Why visit Laoag
Townapedia lists 37 museums and landmarks, 15 parks and trails, 156 places to eat, 40 places to stay and 5 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include PENRO Ilocos Norte and Abolition of Tobacco Monopoly Monument.
Weather in Laoag
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Laoag
Laoag ([laʊˈag]), officially the City of Laoag (Ilocano: Siudad ti Laoag; Filipino: Lungsod ng Laoag), is a component city and capital of the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 112,117 people.
From the Wikipedia article Laoag (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Laoag on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do5
Museums and landmarks37
.jpg){kind=link}
25 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds15
Mariano Marcos Stadium
Sports field and stadium · 1.2 km
Apolinario Castro Avenue, Laoag
3 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes156
Coffee Project - Laoag
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 4.9 km
Airport Road, Laoag
Mo-Su 07:00-23:00
Mr. Coffee Bean Dap-Ayan Centro
Cafe · Coffee Shop
J. P. Rizal Avenue, Laoag
Mo-Su 07:00-23:00
Rafael's Restaurant - Laoag Branch
Restaurant · Filipino · 1.7 km
Manila North Road, Laoag
Mo-Su 08:00-23:00
Empanadería Har–Lei
Restaurant · Filipino, Rice Dumpling · 0.6 km
P. Gomez Street, Laoag
Mo-Su, 14:00-02:00
Infinitea
Cafe · Bubble Tea · 0.8 km
General Segundo Avenue, Laoag
Mo-Su 08:00-20:00
Kubolaluhan Foodhouse
Restaurant · 1.7 km
F. Julian, Laoag
Mo-Su 11:00-23:00
144 more on the map.
History
In 1571, when the Spanish conquistadors had Manila more or less under their control, they began looking for new sites to conquer. Legaspi's grandson, Juan de Salcedo, volunteered to lead one of these expeditions. Together with eight armed boats and 45 men, the 22-year-old voyager headed north.
On June 13, 1572, Salcedo and his men landed in Vigan and then proceeded towards Laoag, Currimao, and Badoc. As they sailed along the coast, they were surprised to see numerous sheltered coves (looc) where the locals lived: as a result, they named the region "Ylocos" and its people "Ylocanos".
As the Christianization of the region grew, so did the landscape of the area. Vast tracts of land were utilized for churches and bell towers in line with the Spanish mission of bajo de las campanas ('under the bells') – a proclamation by King Philip's 1573 Law of the Indies. In the town plaza, it was not uncommon to see garrisons under the church bells. The colonization process was slowly being carried out.
From the History section of Laoag on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay40
D'ELEMENTS HOTEL AND DORMITORY
Motel and hotel · 1.1 km
Magat Salamat Street, Laoag
Churches and places of worship32
Hosanna Bible Baptist Church (HOSANNABBC.org)
Place of worship · Bible Baptist · 6.3 km
Weyler Street, Bacarra
Iglesia Filipina Independiente, Parish of St. William
Church · Philippine Independent
J. P. Rizal Avenue
Saint Andrew the Apostle Parish Church
Church · Iglesia Filipina Independiente · 6.2 km
Rizal Boulevard, Bacarra
Shopping42
Gas and EV charging58
Schools, colleges and libraries113
A.P. Santos Elementary School & Special Education Center
School · 1.0 km
A.G. Tupaz Street, Laoag
Alipio N. Ignacio Memorial Elementary School
School · 6.2 km
Caaoacan Road, Laoag
Bacarra National Comprehensive High School
School · 6.0 km
Torcuato Ver Street, Bacarra
Healthcare33
GOV. ROQUE B. ABLAN SR. MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
Hospital · 0.6 km
P. Gomez Street, Laoag City
Corpuz Drug Store
Clinic and pharmacy · 2.9 km
60 Josefa Llanes Escoda National Highway, San Nicolas
Map of Laoag
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Laoag International Airport (LAO) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 7 km away.
- San Nicolas 3 km south, about 3 min by car
- Bacarra 6 km north, about 6 min by car
- Piddig 13 km east, about 13 min by car
- Batac City 16 km south, about 16 min by car
- San Juan 53 km south, about 53 min by car
- Magsingal 60 km south, about 1 h by car
- Bangued 66 km south, about 1 h by car
- Claveria 69 km northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Bantay 72 km south, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Vigan 73 km south, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Ilocos Norte Capitol, dodong flores from Mandaluyong City, Philippines, CC BY 2.0
- Laoag Cathedral 2022, Patrickroque01, CC BY-SA 4.0
- La Paz Sand Dunes, ricky artigas, CC BY 2.0
- The Tobacco Monument, Laoag, Perry A. Dominguez, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bacarra Church, Johngaje92, CC BY-SA 4.0
- La Paz Sand Dunes Scenery, Emman Asuncion Foronda, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Museo Ilocos Norte (48016228941), David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada, CC BY 2.0
Page built November 8, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.