URBIZTONDO BEACH IN LA UNION

Surfing in La Union was said to be established in the late 70′s by a Japanese surfer named Aki Naga. By training local residents to surf, Naga was able to introduce the sport of surfing and provide the people in Urbiztondo a new sense of lifestyle. Slowly more and more locals are picking up the sport and eventually made the art of it something of their own, while quaint surf resorts and businesses opened on the side to tend to all of surfing’s patrons. Since then, the beach has blossomed into a full blown surfing destination welcoming both aspiring and advanced surfers from all over. Today, its popularity has skyrocketed to the point that international industry giant Billabong put up its very own surfing school led by the best La Union locals.

 

 

Since the days of the pioneering Japanese man, Urbiztondo has cemented its place as the surfing capital of the northern Philippines.  Simply ask anyone in the city you know where he or she regularly surfs and I’m pretty sure you’ll be getting a consistent answer — San Juan, La Union. From a visitor’s point of view, I think the reason is quite simple.  Urbiztondo is all about surfing and surfing here is a way of life. Here is where you’ll ride your first wave, here is where you’ll improve your wave riding and here is where you want to spend the rest of your surfing days with. It’s home. Locals, regulars, first-timers – you meet them at the lineup today and they’ll probably be back the next day. Or the next week. Or the next month. It doesn’t really matter, they’ll be back for sure. Back to the capital.

Now if you’re planning on taking a trip to Urbiztondo beach, you’ll need to remember that the best time to drop by are between the months of July to October and November to March. These months are considered the beach’s surfing season. Getting there is not a problem, easy as 1, 2, 3. So hurry up and pack your bags. You wouldn’t wanna miss out on one of the best surf spots in the Philippines.

 

 

 

 

- Text and photos above are from: http://lokalsoul.com

 

 

OTHER PHOTOS:

 

 

Photo from:  http://flickr.com



 

 

Photo from:  http://inflight.ph

 

Photo from:  http://inflight.ph

Photo from:  http://www.milkblitzstreetbomb.com

Photo from:  http://isnatako.blogspot.com

Photo from:  http://www.milkblitzstreetbomb.com






 



DICOTCOTAN BEACH IN ISABELA

The virgin white sand beaches of Dicotcotan is probably Isabela’s best-kept secret. Its coastline is very much exposed to swell and strong waves from the Pacific Ocean, perfect not only for swimming, but also for surfing.

Photo from:  kookiekulasa.blogspot.com

Dicotcotan Beach boasts of of a three-kilometer long beach with coral reefs, sea grass beds and sandy shoreline that is fringed with a coastal forest and a village. There are regular sightings here of pointed nosed dolphins and hump back whales. Aside from the various species of fish and shellfish, and marine turtles that can be seen from the surface.

Photo from:  origparanan.wordpress.com

If you are planning to stay here for a few days, there are available cottages for rent. Whilst the whitesand is fine and the sea is generally calm that creates the bays making these beaches ideal for children. Dicotcotan is a Palanan word meaning “to sink” due to the softness of the sand that causes one’s feet to sink or to be immersed in it, leaving a deep trail of footsteps.  

Photo from:  leprozochan.multiply.com

SIARGAO BEACH IN SURIGAO

Siargao is a tear-drop shaped island situated 800 kilometers southeast of Manila in the province of Surigao del Norte.  It has a land mass of approximately 437 kilometers. The east coast is relatively straight with one deep inlet-Port Pilar with a coastline marked by a succession of reefs, small points and white sandy beaches.

There are similar neighboring islands and islets with similar landforms. The reefs and points are excellent for picking up any swell that comes along turning into clean, fast waves. The Island's Pacific-facing reefs are situated on the edge of the Philippine Trench, and the extremely deep offshore waters guarantee the ocean swells have undiluted power when they encounter the many coral and rock reefs, giving Siargao excellent surfing conditions, particularly during the southwest  monsoon from August to November, when the prevailing wind is offshore.

It is considered to be the Surfing Capital of Asia and of the Philippines. Its proximity to the Philippine Deep and coupled by the waves of the Pacific has made Siargao island a popular venue for surfers. Watch out for local and international surfing competitions throughout the year. This is location is great for adventure seekers.

Siargao Island, faces the Pacific Ocean and the Philippine Deep, the second deepest water in the world, at more than 11 km below sea level. The area is pure tropics with the plenty activities including snorkeling, island hopping, checking out waterfalls, swimming holes, watching awesome waves and and of course meeting friendly locals.

This right-breaking reef wave is the site of the annual Siargao Cup, a domestic and international surfing competition sponsored by the provincial government of Surigao del Norte.

The wave was discovered by travelling surfers in the late 1980's, and named and made well-known by American photographer John S Callahan, who published the first major feature on Siargao Island in the US based SURFER Magazine in March 1993, and hundreds of photos in many other books and magazines since. Callahan has returned to the island many times since his first visit in 1992, and his efforts to photograph and publish surfing related and general location material from Siargao island in books and magazines around the world has put the island on the international map and drawn thousands of surfers and tourists to Siargao island.