Surfing in Aurora

Aurora is a paradise for surfers, with its long Pacific coastline exposed to the Pacific Ocean. The sport was made famous in the Province by the classic film Apocalypse Now. The scene in which U.S. soldiers are surfing was filmed here, and the production crew left behind surfboards for the locals to use. The locals of Baler claim that the surf is sometimes so huge that they could hear it all the way from the provincial capitol building, some 1.5 km away from the coast.
There are numerous surfing points in Aurora, but the municipality of Baler offers most of the more accessible surfing areas with good accommodations.

Dinalungan, Aurora - DEER PARK

Dinalungan Deer Park-A strategic area where a man-made structure was built added with exquisite landscape combined with exotic plants, water hyacinths, water lilies, and trees are home to the endemic Sambar Deer nurtured by an environmentalist couple. (Credit: Dinalungan Tourism Office)

Dingalan, Aurora - LAMAO CAVES

An array of caves curved along the seaside cliff of Paltic, Dingalan, Aurora. These caves are constantly lured by waves of the Pacific Ocean. The caves would seem deceptively ordinary, however, upon close inspection, delightful natural waterfalls gushes inside from the underground stream. Another cave showers water, giving the impression of an indoor rainstorm. Rare marine lives such as giant turtles and some sharks have been sighted along the location of the caves.

Baler, Aurora - Quezon Memorial Park and Museo de Baler

Quezon Memorial Park
(Poblacion, Baler, Aurora). This quiet park of trees and lawns was developed in honor and in memory of the late president Manuel L. Quezon. A marker fenced by concrete and set on a circular cement platform serves as a landmark of Baler, the birthplace of Quezon. A replica of the house where Quezon grew up could be found at Quezon Park (Casa de Maestro Lucio Quezon).

Museo de Baler
(Poblacion, Baler, Aurora). Aurora's museum that houses Aurora's priceless artifacts.

Dinadiawan -Up Close, Dipaculao, Aurora

Dinadiawan is almost two hours away from Aurora’s capital town, Baler. It is not an easy place to reach since the lone mountain road that leads to it is rough, unpaved and narrow. In contrast to Baler, which is Aurora’s most popular tourist destination, the other parts of the province are remote and desolate, providing visitors with an entirely surreal and different kind of feeling. Many pleasant discoveries can still be experienced and one such place is Dinadiawan which is situated between Luzon’s Sierra Madre Mountain Range & the Pacific Ocean. This place is oftentimes the stopover of buses and commercial vehicles going to northern town of Aurora (Dinalungan, Casiguran, Dilasag) as several small restaurants are lined along the national road.



A few meters from the main road is the stunningly beautiful Dinadiawan Beach. It is a long stretch of clean, fine, golden white sand coastline. There are one to two resorts located in the area but apart from it, no other manmade structure is to be found in the vicinity. It’s best to explore, stroll lazily, camp-out, play ball games, or just enjoy the beach in the late afternoon, when the sun is no longer ferociously beating down on the sandy shoreline. Indeed, there’s a lot to discover and explore in Aurora just like Dinadiawan!

Baler, Aurora - SABANG BEACH

Everytime I have the opportunity to visit Baler, the Sabang Beach did’nt fail to astound me. The ocean, the waves, the shoreline, the mountains - everything just amazes and overwhelms me! Although the sand is gray, it’s really very fine. It is so fine, that you can’t feel any grittiness when you walk along the beach.

While this is a surfer’s beach, the wave here is seasonal. The waves arrive during the months of October to February and are good for first time surfers. However, from March through June, the waves are relatively calm providing a good beachfront for swimmers and an excellent challenge for expert windsurfers.

A new and modern hotel, Bahia de Baler II, can be found few meters from the beach, just few blocks from the more popular Bay’s Inn Resort (see picture below).

Baler, Aurora - Ermita Park

(Zabali, Baler, Aurora). This shrub-covered area provides an excellent view of the town of Baler, Sabang Beach, Cemento and Dimadimalangat islet. It is a short, steep trek from the foot of the hill, through small trees and cogon grass, to the top. Hidden beneath a clump of trees are the almost unrecognizable remains of a bell tower. Owing to its excellent vantage point, the bell tower was formerly used to warn people of Baler of raiding pirates. During sunny days the place is swelteringly hot.

Here are the astonishing views from the top of Ermita Park...