Did you know that the province of Abra has their own Adam and Eve? Angalo and Aran are believed to be the first man and woman of Earth, similar to Adam and Eve, in Abra Mythology. They were giants who roamed Ilocos region in search for each other. As Angalo continue his endless search for his love his footfalls became heavier because of lonely heart thus leaving foot prints on the region, he sometimes even knelt down to drink water from the springs where he left his footprints.

The myth has been transferred from generations to generations in Abra and across Ilocos Region. The townsfolk claimed that this particular mark that is three meters deep with a width of five meter and a length of fifteen meters. The gigantic became the natural pool leading to another tourist spot which is the Pinsal Falls which happened to be the favorite outdoor shooting spot of the late Fernando Poe Jr.

How to get there:

Via Land – Dominion bus at Cubao has a trip going to Abra. Travel time is around 8 hours. You can ride a tricycle going to San Quintin and tell the driver to drive you at Tugot Ni Angalo.

Next: Tineg River


I'm organizing events: Climb and Beach and any other Adventure activities. Please visit my facebook page for the scheduled events or you can hire me to organize a climb or beach outing for you and your friends and family.

You’ll know it when you’re already at Abra when you get passed this tunnel called Tangadan. Tangadan Tunnel or usok/usokan as locals called is at the very entrance of Abra the first historical landmark to be seen when entering the province. According to the locals this tunnel symbolizes Abrenian’s resoluteness and defiance against the odds.

How to get there: From Cubao ride a bus going to Abra and you can tell the conductor of the bus to drop you at the Tangadan Tunnel and from there you can ride a jeepney or tricycle going to your destination.

Next: Abra Mythology: Tugot Ni Angalo


I'm organizing events: Climb and Beach and any other Adventure activities. Please visit my facebook page for the scheduled events or you can hire me to organize a climb or beach outing for you and your friends and family.

When I am decided to do this Project 81 the very first province that I wanted to visit is Abra. It was one of the provinces of the Philippines that is not usually a destination to many, thus, few blogs about it. One of the reason why I wanted to visit this is to open this province to many travelers that there is more than the usual destination we saw on facebook. That provinces like Abra has something to offer too when it comes to tourism. With thorough research, I came to never-ending list of tourist spots and by that I know my trip here will never go to waste.

My trip to Abra is supposed to be a whole day trip. But since this trip is backpacking and DIY and with little information about the place (exact time travel from one tourist spot to another) I was able to visit just three attraction of their place.

Holy Wednesday of this year (2016), me and Bella hop in at Dominion Bus terminal going to Abra. Before that, a long queue of passengers are waiting for their time to leave Manila to go elsewhere up North. By 4 in the afternoon I was already on the last line of long queue to get a ticket number for the bus. The operator, given the loads of people coming, assured us that there is enough bus to cover us all. By 7 in the evening, I was able to get a ticket number going to Abra. The only bus left is the De Luxe that leaves at 10:30 pm that costs for about 700 pesos. As far as I remember, the regular price ranges from 400-500. But its okay, I anticipated this scenario and it is totally fine with us.

At exactly 10:30, the bus leaves Manila and I doze-off instantly. Given I just came from 6am-3pm work. The moment I opened my eyes we are already at Ilocos Sur just a few kilometers away from Abra. At around 7 in the morning we arrive at Bangued the capital of Abra.

The very first thing we did is to attend a Mass at Bangued Cathedral to pay our respect, say our thank you for a safe journey and asked for guidance for the rest of our trip.

Bangued Cathedral, St. James The Greater Cathedral is an Augustinian Church that was constructed in the year 1722 and was complete in 1807. This church holds so much history and witness a story and surpasses a bombing by American warplanes ajoining Colegio del Sagrado Corazon that was used as military hospital by the Japanese Imperial Army.

How to get there: From the terminal of Dominion Bus at Abra just walked outside going to the right. If you saw the police station from the left side go to the right and walk straight. The cathedral is on the left side.

Next post: Tangadan Tunnel: A gateway to paradise