Santa Maria, Philippines
Santa Maria is a town of 3,651 people in Ilocos, Philippines, founded in April 25, 1765.
Why visit Santa Maria
Townapedia lists 4 museums and landmarks, 4 parks and trails, 17 places to eat, 5 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Church of Narvacan.
Weather in Santa Maria
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Santa Maria
Santa Maria, officially the Municipality of Santa Maria (Ilocano: Ili ti Santa Maria; Filipino: Bayan ng Santa Maria), is a municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 30,076 people.
From the Wikipedia article Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Santa Maria on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks4
World Heritage Site - The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption
Monument and historic site
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Rizal Park
Park · 5.7 km
Park in honor of the national hero of the Philippines Jose Rizal
Restaurants and cafes17
5 more on the map.
History
The community of Santa Maria must have already been an organized settlement before the Spaniards came to the Philippines. When Captain Juan de Salcedo conquered the Ilocos in 1572, they found out that the people were already engaged in a robust trade and commercial relationship with the Japanese and the Chinese. The people's main industries were fishing, farming, and - to some extent - cotton weaving and pottery.
The people were noted for their religiosity. They worshiped the anitos, spirits, and local deities. Although the conquest of the Ilocos Region was a slow and painful process owing to the resistance mounted by the inhabitants, they were later conquered through the use of the sword and with the Cross. It was the religious nature of the people that the friars greatly leveraged to convert the Ilocanos to the new faith — Christianity.
From the History section of Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay5
Churches and places of worship5
Shopping5
Gas and EV charging12
Schools, colleges and libraries53
Narvacan South Central School & Special Education Center
School · 5.7 km
Bauco Street
Healthcare10
Map of Santa Maria
116 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
San Fernando Airport (SFE) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 88 km away.
- Suso 2 km west, about 2 min by car
- Narvacan 6 km north, about 6 min by car
- Tamorong 6 km southwest, about 6 min by car
- Candon 19 km south, about 19 min by car
- Vigan 25 km northwest, about 25 min by car
- Bantay 26 km north, about 26 min by car
- Bangued 32 km northeast, about 32 min by car
- Bontoc 61 km southeast, about 1 h by car
- Batac City 77 km north, about 1 h 15 min by car
- San Fernando 85 km south, about 1 h 30 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
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion Church, Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur, JufelBaldado, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Leaning Bell Tower of Santa Maria Church, Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur, Philippines - panoramio, Andrew Martin, CC BY 3.0
- Bell tower of Santa Maria Church in Ilocos Sur province, Philippines, GorgeousBrian, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Inside of Santa Maria Chruch, Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur, Philippines - panoramio, Andrew Martin, CC BY 3.0
- Bell tower next to Santa Maria Church, Ilocos Sur, Luzon, Philippines, GorgeousBrian, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Façade of Our Lady of the Assumption, Santa Maria, Ilocos sur, Philippines, Ilocandia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Early Morning at the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption, Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur, Philippines, Ilocandia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Main altar of the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption, Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur, Philippines, Ilocandia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur Church (D. Stanley pic) - Flickr, David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada, CC BY 2.0
- Narcacan Church, ACTA314, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bantay Bell Tower (D. Stanley pic) - Flickr, David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada, CC BY 2.0
- Narvacan Church - Flickr, Shubert Ciencia from Nueva Ecija, Philippines, CC BY 2.0
- Church of San Esteban, Ilocos Sur (interior) - Flickr, Shubert Ciencia from Nueva Ecija, Philippines, CC BY 2.0
- Church of San Esteban, Ilocos Sur - Flickr, Shubert Ciencia from Nueva Ecija, Philippines, CC BY 2.0
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Page built November 7, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.