Windmills. There are also windmills in Rizal part of Manila that you can view, but of course you need to see the history and culture that Ilocos has to offer. Some just don’t get the essence of travel. 😊

We had dinner and rested and.. finally.. I get to sleep on a true bed!

Day 3:

My favorite part of the trip is Vigan, one of the oldest town in the Philippines! The food is great! We ate Vigan longganisa and empanada! We took a ride in a Kalesa and had a tour around the city.  We visited Calle Crisologo, Crisologo Museum and the Bantay Bell Tower. You get to see old houses and architecture that will bring you back to the old Spanish era. If you want an Instagram worthy picture, go to Calle Crisologo and strike a pose!                                              Thank you to my MIL and Tom for this wonderful trip ♥

Our IT did not include costs because I was not the one who financed the trip, I really didn’t want to ask how much we spent. You can check out Senyorita Lakwachera’s blog or Broke Travelers blog for more detailed budget information.

Contact my Tito Dave through his Facebook page if you want to book for an Ilocos getaway. Just let him know your IT and he’ll make it happen. You can also opt to commute, but remember to invest on your safety specially when you travel.

Enjoy!