Why visit San Nicolas
Townapedia lists 28 museums and landmarks, 11 parks and trails, 141 places to eat, 36 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include PENRO Ilocos Norte and Abolition of Tobacco Monopoly Monument.
Weather in San Nicolas
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About San Nicolas
San Nicolas (Ilocano: Ili ti San Nicolas; Filipino: Bayan ng San Nicolas), officially the Municipality of San Nicolas, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 39,116 people.
From the Wikipedia article San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
Museums and landmarks28
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16 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds11
Mariano Marcos Stadium
Sports field and stadium · 4.0 km
Apolinario Castro Avenue, Laoag
Restaurants and cafes141
Coffee Project - Laoag
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 5.1 km
Airport Road, Laoag
Mo-Su 07:00-23:00
Mr. Coffee Bean Dap-Ayan Centro
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 2.7 km
J. P. Rizal Avenue, Laoag
Mo-Su 07:00-23:00
Rafael's Restaurant - Laoag Branch
Restaurant · Filipino · 1.4 km
Manila North Road, Laoag
Mo-Su 08:00-23:00
Empanadería Har–Lei
Restaurant · Filipino, Rice Dumpling · 3.4 km
P. Gomez Street, Laoag
Mo-Su, 14:00-02:00
Infinitea
Cafe · Bubble Tea · 3.6 km
General Segundo Avenue, Laoag
Mo-Su 08:00-20:00
Kabuto Ramen House
Restaurant · Ramen · 2.9 km
Hernando Street, Laoag
Mo-Su 08:00-21:00
Kubolaluhan Foodhouse
Restaurant · 4.3 km
F. Julian, Laoag
Mo-Su 11:00-23:00
129 more on the map.
History
Like any other town in the then singular province of Ilocos, San Nicolas was established by Augustinian missionaries. Vigan, the first Spanish mission center in this region, was founded in 1572. In the year 1575, when the Spaniards first explored the Laoag (Padsan) River, they met hostile resistance from the natives of San Nicolas and Laoag. In another expedition dispatched from Vigan in 1584 San Nicolas was established and Laoag followed a year later.
San Nicolas Catholic Church built in 1701 is one of the oldest buildings in this province. Its original structure is one of the must see places of the town. The Church and the attached Santa Rosa Academy Building, the well preserved Municipal Hall and the old Town Plaza sprawled between them constitute the heart of the town center. These buildings and structures are originally built and continue to be festooned with earthen bricks, which is among the products of the surviving locals.
From the History section of San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay36
D'ELEMENTS HOTEL AND DORMITORY
Motel and hotel · 3.7 km
Magat Salamat Street, Laoag
Churches and places of worship20
Iglesia Filipina Independiente, Parish of St. William
Church · Philippine Independent · 2.6 km
J. P. Rizal Avenue
Shopping40
Gas and EV charging45
Schools, colleges and libraries67
A.P. Santos Elementary School & Special Education Center
School · 2.8 km
A.G. Tupaz Street, Laoag
Healthcare27
GOV. ROQUE B. ABLAN SR. MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
Hospital · 3.1 km
P. Gomez Street, Laoag City
Corpuz Drug Store
Clinic and pharmacy
60 Josefa Llanes Escoda National Highway, San Nicolas
Map of San Nicolas
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.
- Laoag 3 km north, about 3 min by car
- Bacarra 9 km north, about 9 min by car
- Batac City 13 km south, about 13 min by car
- Piddig 13 km east, about 13 min by car
- San Juan 50 km south, about 50 min by car
- Magsingal 57 km south, about 57 min by car
- Bangued 63 km south, about 1 h by car
- Bantay 69 km south, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Vigan 70 km south, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Claveria 71 km northeast, 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
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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
- Church of San Nicolas (1), National Historical Commission of the Philippines, Public domain
- San Nicolas Public Market, Ilocos Norte, Apr 2025, Ralff Nestor Nacor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- San Nicolas Church (Rear side), Ilocos Norte, Apr 2025, Ralff Nestor Nacor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- San Nicolas Church, Jonathan Blaza, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Jose Rizal Monument, San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, Apr 2025, Ralff Nestor Nacor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- San Nicolas Pottery Marker, Ilocos Norte, Apr 2025, Ralff Nestor Nacor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- San Nicolas Church Ilocos back view, KisekiLacroix, CC BY-SA 4.0
- San Nicolas Church Ilocos 01, KisekiLacroix, CC BY-SA 4.0
- San Nicolas Municipal Park, Ilocos Norte, Apr 2025 (2), Ralff Nestor Nacor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- San Nicolas Municipal Park, Ilocos Norte, Apr 2025 (1), Ralff Nestor Nacor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- San Nicolas Municipal Park, Ilocos Norte, Apr 2025 (3), Ralff Nestor Nacor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Diocesian Shrine and Parish of San Nicolas de Tolentino, Jay823, CC0
- Goesan MPC, San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, Apr 2025, Ralff Nestor Nacor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Balay San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, Apr 2025, Ralff Nestor Nacor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ladrillos Restaurant, San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, Apr 2025, Ralff Nestor Nacor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Balay San Nicolas Historical Marker, Ilocos Norte, Ralff Nestor Nacor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- F.E. Marcos Cultural Center & Sports Center, San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, Ralff Nestor Nacor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- San Nicolas Church, Ilocos Norte, Apr 2025 (1), Ralff Nestor Nacor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- San Nicolas Grotto, Ilocos Norte, Apr 2025, Ralff Nestor Nacor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- San Nicolas Church, Ilocos Norte, Apr 2025 (2), Ralff Nestor Nacor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- San Nicolas Church Interior, Ilocos Norte, Apr 2025, Ralff Nestor Nacor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Church of San Nicolas Historical Marker, Ilocos Norte, Ralff Nestor Nacor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- San Nicolas Church Porta Sancta, Ilocos Norte, Apr 2025, Ralff Nestor Nacor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Valdes Ancestral House (White House), San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, Apr 2025, Ralff Nestor Nacor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mac Arthur Highway, San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, Apr 2025, Ralff Nestor Nacor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Robinsons Ilocos, San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, Apr 2025 (1), Ralff Nestor Nacor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Robinsons Ilocos Interior, San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, Apr 2025 (1), Ralff Nestor Nacor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Robinsons Ilocos, San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, Apr 2025 (2), Ralff Nestor Nacor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Robinsons Ilocos Interior, San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, Apr 2025 (2), Ralff Nestor Nacor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- San Nicolas church inside, Ilocos Norte - Flickr, Shubert Ciencia from Nueva Ecija, Philippines, CC BY 2.0
- Laoag Cathedral 2022, Patrickroque01, CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Tobacco Monument, Laoag, Perry A. Dominguez, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bagnet from Ilocos Norte, Lady01v, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Longganisa Laoag, Lady01v, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Pork Jowls and Intestine Adobo, Lady01v, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Pork Egado, Lady01v, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Meat vendor in Laoag Ilocos Norte, Lady01v, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Jayvee Enaguas (August 2019), Jayvee Enaguas (The Harvett Vault), CC0
- Philippine Collared Dove (Streptopelia dusumieri), Laoag City, Luzon, Philippines 2, tiluchi, CC BY 4.0
- Philippine Collared Dove (Streptopelia dusumieri), Laoag City, Luzon, Philippines 1, tiluchi, CC BY 4.0
- Museo Ilocos Norte (48016228941), David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada, CC BY 2.0
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