Municipality in Isabela, Philippines
Photo: Staff Sgt. Chad L. Simon, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Palanan is a municipality on the Pacific coast of Isabela province in the northern part of the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Cut off from the rest of the country by the Sierra Madre mountains, it is one of the least explored areas of the province, but is being geared as its future beach tourism destination.
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A small memorial to Emilio Aguinaldo and Palanan's heyday as the last capital of an independent Philippines fighting against the American occupation. It was built on the site of Aguinaldo's residence, where he was also captured by the Americans on March 23, 1901, a day after his birthday.
Palanan Church
Palanan's main Roman Catholic church. It retains three bells from the Spanish era.
A stretch of white-sand beach facing Palanan Bay. Its name derives from the soft sand light enough for human feet to sink through.
A less-visited white sand beach directly facing the Pacific Ocean, on the other side of the peninsula on where Dicotcotan Beach is located.
A lighthouse guarding the promontory separating Palanan Bay from the open waters of the Pacific Ocean. It also marks the easternmost point of northern Luzon.
A pristine blue-colored lagoon curiously situated further south from downtown Palanan, at a significant distance inland from the coast. There is no visible outlet, although there are fishes living inside of it apart from a spillway that channels some of its waters towards the Palanan River.
A stretch of white-sand beach facing the Pacific Ocean.
In July 1972, the ship MV Karagatan, which was carrying weapons destined to the New People's Army from China, ran aground on the reefs surrounding the area and was intercepted by the security forces. This incident later became the reasons Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos cited in his subsequent decision to impose his Martial Law dictatorship two months later. The wreckage of the ship is a highlight of diving activities in the area, alongside the adjacent coral reefs.
A stretch of black-sand beach facing Palanan Bay that forms a sandbar at the mouth of the Palanan River.
Palanan has its own airport, which accommodates commercial flights using light, turboprop aircraft originating from Cauayan and Tuguegarao. Flight time is between 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Read in the guideTricycles and motorcycles are the main form of transport in the downtown.
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Cauayan City · Regional · CYZ
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