Ever since my good friend, Flip (IG: @flipbardinas), visited the sleepy town of Adams in the Ilocos Region during our #TrueWanderer competition for Wrangler Philippines in the year 2018, I have listed it as one of the places I should also aim to travel to in the country. After seeing his posts showing amazing pictures of the place, as well as the stories behind them, I was sure with my decision to visit it as well.  After five years, I’ve finally ticked it off on my list!

ADAMS, Ilocos Norte

The municipality of Adams in the province of Ilocos Norte has a land area of 159.31 km² (for comparison: Quezon City has 161.126 km²) with a population of only a few thousands (2,189 to be more accurate according to the 2020 census). It only has one barangay that consists of sitios and purok (or districts). It is said that because the town is situated in the mountains, it would often experience rainshowers especially in the afternoon. My guide and contacts there said this this past month of December, it had rained almost everyday. This is the reason they would suggest to go here during the summer.

Where is ADAMS?

Adams is located in the northern part of Ilocos Norte. You would have to go to the northernmost part of Pagudpod (yes, way past the Patapat Viaduct) in order to go here. It is bordered by towns of Pagudpod on the north, Bukalneg on the west, Vintar on the south, Santa Praxedes (of Cagayan) on the northeast, and Calanasan (of Apayao) on the east. There is a road going to Adams from Apayao, though it isn’t completely paved yet compared to the Pagudpud-Adams Road, which was completed back in the year 2020.

How to go to Adams?

If you’re coming from Metro Manila (or other parts of the Philippines), there are two ways you can go to Adams.

First, you can ride the airplane in Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and take a flight going to Laoag. Travel time would only take about 1.5 hours. If you’re coming from other parts of the Philippines like Cebu or Davao, there are connecting flights from Manila going to Laoag. From Laoag, you can ride the Florida bus (look for Florida Bus Station) or van (ask the tricycle driver to lead you to the van terminal going to Claveria) for 2 hours and alight in Pancian.

Second, you can ride the bus in Partas Cubao Station and go to Laoag. The travel time would take approximately 12-14 hours. From Laoag, ride the bus or van to go to Pacian for about 2 hours.

In Pacian (specifically in Pagudpud-Adams Road), hail a tricycle or motorcycle that would take you to Adams. It is recommended, though, that you contact your accommodation of choice in town so they can ask somebody to fetch you in Pacian. There’s a chance that no tricycle or motorcycle is available, so it’s better to make arrangements as early as possible.

Where to stay in Adams?

There are a few homestays in Adams, but I would recommend Ilyn’s Homeyplace for a great stay in the idyllic town on the mountains.

Popular among the locals because of the hundreds of koi in its ponds, the owners of Ilyn’s Homestay welcomed me like a family. Even though they were technically closed that day (they were paving the road for their parking area), they still accommodated me. Of course, I’ve informed them weeks before that I would go, but I was supposed to postpone my trip because of constant raining in Adams. When I was sure that the weather was already better, I made a spontaneous decision to continue with the trip. Ate Ilyn, the owner of the homestay, was probably awed with my determination, that’s why she still opened her “home” for me.

What to do in Adams?

Oh, there’s a lot to do here! Even though I’ve only had an overnight stay in Adams, I was still able to visit a lot of its tourist spots, as well as experience what it has to offer. There’s actually a lot more to do, and I promise to do these activities once I go back.

• Enjoy the waters of Anuplig and Anat Falls.

These two waterfalls are near each other, so going to both is definitely doable in a single day. Anuplig Falls is touted to be the premier waterfalls in Adams, and when I read that I thought, it’s probably the most famous travel destination in town. When I ask my guide, yes, a lot of people go to Anuplig, but more locals go to Anat because it’s a lot nearer. Comparing the two, both are beautiful, but Anuplig is much higher and probably would attract more visitors who enjoy witnessing unique-looking waterfalls.

• Have wine-tasting in Cardom’s Winery and buy bottles of wine with your choice of flavor!

Dubbed as the pioneering enterprise to produce fruit wine in the province of Ilocos Norte. There are many reasons to look forward to when visiting Cardom’s Fruit Wine, and it’s literally each flavor of the wines they offer! They have bugnay, roselle, watermelon, dragon fruit, pineapple, mango, passion fruit, tamarind, ginger, turmeric, guyabano, macopa, malubeg, lemongrass, duhat and grapes. My favorites here include bugnay, roselle and dragon fruit flavors!

• Buy seedlings and try the great-tasting coffee of Cardom’s Fruit Farm.

The family behind Cardom’s Fruit Wine is also behind this fruit farm. It is said that many of the fruits they make as wine in the winery come from this farm. There’s an entrance fee, which is P20, and this comes with unlimited coffee! When I visited it, I’ve seen a lot of fruit-producing plants around! Most notable to me were the dragon fruits as well as roselle. Now, farms are agricultural places for cultivating various fruits and vegetables. Aside from the fruit trees, there are lots of vegetables around. The farm has a display center where visitors can buy seedlings, including peppermint and strawberry runners. The farm also has a dining area where visitors can enjoy the aforementioned unlimited coffee. Their coffee is the local Arabica, which is so delicious it reminded me of the coffee I’ve tasted in Mountain Province! You can also buy fresh salad and tandoori chicken in the farm. I hope to try them when I get back to Adams in the future!

• Visit Lovers Peak at sunrise or sunset.

They say Lovers Peak was called as such because many couples choose to go here to spend their free time to go there. Aside from the calming environment, it’s also said to be a great view for sunrise and sunset.

• Visit Inapad Peak.

Inapad Peak is actually the place where the town’s cemetery is located. It has different views compared to what you can see in Lovers Peak, but you’d recognize certain areas because each one’s visible from one another.

• Marvel at the Bolo River from Adams View Deck.

Water forms are quite marvelous to look at, and Adams’ Bolo River is no exemption. While the waters in the river were reported to decrease due to the recent construction of the roads and bridge in the town, it can still be used by the people in their daily living.

Travel tips in Adams:

1. It is best to visit Adams during summer! I went here on late December of 2023, which is actually wet for most days as reported by Ate Ilyn. Besides, sea of clouds was said to be more likely to appear during summertime!
2. Contact the accommodation of your choice in Adams ahead of time. You wouldn’t want to go there if it’s been raining all day and night, which was the case for weeks before I went to visit.
3. If you’re planning to have a road trip in Ilocos Region, making Adams as your last destination before heading home is a great choice. Bringing a car or even a motorcycle won’t be a problem because the road connecting Pagudpud and Adams are concrete. Even the roads in Adams are already mostly concrete, which would make it easier to go around town if ever.
4. There are other activities that you can do in Adams, so if you have the time, spend a few days here to do them all. Don’t hesitate to ask your guide or contact for assistance.

That’s it for now! I hope I was able to convince you to visit the idyllic town of Adams in the province of Ilocos Norte. If you have any questions, suggestions or recommendations, don’t hesitate to message me so I can improve this blog post even further. Thank you!