is a
Province of the
Philippines located in the
Ilocos Region in
Luzon . Its capital is
Vigan City and borders
Ilocos Norte and
Abra to the north,
Mountain Province to the east, and
La Union and
Benguet to the south. To the west of Ilocos Sur is the
South China Sea .
Ilocos Sur is subdivided into 32
Municipalities and 2
Cities .
Ilocos Sur is located along the western coast of Northern Luzon. It is bounded by Ilocos Norte on the north, Abra on the northeast, Mountain Province on the east, Benguet on the southeast, La Union on the south, and the China Sea on the west. Its area of 2,579.58 square kilometers occupies about 20.11% of the total land area of Region 1.
The topography of Ilocos Sur is undulating to rolling with elevations ranging from 10 to 1,700 meters above sea level.
Ilocos Sur was founded by the
Spanish Conquistador ,
Juan De Salcedo in
1572 . It was formed when the north (now
Ilocos Norte ) split from the south (Ilocos Sur).
- Heritage City of
Vigan - inscribed in the
UNESCO World Heritage List, because it houses the most intact example of a Spanish colonial town in Asia. Other spots include pottery making and other forms of cottage industries. It also has hotels built in the "bahay na bato" ("stone house") style. Also located in the city is the residence of Father
Jose Burgos , which is open to the public; and the Syquia Mansion, which is the Vigan residence of former President
Elpidio Quirino .
- Beaches - most notable Ilocos Sur beaches include those in Cabangtalan (in Sinait, also known as Imelda's Cove), Pug-os (in Cabugao); and the towns of Santa, Santa Maria, Santiago, San Esteban, and Candon.
- Churches - most notable of these churches include the Vigan Cathedral (which is the seat of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia, and where the remains of the Ilocano poet
Leona Florentino is interred), Santa Maria Church (which is inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list), and Sinait Church (which houses the miraculous Statue of the Black Nazarene).
- Nature Spots - Scenic spots include the Banaoang River in Bantay (an extension of the Abra River), Pinsal Falls in Santa Maria, and Pikkang Falls in San Juan.
