Welcome to wonderful AURORA !
This special page is my manifest desire to promote our country’s tourism and keep my kababayan informed, visually guided, and updated about our wonderful Province of AURORA.
I’m sure you will be fascinated by its breath-taking natural wonders abound and various recreational facilities and FUNtastic attractions.
Delight yourselves in the exotic paradise of beauty, interest and adventure, and feel the pleasures of the people’s bayanihan spirit and hospitality.
Come along and experience the finest things the province could offer. Be captivated by its people distinctive qualities.
Discover and appreciate the works of creative local artists, their handicrafts and souvenir mementos.
Experience our rich cultural heritage. Learn more about our culture, traditions, and colorful history.
Dine and savor our tasty distinctive foods, innovative cuisine with a homemade touch, and accompanied with personable and attentive service.
Traveling taught me a few things; one of the most useful is that the best way to know more of our local kababayan is through its markets.
Visit its markets that serve the best in fresh fruits, organic vegetables and gourmet food items. Your shopping list will engorge with goodies to bring home.
Learn the best places to recreate, enjoy and cherish a truly fascinating experience, and much, much more. In short, here is Just the Best !
Here’s to a worthwhile provincial journey !
Casiguran
Dilasag
Dinalungan
Dingalan
Dipaculao
Maria Aurora
San Luis
HISTORICAL SIGHTS
Aurora is a province blessed with an abundance of tourist attractions. It has its share of historical sights such as the home and rest house of former Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon. The province also has a beautiful Catholic church and several historical markers. Its natural attractions include picturesque waterfalls, lush greenery on mountainsides, and panoramic beaches.Surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving, mountain climbing and trekking are only some of the activities a tourist can enjoy in Aurora.
Doña Aurora Memorial Shrine
Aurora Quezon Marker
Location: Poblacion, Baler
Getting There: From the bus station at the Baler market, take a tricycle and ask to be taken to the site.
Travel Time: 3-5 minutes
Not far from the Lt. Gilmore Marker and the Baler Catholic Church is the historic marker built in honor of Doña Aurora Aragon Quezon, the wife of Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon. Aurora Quezon was known for her untiring efforts in social welfare, especially for the benefit of the people of Aurora province. Like her husband, she was born in the town of Baler. She died in an ambush on the mountain roads of Nueva Ecija leading to the province that now bears her name.
Baler Catholic Church
Location: Poblacion, Baler
Getting There: From the bus station at the Baler market, take a tricycle and ask to be taken to the church.
Travel Time: 3-5 minutes
The structure is an old church with a simple facade. Here, the last Spanish garrison of four officers and 50 men was besieged by Filipino insurgents from June 27, 1898 to July 2, 1899. This was the last pocket of resistance of the Spanish Armed Forces to surrender to American troops. This is also where the La Campana de Baler, an ancient bell, was used and later stored as a relic.
Lt. Commander James Gilmore Marker
Location: Poblacion, Baler
Getting There: From the bus station at the Baler market, take a tricycle and ask to be taken to the site.
Travelling Time: 3-5 minutes
From the left wall of the Baler Catholic Church stands a simple marker for Lt. Commander James Gilmore, who commanded the U.S. gunboat Yorktown and was captured with all his men when he came to Baler, Aurora in April of 1899 to relieve the Spanish soldiers besieged in the church of Baler.
Quezon House
Location: Barangay Cemento, Baler
Getting There:The best means to go there is by private vehicle as there is no regular public transport going to Barangay Cemento from the Baler town proper. It is also possible to take a tricycle from Baler to Barangay Sabang and take a 45-minute walk to Barangay Cemento, but one would have to wade through the river that cuts between the two barangays.
Travel Time: Approximately an hour's drive
Once the vacation home of President Manuel L. Quezon, the house is a short walk from Cemento Beach.
Quezon Memorial Park
Location: Poblacion, Baler
Getting There: From the bus station at the Baler market, one can walk to the site.
Travel Time: 3-5 minutes
This quiet park of trees and lawns was developed in honor and in memory of the late president Manuel L. Quezon. A marker fenced by concrete and set on a circular cement platform serves as a landmark of Baler, the birthplace of Quezon.
CULTURAL & RELIGIOUS EVENTS & SIGHTS
Moro-Moro Zarsuela
Location: Baler
Presented on February 19 (Aurora Day) in Baler, Aurora, the "Zarsuela" is an interplay of drama and dance. Taking three days to complete (although it could be shortened to a day), the "Zarsuela" performed here is composed of several acts that revolve around the main theme of Moro-Moro or Moslem-Christian conflict. The "Zarsuela" presents slightly different variations for the Moro-Moro theme year after year. The roles of princes and princesses, warriors and laymen for both the Christian and Moslem sides are performed in dance, while a narrator accompanies the pantomime act. What makes this particular performance more dramatic is that real knives and bolos are used. Often in the heat of the presentation, miscalculations result in knife and bolo gashes. Both actors and actresses participate in this particularly sensitive and dangerous sword-play. Only beautiful, graceful ladies and handsome men are chosen and trained for the theater. Indeed, this is a cultural theater that demands talent, beauty, skills and courage from the actors, and highly skilled and experienced trainers are needed to create this unique style of "Zarsuela".
Santo Entierro
Location: Baler
A glass coffin encasing a statue of Jesus Christ is displayed in a makeshift wooden chapel in Baler. The name of the sculptor is lost; however, locals claim that this icon possesses miraculous powers and grants miracles to those who believe. During Holy Week, albularyos (spiritual doctors) and amulet holders flock to this revered statue to insert their anting-anting (amulets) into the niches of the coffin. After Good Friday, they retrieve their respective amulets now "recharged with power." It is also said that the amulets in the niches are visible only to their owners.
Ermita Hill
Location: Casiguran
Located in the Poblacion of Casiguran town, Ermita Hill provides an enchanting view of the entire Poblacion, the dark blue coast of Casiguran Bay and the barrios nearby. Aside from its magnificent landscape, Ermita Hill is known as a sacred haven for religious activities by devotees of the Miraculous Mother Mary, of whom a life-size statue is situated in a grotto on top of the hill. Under the Spanish rule, a Watchtower was built to guard the town against possible attackers.
NATURE AREAS & BEACHES
Ampere Beach
Location: Ampere, Dipaculao
Getting There: From Baler town proper, take a tricycle going to Sabang Beach. From there, hire a motorized banca and ask to be taken to the site.
Travel Time: One hour
This beach is covered with smooth rocks of various sizes and darker color. This beach is an area called Bunga Point or Ampere Point, where local residents flock to Okotan Cave, a time-honored locale for forecasting the weather. The Pacific waves, upon hitting the shoreline cave, produce an explosion, the intensity of which, according to local lore, determines the intensity of the incoming weather.
Aniao Islets
Location: Off the coast of Barangay Zabali, Baler
Getting There: Take a tricycle from Baler town proper to the river outlet south of Sabang Beach. From there, hire a motorized banca which can take you to the area.
Travel Time: Five minutes by tricycle and 20 minutes by boat
Two small but imposing islands lie south of the islet of Dimadimalangat. These islets jut straight from the sea like bullets, with shrubs, small trees and other greenery growing on top surfaces. Kingfishers, gulls and hawks use these islets as lookout points for fish. Towering waves relentlessly pound the base of the formations, challenging even the most intrepid of rock climbers.
Balete Park & Millennium Tree
Location: Maria Aurora
This park contains a 600-year-old balete tree that was designated the official "Millennium Tree" of The Philippines. It is the largest tree of its kind in Asia, and it would take 60 grown men, holding one another at arm's length, to encircle its gigantic trunk.
Due to its age, the tree's thick roots have grown above ground, such that caves have formed under various sections of the trunk. This unique tree has generated national media attention and is now the most visited tourist spot in Aurora.
Banju Springs
Location: Barangay Real, San Luis
Getting There:Take a private vehicle or hire a jeep from Baler town proper to Barangay Real in San Luis. Another kilometer-and-a-half walk on a rough road passing through a rice field will take you to this site.
Travel Time: Approximately an hour's drive
Natural terraced steps overflowing with spring water best describe the Banyu Springs. A mass of ferns surrounds the springs, which stretch up to a hundred meters toward the source of the spring, hidden amidst shrubbery. Because a cement quarry located under the spring flow was exposed and weathered due to the constant flow of water, the cement settled into a terraced formation.
Borlongan Beach
Location: Barangay Borlongan, Dipaculao
Getting There: From Baler town proper, take a tricycle going to Sabang Beach. From there, hire a motorized banca that can take you to the site.
Travel Time: About two hours
Borlongan Beach, like Ampere Beach, is covered for several kilometers with gray pebbles and smooth, fist-size stones. This makes Borlongan beachfront different from most other beaches.
Casiguran Sound
Location: Casiguran
Getting There: Hire a motorized banca from Baler town proper and head north.
Travel Time: Approximately 5.5 hours
Casiguran Sound is a bay nearly enclosed by the Casiguran landmass and the cape of San Ildefonso. Only a kilometer-wide inlet serves to connect the sound to the sea. Its very location provides protection from the typhoons that seasonally ravage most of the province. Casiguran Sound is also unaffected by the monsoon winds that blow from October through February, making it an ideal spot for windsurfing, should facilities be available. For the time being, bring your own windsurfing equipment.
The area has its share of white beaches and numerous places for relaxation. Many foreigners have taken advantage of the natural placidity, having built vacation homes along the coast.
Cemento Beach & Reef
Location: Barangay Cemento, Baler
Getting There: Take a tricycle from Baler town proper to the river outlet south of Sabang Beach. From there, you can either hire a motorized banca for a 10-minute ride to the reef, or take a 40-minute walk.
White sand, seashells, and crushed corals carpet the stretch of Cemento Beach. From October to February, waves tower up to 14 feet high, making for excellent and challenging surfing, as experts from Europe, Japan and Australia can attest. The area is recommended for expert or professional surfers as the waves break at the reef and are of the right-hand break type. The surfer is advised to wear wetsuits for protection.
The area is also suitable for snorkeling and wall diving during the calm season from April to June. Finally, Cemento Beach is a popular haven for lobsters and other marine species.
Cunayan Falls
Location: Barangay Pimentel, San Luis
Getting There: Hire a jeep or take a private vehicle from Baler town proper to Barangay Real in San Luis, where a short walk from the end of the road near the river will take you to the falls.
Travel Time: Two hours
Barely a hundred meters away from a dirt road passable to most vehicles, Cunayan Falls is one of the more accessible falls of Aurora. The falls strongly sprays from a cliff where greenery and even some flowers grow, creating a great contrast against the white and light gray gravel sand area washed out by intermittent floods. The falls flow into a crystal clear stream tinged only by the blue reflection of the sky and its mild temperature makes it ideal for baths. The gravel bank of the stream is a sandy area suitable for picnics.
Dibut Bay
Location: Off Barangay Dibut, San Luis
Getting There: From Baler, hire a motorized banca and ask to be taken to the area.
The wide Dibut Bay coast affords numerous sights-island formations, peninsulas, short stretches of beaches, and imposing cliffs. One formation, appropriately named "Birhen" (meaning "virgin"), resembles the Virgin Mary praying amidst the waves. Since Dibut Bay is not a favored spot for the fishing industry, tourists may catch a glimpse of the magnificent Hammerhead shark and Mako shark. For diving enthusiasts, moreover, Dibut Bay is the perfect place to test out your latest flip.
Dicasalarin Bay
Location: Dicasalarin, San Luis
Getting There: Take a tricycle from Baler town proper to the river outlet south of Sabang Beach. From there, hire a motorized banca which can take you to the area.
Travel Time: Five minutes by tricycle and approximately 45 minutes by boat.
With beaches, hills, a peninsula, a Grotto of the Blessed Virgin, coves, caves, a cave-pool and reefs; Dicasalarin Bay; while small in area, offers hours of recreation and relaxation for the entire family.
Digisit Beach
Location: Barangay Zabali, Baler
Getting There: Take a tricycle from Baler town proper to the river outlet south of Sabang Beach. From there, hire a motorized banca which can take you to the area.
Travel Time: Five minutes by tricycle and 30 minutes by boat.
From the islands collectively known as Lukso-Lukso, one can hike to the white coral beach of Barangay Zabali. Digisit Beach stretches to about a kilometer in length. The upper landward shore is mostly sand, while the water shores are barricades of corals forming a protective reef that prevents strong waves of the Pacific from smashing onto the shore. The area is good for diving and, during calmer months, snorkeling.
Dilasag Coast
Location: Dilasag
Dilasag, a municipality at the northernmost area of Aurora, offers a coast with kilometer upon kilometer of white sand beach alternating occasionally with forests, hills, and cliffs. Its undeveloped features and natural attractions offer tourists the sensation of discovering something new and unspoiled. Inaccessible to most transportation, Dilasag Coast is a true getaway.
Dimadimalangat Islet
Location: Off the coast of Barangay Cemento, Baler
Getting There: Take a tricycle from Baler town proper to the river outlet south of Sabang Beach. From there, hire a motorized banca which can take you to the area.
Travel Time: Five minutes by tricycle and 15 minutes by boat.
This rock formation is actually a small island just a few meters away from the reef shore of Barangay Cemento and serves as a point identifying the southernmost tip of Baler Bay. During low tide, this islet becomes a peninsula, of sorts, where one could walk and wade from the reef shore to this natural rock formation. Around this island are reefs for the more daring divers.
Dinadiawan Beach
Location: Along the Dicadi Highway
Getting There: Take a private vehicle from Baler town proper and use the Dicadi highway to drive north.
Travel Time: Four hours
Dinadiawan Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Aurora, with a fabulous view of the Pacific Ocean, the lush, diverse forests of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range, and the rock formation along the shoreline. And, Dinadiawan Beach is resort-free.
Dingalan Bay View Site
Location: Barangay Tanawan, Dingalan
Getting There: From Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, take a bus bound for Tanawan
Travel Time: Two hours and 10 minutes
"Tanawan," as the place is called, means "viewsite." Upon approaching the border of Dingalan and Nueva Ecija, one passes through an area sloping upwards. At its peak is Dingalan Bay View Site. Undeveloped, except for a solitary nipa hut and several electric poles, the area provides fantastic view of the town and the blue bay, as well as the green mountains and the igneous rock formations. Dingalan Bay is a total contrast from the hot, dry and brown environment of Nueva Ecija. One would be amazed by the almost sudden emergence of greenery that overlooks Dingalan upon reaching the Bay View Site. Dingalan Bay View Site is a perfect place for photography and picnicking.
Ditumabo Falls
Location: Barangay Ditumabo, San Luis
Getting There: Hire a jeep or take a private vehicle from Baler town proper going to Bgy. Ditumabo passing through Poblacion San Luis. From there, it is a 4-km hike over rough terrain and river trail. It is advisable to hire guides who are knowledgeable of the area.
Travel Time: Two hours and 15 minutes' drive and another 3-hour hike.
The crystal clear water of Ditumabo Falls gushes endlessly, flowing and twisting among countless rocks and boulders. The trek to the falls traverses several kilometers through the river and over a few steep mountain trails surrounding the falls on both banks. Occasionally, the trekker will unavoidably come upon fallen or cut logs that serve as either natural bridges or obstacles. Approximately 140 feet high, the falls are surrounded by huge cliffs-an unforgettable sight for nature lovers!
Hillsite of Proposed Ermita Park
Location: Barangay Zabali, Baler
Getting There: Take a tricycle from Baler town proper to the river outlet south of Sabang Beach. From there, one can walk to the site.
Travel Time: Five minutes by tricycle, approximately 35 minutes' walk to the foot of the hill and 15 minutes' trek uphill.
This shrub-covered area provides an excellent view of the town of Baler, Sabang Beach, Cemento and Dimadimalangat islet. It is a short, steep trek from the foot of the hill, through small trees and cogon grass, to the top. Hidden beneath a clump of trees are the almost unrecognizable remains of a bell tower. Owing to its excellent vantage point, the bell tower was formerly used to warn people of Baler of raiding pirates. During sunny days the place is swelteringly hot.
Paltic Falls [Inter-Pacific Forest Resource Corporation (IFRC) Nursery & Falls]
Location: Paltic, Dingalan
Getting There: From the town proper, it is possible to reach the site on foot or by any private vehicle.
Travel Time: Approximately 15 minutes' drive.
The nursery is used to raise hardwood for replanting logged areas. Trees such as narra, kamagong, mahogany, kapok, yantoc and others are planted in small plastic bags and lined up underneath larger trees that provide shade and moisture to the young trees. Not far from this nursery is a stream that leads to two falls, one about 15 feet high and the other about 20 feet high. The falls, approximately 50 meters apart, form pools that are perfect for swimming or relaxing after a poolside picnic.
Lamao Caves
Location: Paltic, Dingalan
Getting There: Take a boat from the Dingalan fishing port located north of the town proper.
Travel Time: 35 minutes
A dozen caves along the seaside cliff of Paltic, Dingalan, are constantly pounded by Pacific Ocean waves. A few mini-beaches serve as docking points for bancas and during the calmer months of April to June, one can maneuver a small banca inside the caves. Aside from a small waterfall that trickles outside one of the caves, the site would seem deceptively ordinary. A close inspection inside one of the caves, however, reveals a delightful natural waterfall gushing from an underground stream. Another cave showers water, giving the impression of an indoor rainstorm. The shore facing the cave steeply descends and is immediately immersed in the deep sea. Rare marine life such as giant turtles and some sharks patrol the area. Local fishermen have spotted more interesting undersea life along the coral reefs a few hundred meters southeast of the caves. The hills that encompass the north and south of the cliff show well-groomed grassland continually caressed by the sea breeze.
Lukso-Lukso Islets
Location: Off the coast of Barangay Zabali, Baler
Getting There: Take a tricycle from Baler town proper to the river outlet south of Sabang Beach. From there, hire a motorized banca which can take you to the area.
Travel Time: Five minutes by tricycle and 25 minutes by boat.
At least three islets comprise the rock formations known to the locals as "Lukso-Lukso." One of these small islands is connected to the mainland and at low tide you can see white grainy sands, crushed corals and numerous seashells, some inhabited by hermit crabs. This island formation is the southernmost point and is accessible to vehicles coming from Baler. The sea bottom and undersea reefs around these islets are reportedly good areas for diving, and during calm months, snorkeling.
Motyong
Location: Motyong, Casiguran
Getting There: From Baler town proper, you can either hire a motorized banca and head north or take a private vehicle and drive along the Dicadi highway, passing through Dinadiawan and Dinalungan municipality.
Travel Time: Six hours
Motyong is a popular beach filled with fine white sand. There are no resorts in this area. However, there are few private rest houses. There is a private airstrip located nearby, however, and plans are underway to make it into a full-sized airport, making Motyong ideal for possible resort investment.
Pimentel Falls [National Irrigation Authority (NIA) Watershed]
Location: San Luis
Getting There: From Baler town proper take a private vehicle or hire a jeep to Poblacion San Luis. From there, the NIA Watershed is just a few kilometers away, easily accessible along the main road leading to Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija.
Travel Time: One hour and 15 minutes
The NIA watershed is a small dam built beside a picnic area in San Luis. The water below the dam is clear, with a greenish reflection of the vegetation surrounding the pond. The place is a coconut plantation covered with short carabao grass and some shrubbery, making the place ideal not only for swimming but for picnicking as well.
Rocks of Dingalan
Location: Barangay Tanawan, Dingalan
Getting There: From Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, take a bus bound for Tanawan.
Travel Time: Two hours and 10 minutes
Large boulders of black igneous rock litter the mountainside all the way from the borders of the province, despite the absence of volcanoes in the area. Some local residents suggest that the rocks must date back to prehistoric times, since they've been there as long as the residents' ancestors could remember.
Sabang Beach
Location: Barangay Sabang, Baler
Getting There: Take a tricycle from Baler town proper and ask to be taken to the site.
Travel Time: Approximately 5 minutes
Located on this long stretch of gray sand beach are several resorts namely: Angara's Beach House, Bay's Inn Resort, MIA Surf and Sports Resort and Baler Guesthouse and Restaurant, which, offer accommodations near the beachfront and provide food, relaxation, and respite for swimmers and surfers.
From March through June, the waves are relatively calm providing a good beachfront for swimmers and an excellent challenge for expert windsurfers. The months from October to February bring in the large waves for beginner surfers to learn the basics with relative safety from scratches, since most of the beach is sandy- bottomed. Undertows, which are helpful to surfers and dangerous for non-swimmers, do occur in certain areas.
The most popular surfing point is found right in front of Bay's Inn, where beginners brave the moderate waves and regular surfers practice.
Lindy's Point, found further north along Sabang Beach, is a highly-prized secret spot among local surfers.
Sierra Madre Mountain
Location: Parts of Aurora Province
Getting There: The best jump-off point is Barangay Ditumabo.
Travel Time: Two hours' drive to reach Barangay Ditumabo.
This mountain range covers a large part of the province of Aurora. In fact, apart from the Aurora coastline, the mountain range is where the flora and fauna of the province is concentrated. Waterfalls, rivers and crystal-clear streams of varying sizes are located within, if not adjacent to, the Sierra Madre Mountain Range. Activities such as mountain climbing, photo safaris, birdwatching, ecological studies, or simply picnicking could be rolled into one by taking trails recommended by local nature trekkers.
White Beach (Dingalan)
Location: Paltic, DingalanTourism Information & Photos provided by: www.aurora.ph/tourist-info
Getting There: Take a boat from Dingalan town proper. One can also hike from the town to the beach.
Travel Time: This two-kilometer long beach has numerous shells and corals scattered along the entire length of its southern half, which is approximately one kilometer long. The shore is made up of coral reefs that gradually slope into the sea, and a bit farther from the shore is a sudden drop into the sea bottom. This area has a variety of undersea flora and fauna for divers to observe. Brain corals, sea urchins, hermit crabs and even an occasional lobster may be seen in the reef site. The northern half of the beach is of brownish white sand and is an excellent place for swimming. The whole White Beach area is bordered on the landward side by a long hillcrest with bushes and trees scattered from the foot to the top of the hill. Off-shore coral reef formations provide interesting spots for diving.
Province of AURORA
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