The municipality of Santiago in Ilocos Sur might be best known for Santiago Cove, a beach over 1 kilometer long with gentle waves lapping the shore. However, there are also other spots worth visiting around the town. From excellent lechon, to towering natural wonders, to fashionable finds, a visit to Santiago can be more than just a trip to the beach.
The inabel is one of the many prides of Ilocos Sur. This traditional textile is made of cotton and may be plain or patterned. The abel cloth is well known and much loved for its softness, beautiful designs, and its overall strength.
A few minutes’ walk away from the entrance of Santiago Cove is Corazon’s Inabel Weaving Center. Owned and managed by Corazon Agosto, this weaving center produces yards upon yards of inabelcloth of varying designs and colors, all made to order. A weaver for 6 decades, Corazon continues to weave inabel while teaching the new generation the skills needed to keep the art alive.
All of the cloths are woven using traditional wooden shuttle looms — a painstakingly laborious process which highlights the skill of the weaver as they create the pattern one line at a time. The best weavers could make about 2 to 3 yards per day and it usually takes at least 5 yards of fabric to make a simple outfit.
Driving past the cove and into the open seas, visitors will be able to spot a curious geological structure. This is Mapisi Rock in Brgy. Ambucao in Santiago. which is also known as Biak na Bato. As described by its name, Mapisi Rock is a towering rock formation that has been cut in the middle by natural forces.
The area has been developed into a park of sorts where guests can enjoy the view and the sea by renting the huts on the beachside. Meanwhile, the other side of the rock formation offers interesting vantage points of the sea. There is also a little cove where you can have your picture taken, though extreme caution should be taken when going to the outcropping.
In the town center of Santiago lies the Church of St. James the Greater. The town’s stone and brick church, built in the late 18th or early 19th century, is located on top of a hill reached by steps made of cut stones.
It has a Baroque architecture with some neo-classical elements. It features massive circular buttresses and a recessed arched entrance flanked with 2 statued niches. The church has been damaged several times, having been burned by lighting in 1823 and damaged by an earthquake in 1880 but it has since been repaired.
Ilocos might be known for its dinakdakan, longganisa, bagnet, and dinengdeng, but the region also has its own take on lechon. Ilocanos use a particular type of plant called karimbuaya as part of the aromatics stuffed into the belly cavity.
A cactus-like plant with thick leaves and spiny stems, the karimbuaya leaves are sliced thinly and used to offset any gaminess of the pork meat. Delicate in flavor when raw, once heated, it has a distinct vegetal taste and slight astringency that pairs well with the rich meat.A stretch of road in Dar-an is home to numerous lechonerias using this herb in their lechon preparation such as Royale Blood Lechon AB+. The store has been serving lechon for 11 years and they said that the karimbuaya adds a dimension of flavor that cannot be found in other lechons in the Philippines.
Then, of course, there’s Santiago Cove Hotel. Drawing inspiration from Santorini, the new hotel is now becoming the destination of choice for local tourists.
The property has 50 spacious accommodations, all styled to complement the surrounding nature. It offers 4 different rooms: Deluxe at 25 sqm, Premium Deluxe at 28 sqm, Junior Suite at 30 sqm, and Family Suite at 36 sqm.
Each room is well-equipped with what you would expect from an establishment in the city — a flat-screen TV, a dresser that doubles as a working area, air conditioning, and most importantly, a Wi-Fi strong enough to allow one to work from paradise should the need arises.
Santiago Cove Hotel’s annex building is also nearing completion. The new four-story addition will be housing its 300-seater grand ballroom, a coffee shop, a rooftop bar, and premiere suites overlooking the picturesque coast.
Santiago cove might be the tourist crown jewel of the municipality, but much like how the accompanying stones help highlight the luster of the main jewel, the other destinations highlight just how much Santiago has to offer to their guests as a tourism destination.
