When people hear the word "Baler", most often they associate it with surfing. Actually, that's what I thought so too, until after I spent one weekend in this small town of Aurora.
Baler is the capitol town of Aurora – a province named after the wife of the late Philippine President Manuel Quezon. It is known for a historical siege, now called “Siege of Baler”. When the 300-year Spanish colonialism had ended and the Spaniards sold the Philippines to America, a group of rebel Spaniards decided to stay and occupy the Church of Baler. They felt like it wasn’t their time yet and they defended the place for almost a year until they finally gave up. This became the last Spanish stronghold in the Philippines.
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| Historical Church of Baler |
Baler
is as much as a travel getaway for romantic couples, families, and travel
squads as any other top destinations in the Philippines and I want to share
some of the popular attractions we visited and the things we did in our trip
last year.
Surfin' Up
Again, pop culture is very familiar with Baler as a surfing haven. Your trip to this place would not be complete without surfing up the beautiful waves of its beaches. The Sabang Beach is one of the most popular surfing sites in the Philippines with surf shops and schools that cater to both beginners (like me) and seasoned surfers. Surfing lessons usually last for an hour which cost around 350-500 pesos. I could say that surfing is really a must-try activity when you visit Baler. I love the adrenaline that it brings and the feeling of success and excitement when you get to stand on the surf board and ride the waves with pride.
Millennium Tree
When we
crossed the border of Nueva Vizcaya going to Aurora, the first town we entered
was Maria Aurora. Here, we made a stopover in Balete
Park where the biggest and
oldest Balete Tree in the whole Philippines could be found. It’s been living in
the country for more than 600 years. It’s so huge that it would take at least
60 people holding each other’s hands to encircle it. It felt eerie when I first
saw it because the Balete tree is usually believed to be the thriving place of
enchanted people, ghosts, and negative entities in Filipino folklore. Those
feelings slowly faded away and got replaced by a sense of awe and fascination
due to its grandness.
Diguisit Beach and Rock Formations
After the
bewitching experience in Balete Park, the second place we visited was the Diguisit Beach in Brgy. Zabali. It's just 15
minutes away from the town proper. When we arrived, we were greeted by these
beautiful rock formations with a perfect background of the clear blue sky and
wide ocean. Such landscape surely caught my eye.
History tour around Baler
Setting foot in their town proper, I could already feel the
historical vibe of the place. What's good about it was that the people of Baler
were able to preserve and present such rich history and culture through its wonderful
landmarks, which were just a stone's throw away from each other. First, we
visited the replica of the Ancestral House of Doña
Aurora Aragon Quezon. We also went inside the famous Baler Church which was in
front of the exit gate of the house. A few walks away from the church was the Quezon Park which featured
the statue of President Manuel L. Quezon at the center, a replica of the nipa
hut where he grew up, and the presidential car he used during his term. Lastly,
we visited the Museo de Baler which housed the many historical artifacts and memorabilia of the
province.
Mother Falls
Another
major attraction in Aurora that we enjoyed so much was the Ditumabo Falls. Locals claim it to be the biggest waterfall in the province;
hence, they refer it to as the Mother
Falls. We trekked for more than an hour which was a bit challenging that
time because the trail was disrupted by the strong typhoon that hit the
province a week before our travel. We climbed huge rocks and battled the strong
currents of the river before we arrived at the site. Indeed, the trek was hard
but an added treat in itself. At the end of the trail, the magnificent falls
greeted us. Its rushing waters from the top of the cliff were so strong and
freezing cold. We took a quick dip and enjoyed its plunge pool. Surely it was a
breathtaking sight to behold and certainly worth the visit.
These
tourist attractions are highly recommended and there’s even a ton of other
things you can do in Baler that will make your experience even more special and
unforgettable.
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