By the time we got out of the van, the sun has bestowed its wrath upon us. It was scorching hot that afternoon of October when we made a stop to Bantay Abot Cave, a yet another beautiful rock formation in Ilocos Norte. Bantay is Ilokano for “mountain” and Abot is “hole”, this formation is not really a cave but a rocky hill that has hole in the middle due to an earthquake that happened many years ago.

Our co-travelers didn’t bother to brave the heat and preferred to stay inside the van to catch up sleep but nothing can stop Twinny and I — armed with little amount of sunblock and shades, off we go to the rocky coastline via a steep descent.  

We were welcomed by the breathtaking view of the site. The beach is very rocky and the waves are strong. On our right side was the cave, enclosed by rocks structures and covered with bushes. It now falls on the list of one of my favorite places!

Of course with a place as wonderful as Bantay Abot, we didn’t leave without photo ops. The top of the boulder was packed with tourists so we just spent our time admiring the sea instead.

If you are planning to visit Ilocos Norte, you shouldn’t miss the beauty that is Bantay Abot Cave! :)